Everything You Want to Know About Where to Sit on a pmCO 777 (ver 2: 2-class 50BF)
 

Information moved to wikipost.

IMO the bulkhead seats are a must in BF (rows 1/8) - footwells are too cramped otherwise

Note that 1A/B do not exist on these aircraft, so 2A/B are bulkhead seats in this configuration, against a lavatory adjacent to 1D/E. My preference, therefore is to avoid 1D at all costs. 2A/B are slightly better, in fact I did not encounter any disturbances in 2B on a recent EWR-HKG flight. 1E is a decent seat which I would select before other non-bulkhead rows.

1KL have a full set of windows and very little foot traffic, so these seats are preferred for a couple traveling together.

Row 8AB/KL have large foot cutouts but only one window. Keep in mind that these are designated bassinet seats as well, though I've never seen the bassinets used and suspect they can only accommodate a very small child. My preferred seats are 8DE, as they have direct, undisturbed aisle access throughout the flight and are close, but not too close, to the lavs. 8E is my favorite seat on the plane because it is oriented such that galley light is not bothersome, close to the largest lav, has a bigger footwell, quick on/off through 2L and has undisturbed aisle access. I usually find the service in B-zone to be a little bit quicker, which allows me to get to sleep faster, especially on short European redeyes (on the scant few such flights ex-EWR that get 777s these days!).

There are three lavs in BF, two near doors 2, one on either side and one in the forward cabin on the left in place of 1A/B. The two lavs on the left side of the aircraft are standard size. The lavatory on the right side just forward of doors 2 is the accessible lav, so it is much larger and easier to change clothes in. There is also a closet immediately aft of this lav in which I usually hang my clothes after changing into PJs or something more comfortable than a suit or business attire.

Aside from 1D, I would also avoid 6E, as it is the last seat to be served in A-zone and very close to the lav. It is close to the boarding door, so if you're trying to hustle off the airplane at the other end, it will allow you to be among the first up the jetway. The remaining seats in the BF cabin are entirely adequate and are probably the best standard pre-merger CO BusinessFirst seats in the fleet. The seats themselves are rather wide, have retractable outside armrests and reasonably good storage, including under the footwell. The much-maligned footwells are indeed small, and I wouldn't recommend wearing shoes if trying to sleep, but I wear a size 12 and haven't encountered any serious problems sleeping in the 'regular' seats. The space at shoulder level is good for storing electronics and personal items since there are pockets and high walls so there's nowhere for them to go. The seats have USB and semi-universal AC power in this area too, along with a dual-prong headphone jack. There is also a small dimmable LED reading light on the inside of the 'shell', but I don't like the quality of the light so I rarely use it, choosing the overhead light instead. There are auxiliary seat controls next to the reading light in the seat which are useful when coming back to life 15 minutes before landing after an all-too-short slumber. Neither the light nor the auxiliary controls are readily accessible or useful when the seat is upright. The traytable is large, foldable and fairly sturdy, especially when you pop out the extra plate on the bottom and brace the outside of the table on your armrest. My one complaint about the traytable is that it does not swing out of the way to permit easy egress from your seat, so if you're on the aisle, you need to drop the outer armrest and try to shimmy out of the seat without knocking anything over.

As far as other tips, just don't put anything on the shelf in front of you... it'll wind up on your lap during takeoff, or worse, under your seat. Warning: anything that goes under there may never return! When getting into bed, I usually step out of the seat first (as opposed to going back into a bed from the seated position), recline into the full-flat, grab an extra blanket if I can find one, lay it on the seat as a cushion, push the headrest all the way up (back), and set my pillow against the shell. Then, I'll get into the seat and lay back along the bed as far back as I can. This tends to mitigate the footwell issue, especially if you're tall like me. I've also found the best way to watch movies or listen to music while eating is to plug your headphones in and run the cord behind your back so it does not drape across your shoulder.

I'm on UA117 EWR-HKG. I picked 3E as I'm by myself and want aisle access. I see that 8E is taken but 8D is not (as well as everything in rows 1 and 2). Should I switch to 8D? I'm 5'10" and don't remember the footwells being that cramped, but it's a long flight and sleeping well is nice ;)

In E+, I like Row 16 (bulkhead) for the extra leg room. The downside is the flip up entertainment and the trays in the seats making it narrower. Also, there seems to be no vent adjustment (at least in the center), I always find it extremely cold.

I would not recc the 32 (exit row). You get more leg room, but it is near the lavs and people and families like to stand around that area.

If you are hoping for an empty seat beside you on EWR-HKG in Biz1st, then you are pretty much out of luck, as this flight has historically gone out full almost all the time. As I understand it, in back pretty full too.

EmailKid

The D/E seats both have direct aisle access so it doesn't matter if the cabin is full (which I am sure it will be). I was basing my choice on EWR764's statement that 8E was his favorite seat.

I went ahead and grabbed 8D after looking at some photos online. I will report when the flight is over!

Yeah - I'd say 8D would be my second choice as a solo passenger among the entire 50 seats (next to 8E). You might even have a fighting chance of getting congee if you want it, since you're first up in the cabin.

I should also point out that flight attendants sometimes use the 'shelf' on top of the bulkhead TV monitors as a credenza of sorts to display mid-flight snacks and water bottles. I actually don't mind this as it provides easy access to water (hell, who am I kidding, snacks too!) but anyone seated in a bulkhead, especially in D/E seats, should be aware.

There's a real credenza on the 787 with cool LED lights that sits a few inches forward of and below the screens of 1DE, but on the 777 this is just the top of the monitors. I still prefer the little bar in front of GF on the IPTE 777s.

One warning about 8D, that I experienced on my recent EWR-DEL flight: whenever someone opens the door to the lav you will be exposed to the direct light from there. On the plus side it is very easy to see when it is available and the problem I mentioned can be taken care of with an eye mask.

There were 9 empty seats this past Tuesday the 11th. I know that it is not common and it caught me and Norma, the best FA ever, by surprise.

Yes, you should switch, unless you are in a frantic rush to get off. In HKG the front door opens first.

Two-cabin 777-200 Wide footrests in BizFirst?
 

Which seats in the 777-200 BizFirst cabin have the wider footrests? Do 2A/B? 1D/E? Row 8?

Any seat in the first row should have them.

Is this seasonal? I'm T-30 Days from a flight on UA116 and BF is almost Half Empty? Does this tend to fill up last minute w/ business travelers?

Most definitely