United to "slim" the A320 fleet
#46
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I still find B6's A320 to be the best domestic narrowbody fleet
#47
Join Date: Feb 2003
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How horrible! With decent seats, the A320 is my favourite plane in coach - reminds me of my beloved 727s.
As for NEK, the best thing that can be said about it is that it's the only airline seat I know where the passenger in the seat behind you can give you a back massage through the seat.
As for NEK, the best thing that can be said about it is that it's the only airline seat I know where the passenger in the seat behind you can give you a back massage through the seat.
#48
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If these seats are anything like the Recaros on TACA's A320 fleet, they are great! The extra legroom at normal pitch is almost like E+.
A recent TACA Peru flight from MVD to LIM was quite comfortable for Y, even with the seatback AVOD and USB power. On the next 2 TACA legs up to SAL and then to SFO, I didn't get AVOD but the same kind of scooped out no-pocket seatback (storage up high near the tray) gave the same almost-E+ feel on 31"-32" pitch.
A recent TACA Peru flight from MVD to LIM was quite comfortable for Y, even with the seatback AVOD and USB power. On the next 2 TACA legs up to SAL and then to SFO, I didn't get AVOD but the same kind of scooped out no-pocket seatback (storage up high near the tray) gave the same almost-E+ feel on 31"-32" pitch.
#49
Join Date: Apr 2006
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I will give UA some credit here. At LEAST they aren't installing the CO Japanese seats. Whatever those things are are God-awful. Worst. Airline. Seats that I've ever been on, anyway.
Does anybody know if this includes the supposedly already slimline ex-Ted aircraft, or just the PMUA legacy aircraft?
Does anybody know if this includes the supposedly already slimline ex-Ted aircraft, or just the PMUA legacy aircraft?
#50
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Location: SEA
Posts: 12,485
Where are these specific percentage figures coming from exactly? I'm sure they have calculated the capex is worth it, but to what detriment to the customer? You can make a lot of moves that may have a slight revenue benefit, but when you start making them in every facet of the corporation (marketing, employee training, on-board services, FF benefits, etc.), they have the very real potential to inflict far more harm collectively, not to mention damaging your reputation. This does not seem to be understood in the C suite at the current moment. They are managing the combined entity in a ruthless manner. Unfortunately for them, their short-sided immediate revenue gain moves have already started to inflict pain on the bottom line. Their strategy is a flawed one, and one that is in the early stages of failure at the current moment.
Outside of offering a distinctly different product, like EconomyPlus, airlines have failed to obtain higher Y yields by offering a better coach product. Why would you accept inferior economics when they provide no measurable tangible or intangible benefit?
#51
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I'm not quite sure what the problem is with the current A320 seats? Too comfortable? Is this just about trying to jam more seats in the plane? Like I don't know the answer to this
#52
Join Date: Jul 2004
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At 6'4" there's NO way for someone like myself to sit properly in those seats except by "pushing" my body upwards, which I dont think is possible to do at all. This is why I don't fly LH at all, coach or biz.
#53
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The existing A320 are old, heavy, and take up more space than necessary. They would need to be refurbished or replaced at some point and replacing them with lighter seats that allow an additional row (4-6 seats) to be added to the plane makes the economics very compelling.
#54
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#55
Join Date: May 2007
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#56
Join Date: Nov 2005
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Installing those seats may have been the only way for United to have reduced operating performance more than what they have been doing lately. One has to wonder if it was contemplated at WHQ.
#57
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
Look, I think a lot of people are excessively down on this decision (for many people Jeff Smisek at this point could personally come to their house and give them a pony and they'd complain about the colour) but given that this is a particular version of a particular seat which none of us has ever sat in, I think it's a bit early to complain about it.
I'm not sure whether I've sat in the LH version or not, but I've flown in plenty of slim-line seats and they're definitely the way of the future for a good reason. Assuming they also take the opportunity to install a vaguely modern AVOD system, I look forward to travelling in the refurbished A320 fleet.
#58
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DFW
Programs: UA peon (+decades 1K), AA Exec Plt
Posts: 1,117
That's not a seat pitch increase, it's the same seat pitch but with improved legroom.
Look, I think a lot of people are excessively down on this decision (for many people Jeff Smisek at this point could personally come to their house and give them a pony and they'd complain about the colour) but given that this is a particular version of a particular seat which none of us has ever sat in, I think it's a bit early to complain about it.
I'm not sure whether I've sat in the LH version or not, but I've flown in plenty of slim-line seats and they're definitely the way of the future for a good reason. Assuming they also take the opportunity to install a vaguely modern AVOD system, I look forward to travelling in the refurbished A320 fleet.
Look, I think a lot of people are excessively down on this decision (for many people Jeff Smisek at this point could personally come to their house and give them a pony and they'd complain about the colour) but given that this is a particular version of a particular seat which none of us has ever sat in, I think it's a bit early to complain about it.
I'm not sure whether I've sat in the LH version or not, but I've flown in plenty of slim-line seats and they're definitely the way of the future for a good reason. Assuming they also take the opportunity to install a vaguely modern AVOD system, I look forward to travelling in the refurbished A320 fleet.
Ditto on the ponies.
#59
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Posts: 5,305
I'm not sure whether I've sat in the LH version or not, but I've flown in plenty of slim-line seats and they're definitely the way of the future for a good reason. Assuming they also take the opportunity to install a vaguely modern AVOD system, I look forward to travelling in the refurbished A320 fleet.
#60
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
Actually you motivated me to go look it up, and it looks like I took a LH 735 from PMO to FRA last year. Seatguru seems to imply that these are all NEK-based... though maybe they weren't last summer, I don't know.