WineCountryUA

As UA has multiple 739 seating configurations and may it times swap a 738, UA uses a hybrid seat map until closer to departure (a few days)

As some configurations have DirecTV and some don't, you will not know until closer to departure. They all will have PDE which provides entertainment options to the user's personal device (smartphone, tablet, computer, ...)

StuckinITH

I was on a 739 on ORD-SFO that had DirecTV but the return 739 did not have it. However, you will be let known that by an email that United sends before your flight about the entertainment. I don't recall if that email is sent one day or two days before the flight. My return flight email showed that there would be no DirecTV. Naturally, that can always change if they need to swap one plane for another due to some delays.

Kmxu

findark

It's blocked for accommodation, but the block is able to be selected through via the check-in process. This is standard for the accommodation blocks (7DE, 23BC, 25BC on 737s).

VegasGambler

I'm on a flight SFO-PHX on a 737-900. I'm in economy, and selected seat 21F. Rear exit row, so I can recline and the person in front of me can't.

I notice (on seatguru) that two of the F seats don't recline (5 A&B). I don't want to risk ending up in one of those seats.. I'm happy with my exit row seat.

WineCountryUA

Don't believe everything Seatguru says, it was once a great resource.

The might be a small reduction in the recline, but they do recline

Row 5 is not that bad and does have some recline - probably as much as an E+ seat

mahasamatman

The worst thing about those seats is lavatory proximity. For some reason, those lave are the worst in the fleet for odor distribution. The 739 is the one plane where I prefer to sit farther back.

findark

Having done PHX-SFO in Row 5, it's fine. Not quite as nice as the other rows, but still miles better than Y unless the middle is empty.

jjmoore

Sitting in 5B on DEN-MCO on a 739 at this very moment and the recline may be a hair less than the others but I have no complaints. Looking over at 5E, I can see that the recline is about 5" or so... maybe a bit more. I am very comfy here.

findark

Interesting. I know 5B backs against the lav whereas 5E is to the bulkhead. I was in 5E with few complaints; it sure beat the "earlier" flight I was originally on that was delayed 4h40 due to late inbound

jjmoore

I have learned over time that these seats are just fine. Yes 5A and B back up to the lav, but the recline is at the worst only a hair less than the other seats in F. I had this same fear in the past, but as I gained the experience in these seats, I realized they are not bad at all. It will be nice when they replace these F seats on the 737/738/739 fleet with the ones that are used in the 739MAX and the Airbus fleets.

I would definitely sit in any F seat on any plane vs. sitting even in the best E+ seats.

audio-nut

Is "DirecTV" synonymous with PTV?

WineCountryUA

"DirecTV" is 100+ "live" TV channels and a selection of 6 movies, it uses a seatback screen (It had been a fee based system in Economy but is now free) . TV channels are limited to when the flight is CONUS (over the continental U.S.A.)
There is also PDE (wifi delivered entertainment for your personal device -- smartphone, tablet, computer,....)

NoDestinations

Here is an interesting data point to consider: I was flying from ORD to EWR in 5A (First Class). The flight was a lunch flight. Due to a combination of turbulence on departure and a seemingly inexperienced crew, meal service began less than one hour prior to arrival (that would be to wheels down-not just down to 10,000). The flight attendants began handing out towels at T-1 to arrival. I received my food when the aircraft was well into descent and almost at 10,000. All passengers in the first four rows received lunch. Myself and Mr. 5B also received lunch. However, by the time we hit 10,000 feet, 5E and 5F had not received lunch. The inexperienced flight attendant seemed supericially apologetic and offered each of those passengers $25 E-Cert of 1,000 miles... oy.

TL;DR, On a short flight with meal service, sit in the first few rows to guarantee time to eat. I don't know if this is isolated or if it happens frequently.

bdw1120