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New UA Slimline seats = Spirit w/more legroom

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Old Aug 2, 2018, 10:13 am
  #1  
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New UA Slimline seats = Spirit w/more legroom

I am not sure if these are going on all aircraft, but I recently flew an A320 from LAS-LAX and I could not believe how bad the seats were. they were as thin as a piece of paper with no padding. These were the same seats as the Spirit flight I took last week from LAX-LAS.

Is it just me , or is there ZERO differentiation in seat comfort. UA vs Spirit?
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 10:30 am
  #2  
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Don’t know about Spirit - I refuse to fly them. But I’ve been on IB and LH Intra-EU and those are worse...by a significant margin. I beleive most of the short haul EU carriers - BA, etc. are the same.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 10:44 am
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If they're blue, they're decent. On a flight over three hours, I still tend to use a Therma-rest lumbar and seat self inflating pillow on these aircraft for added comfort. If they're gray (not the Recaro Comfort Package), these supports (two pillows) are absolutely mandatory.

One exception: Gray or blue slimline on the Airbus aircraft, the exit row seats lack a flexible diaphragm below the seat, as the FAA/Recaro (seat manufacturter) are concerned that if someone stepped on an exit row seat with enough force, they could break the diapghram and entrap their leg, blocking egress from the aircraft for other passengers in the event of an emergency evacuation. So these seat bottoms are competely hard, which means the seat bottoms in the exit rows of UA Airbus aircraft with slimline seats are substantially harder/less supportive. I avoid exit row seats on these aircraft whenever possible, and if I had no self-inflating seat pillow and a choice between non-E+ or E+ but Exit row on these aircraft, I would pick non-E+.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 11:13 am
  #4  
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The slimline seats on the 319/320s are awful. I'll book another carrier rather than fly that aircraft farther than SFO-PHX in Y.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 12:24 pm
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
If they're blue, they're decent. On a flight over three hours, I still tend to use a Therma-rest lumbar and seat self inflating pillow on these aircraft for added comfort. If they're gray (not the Recaro Comfort Package), these supports (two pillows) are absolutely mandatory.

One exception: Gray or blue slimline on the Airbus aircraft, the exit row seats lack a flexible diaphragm below the seat, as the FAA/Recaro (seat manufacturter) are concerned that if someone stepped on an exit row seat with enough force, they could break the diapghram and entrap their leg, blocking egress from the aircraft for other passengers in the event of an emergency evacuation. So these seat bottoms are competely hard, which means the seat bottoms in the exit rows of UA Airbus aircraft with slimline seats are substantially harder/less supportive. I avoid exit row seats on these aircraft whenever possible, and if I had no self-inflating seat pillow and a choice between non-E+ or E+ but Exit row on these aircraft, I would pick non-E+.
Why is this exit row seat hardness not a problem on UA's Boeing aircraft? What is it about 737 exit row seats that avoids the need for a rock hard seat pan?
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 12:45 pm
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I was on one of those yesterday. I am with Kacee. The miles, free drink etc? Not worth it.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 3:32 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
Don’t know about Spirit - I refuse to fly them. But I’ve been on IB and LH Intra-EU and those are worse...by a significant margin. I beleive most of the short haul EU carriers - BA, etc. are the same.
But the LH seatback pockets are so neat and clean with everything in a plastic bag!
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 3:47 pm
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Not sure about the Y seats. Will not fly Spirit in the back. But Spirit's "Big Front Seats" are almost the same as United's Domestic first on A319/320. No first class service but $25-50 more a flight for those seats a great deal.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 4:49 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by TomMM
But the LH seatback pockets are so neat and clean with everything in a plastic bag!
If the difference is a neat seat pocket, yet seats where my back hurts before pushback (and no, don’t have a particularly bad back), then I’ll take a messy pocket on UA.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 4:53 pm
  #10  
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I invite the OP to try the coach seat of a Hawaiian 717. Of course, that's not going to be a 5-hr segment.

Hawaii: More seats, less padding

They use the same seat vendor as Spirit, actually: Acro.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 6:27 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by emcampbe


If the difference is a neat seat pocket, yet seats where my back hurts before pushback (and no, don’t have a particularly bad back), then I’ll take a messy pocket on UA.
At lest the Intra-EU flights can be somewhat short 2-2.5 hours.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 7:27 pm
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
The slimline seats on the 319/320s are awful. I'll book another carrier rather than fly that aircraft farther than SFO-PHX in Y.
+1, extensively discussed (with a poll non-the less) and the consensus is these seats are the worst of the worst. After a few uncomfortable flights on SFO-SEA, I will not book the A320/A319 on UA at all in Y. It is too bad, as I find on other airlines that the A319/320/321 is a much more comfortable plane than the Boeing 737 due to the seats being 1" wider/seat (cabin is 7" wider in total). Those seats were a really short-sighted el chepo delux decission, very Smisik.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 8:29 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
I invite the OP to try the coach seat of a Hawaiian 717. Of course, that's not going to be a 5-hr segment.

Hawaii: More seats, less padding

They use the same seat vendor as Spirit, actually: Acro.
Apples to oranges.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 11:09 pm
  #14  
 
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For me slim line seats of any kind just plain suck. They are bad on the various 737s, the A320s and even 767-400 that we flew EWR to LHR a few months ago. It is like sitting on a board for 7+ hours, even in E+. I won't book any A319 flights and I avoid the A320s as much as possible. Reality is UA and others are going with these seats and they really don't seem to care whether we like them or not.
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Old Aug 2, 2018, 11:41 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
I invite the OP to try the coach seat of a Hawaiian 717. Of course, that's not going to be a 5-hr segment.

Hawaii: More seats, less padding

They use the same seat vendor as Spirit, actually: Acro.
I was island hopping last week. Pretty spartan, and those tiny flip down trays were comical

Of course, I was in Hawaii on vacation (and 30-45 min segments)

In that scenario I will accept a park bench or even standing room only. The UA evil Airbii 319s and 320s (formerly best narrow body in the fleet) are deployed on transcons. Totally brutal. Even TED was far better - RAR!
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