That ain't that hard to understand .... one of the great features of the UD is that there are no (or hardly ever) infants up there.
Even though I have to admit that infants never are a source of concern for my travels though, so it's a minor benefit.

Tee Hee!

Indeed! I have flown in that cabin and had a baby crying for most of the SYD LAX flt - we were in row 25DF, baby was at bulkhead in economy! It was not a quiet trip .

As with FA service, it all depends on the type of kids you get on the flight too (and of course whether their parents have a brain or not) . Mini DG is very well behaved and was the only child on our recent UD SYD LAX - I doubt people even knew she was up there until we disembarked (row 18). The FAs made far more noise - yes we got the "sit in the stairwell and chat all night at the top of our voices" FAs .

I think if I got the choice again, I would only sit on UD if I got row 16 or 17 AB (seats with good recline and space), otherwise I would go downstairs and try my luck in row 25H.

Totally OT for a second: I have just returned from doing an UD on SQ in Econ. WOW - I would opt for UD on those flights every time. Shame about the Gorilla I ended up sitting next to - ugh but that is for another thread/forum!

I believe UA cut the upper deck FAs down to only two after they removed one row of seats from that area?

I remember sitting in 15G/H with my traveling buddy when flying on some Asia business reward tickets in the mid-1990s. At that time, there were three FAs, one being a cute HKG-based lady from Venezuela that I ended up dating for awhile.

Next time I flew to Asia there were only two FAs upstairs.

I relate the UD experience to the experience of living in a small town.. in general, there is more accountability which makes it harder for FAs to offer sub-par service because they know they are more accessible/visible to pax.

That, and the fact that *typically* int'l crews are more experienced at providing a higher standard of service.

I have flown on upper deck numerous times, I have yet to come across an infant or child yet.

Recently I was in row 18 and heard baby crying through the stairs. Luckily the crying stopped shortly after take off. That is one more reason not to sit in row 18.

One of the nicest things about the UD (aside from row 15, 16/17-AB), is the side storage console at the window seats. It makes things so convenient. I've hardly used the overhead bins, and typically just reach to the side to grab everything i need. Plus it provides a great footrest when reclining!

While I pray for the new C-class config each flight, I will miss that side console likely.

Totally agree, and I've never used the overhead bins mainly because nothing actually fits in them. That's the one downside of the UD -- if you're trying not to check anything, you typically have to find a special place for one of your bags.
I don't know that the side console is going away. I thought that was there due to the curvature of the fuselage, so I'd guess they're likely to stay. The upper deck will still have 2x2 seating, and since the new seats are a bit narrower overall, they should have plenty of room widthwise.

You're just lucky. We get them about 20% of the time.

We've always used the storage area next to the stairs. No muss, no fuss.

Last time I was on the UD the non-US crew forbade us from using closet. They said it could not take the weight of carry-ons? We ended up putting them under the seats in front of us (yea I know it can't be done but is satisfied the FAs that we just leaned them up against the seats).

This sums up my feelings as well. The last upper deck seat I took was a flight to LHR last year, and after that I've stayed dowstairs for the other ~dozen 747-C segments this year.

Yeah, that's what I was referring to. It can be hit or miss, and it's just one hassle I could do without. Would it be impossible to put a slightly larger bin in there without making the ceiling so low that it would get in the way?

I see two FAs on upper deck as well. On my recent flight FRA to SFO, one of the two FAs on upper deck is the purser so sometimes I only see one FA around the cabin. Still received excellent service.

Think it is all depend on the attitute of the FAs. I had one of my best service from UA when I sat in the lower deck.

I always choose the upper deck when possible. I've had better luck avoiding crying infants up there.