Not having moveable armrests is probably a ‘trouble saver’ for the airlines. If an ‘oversized’ person can’t move the armrest, it makes it more difficult for that person to invade the space of the person sitting next to them. On our last flight on one leg I had a ‘large’ woman seated in the middle seat next to my aisle seat in the exit row. I willingly give up ‘precedence’ for the armrest to the middle seat, but this woman was over the armrest with her elbow in my ribs. I gently pushed her arm out of my seat and she pushed back. My wife, who is small, and I often book adjacent aisle seats in the exit row. I was pretty sure this woman would not be as rude with my wife, so she (my wife) and I switched seats. No problem. This woman left my wife alone and they seemed to have a nice conversation.
Claudia Sails…. Thank you so much for this really useful information! I often wonder about premium economy going back and forth to Europe when I pay for business class through clenched teeth….. Do you remember what make/ model planes these were ( eg Boeing 787, airbus A350,)?
MotherofPoodles - according to my itinerary the AF flight ATL-CDG was a Boeing 787-9 and the KLM was a Boeing 787-10.
The AF flight was the same one we took in Oct as part of our Classic Italy tour. I had read about their bulkhead business class seats (8 of them) in an online review where they mentioned the much larger foot wells instead of the small cubby. I don't believe you can reserve them ahead of time except maybe if you need a bassinet which they are well designed to hold. Someone had said you could try within a day or so of your flight which I tried but couldn't make the change. Surprisingly when we checked in for our flights both our seats had been changed to the front bulkhead seats - my husband in the window seat and me opposite in the center. There never was anyone in the seat next to me so no problems with privacy. They are suites with doors and a sliding panel between you and the other center seat. Pictures below of the seat.
Super nice! Thank you so much for the info and for the photos of the business class seats on AF. We were just thrown into depression mode because Turkish air changed our outbound flight to Istanbul, so now we have an 8 hour layover in Istanbul on the way to Bucharest ( Black Sea to Budapest River boat cruise). Thank god we will have access to the lounge in Istanbul. Big perk of business class. I will write a trip report.
Claudia Sails- cute sneakers! I'm deciding what footwear to take to Europe this spring, I never seem to have all the right shoes I want/need on a trip.
Anyone familiar with Sole Bliss? Worn by Helen Mirren and other fashionable women. They're supposed to be good for bunions, wide feet or just problem feet. My most comfortable walking sandals are just NOT stylish at all. Great for nature trips, but not very urban. Looking for comfort AND style!
I recently bought a pair of Sole Bliss sneakers - I developed a foot issue (a Morton neuroma) after my last trip - probably from the cobblestone streets of Eastern Europe. The doctor suggested a shoe wider toe base. I’ve been using them around and they are comfortable and cute.
That’s a lot of white to look grubby! I suggest there would be nothing wrong with you wearing your favorite sandals, they would suit the locals more than the American sneaker look. Comfort is of course the most important thing. For me, sneakers are for exercise and mine are just for my serious long daily walks and they are some of the most expensive shoes I buy. . All my regular shoes are comfortable or I wouldn’t buy them. My concern on tours for choosing shoes is if they can tolerate rain. I only take maybe three pairs at most to cover all bases.
SGF - I was introduced to Naot sandals by a fellow traveler on a Tauck tour in 2011. I love them. They have great support, and can go from day to evening. I have the Kayla style in 4 different colors (but never take more than 1 or 2 on any given trip).
SGF, the sneakers are Dansko Leelas - waterproof leather. I lucked out with them. Got them half priced right before we left for Scotland. Very comfortable. I'd buy another pair in a different color if I could find but they stopped selling so only a few online sellers have. Amazon has some but too small for me - size 5-6. I've tried other Danskos but not as happy with so I think it depends on the style. I also have several pairs of vionics for the arch support.
BKMD, fair point. Though the main purpose of that is so people can search and find discussions by topic. But since all evidence suggests that most people don't bother searching for answers before posting a question I'm not sure it matters.
Bringing this thread back to SeatGuru ... If SG is outdated and no longer keeping up with new aircraft and interior modifications, #dogdoctor upthread mentioned expertflyer that has actual availability of seats and not just the map as well as alerts that can be set if an occupied preferred seat becomes available. But, they charge a small subscription fee. Do you think this is worth it? Is it easy to use?
@inlanikai - based on what I know of expertflyer - if you are a frequent traveler, have particular preferences for your particular seats, and most importantly - you are trying to travel on points or upgrades, it can be very helpful. I by no means, am a frequent flier, and I've not been able to experience business class yet (I had one magical upgrade to FC from Sacramento to Boston nearly 16 years ago as I few on a ticket paid by a business flying me out for an interview). But I have read over and over that folks that are frequent fliers, who are hoping for upgrades, are often looking for particular class of seat so they can book it and call their respective airline and make the booking/upgrade happen. If that is something you like to or try to do, then I think the moderate expense is worth it considering I can only imagine how much traveling or expenses one had to already make to make those upgrades possible in the first place.
I have found the site easy to use...once you get a little adept at using it.
I don't subscribe - and a free account can only make one alert at a time. But since I travel currently more based on day/time/price and do not have the luxury of moving/booking trips based on when a preferred airline seat is available, it's not really something I would subscribe to at this point in my life. That said, it is still fun to check flights after you've booked to see how full the flight has become and if the seats next to you have become occupied.
Comments
Not having moveable armrests is probably a ‘trouble saver’ for the airlines. If an ‘oversized’ person can’t move the armrest, it makes it more difficult for that person to invade the space of the person sitting next to them. On our last flight on one leg I had a ‘large’ woman seated in the middle seat next to my aisle seat in the exit row. I willingly give up ‘precedence’ for the armrest to the middle seat, but this woman was over the armrest with her elbow in my ribs. I gently pushed her arm out of my seat and she pushed back. My wife, who is small, and I often book adjacent aisle seats in the exit row. I was pretty sure this woman would not be as rude with my wife, so she (my wife) and I switched seats. No problem. This woman left my wife alone and they seemed to have a nice conversation.
There is also the issue that the tray tables in premium are in the arm rests so they can't be moved in any case.
Claudia Sails…. Thank you so much for this really useful information! I often wonder about premium economy going back and forth to Europe when I pay for business class through clenched teeth….. Do you remember what make/ model planes these were ( eg Boeing 787, airbus A350,)?
MotherofPoodles - according to my itinerary the AF flight ATL-CDG was a Boeing 787-9 and the KLM was a Boeing 787-10.
The AF flight was the same one we took in Oct as part of our Classic Italy tour. I had read about their bulkhead business class seats (8 of them) in an online review where they mentioned the much larger foot wells instead of the small cubby. I don't believe you can reserve them ahead of time except maybe if you need a bassinet which they are well designed to hold. Someone had said you could try within a day or so of your flight which I tried but couldn't make the change. Surprisingly when we checked in for our flights both our seats had been changed to the front bulkhead seats - my husband in the window seat and me opposite in the center. There never was anyone in the seat next to me so no problems with privacy. They are suites with doors and a sliding panel between you and the other center seat. Pictures below of the seat.
Super nice! Thank you so much for the info and for the photos of the business class seats on AF. We were just thrown into depression mode because Turkish air changed our outbound flight to Istanbul, so now we have an 8 hour layover in Istanbul on the way to Bucharest ( Black Sea to Budapest River boat cruise). Thank god we will have access to the lounge in Istanbul. Big perk of business class. I will write a trip report.
Ugh - long layovers. Hope it all goes well.
Claudia Sails- cute sneakers! I'm deciding what footwear to take to Europe this spring, I never seem to have all the right shoes I want/need on a trip.
Anyone familiar with Sole Bliss? Worn by Helen Mirren and other fashionable women. They're supposed to be good for bunions, wide feet or just problem feet. My most comfortable walking sandals are just NOT stylish at all. Great for nature trips, but not very urban. Looking for comfort AND style!
I recently bought a pair of Sole Bliss sneakers - I developed a foot issue (a Morton neuroma) after my last trip - probably from the cobblestone streets of Eastern Europe. The doctor suggested a shoe wider toe base. I’ve been using them around and they are comfortable and cute.
That’s a lot of white to look grubby! I suggest there would be nothing wrong with you wearing your favorite sandals, they would suit the locals more than the American sneaker look. Comfort is of course the most important thing. For me, sneakers are for exercise and mine are just for my serious long daily walks and they are some of the most expensive shoes I buy. . All my regular shoes are comfortable or I wouldn’t buy them. My concern on tours for choosing shoes is if they can tolerate rain. I only take maybe three pairs at most to cover all bases.
SGF - I was introduced to Naot sandals by a fellow traveler on a Tauck tour in 2011. I love them. They have great support, and can go from day to evening. I have the Kayla style in 4 different colors (but never take more than 1 or 2 on any given trip).
SGF, the sneakers are Dansko Leelas - waterproof leather. I lucked out with them. Got them half priced right before we left for Scotland. Very comfortable. I'd buy another pair in a different color if I could find but they stopped selling so only a few online sellers have. Amazon has some but too small for me - size 5-6. I've tried other Danskos but not as happy with so I think it depends on the style. I also have several pairs of vionics for the arch support.
So funny how threads morph. Maybe The title should be changed from seatguru to feetguru
BKMD, fair point. Though the main purpose of that is so people can search and find discussions by topic. But since all evidence suggests that most people don't bother searching for answers before posting a question I'm not sure it matters.
Claudia - I agree that most people don't search. So what's the weather likely to be in...
Yep right along with "I'm going to xxxx city, What sights should I see?" Or everyone's favorite "do I have to pack a sport coat?"
The weather is great in Puerto Vallarta! Spending a few days at the beach. 😀
Sounds boring, Sam
Just got back home from a week of skiing with my daughter and SIL. I discovered I'm not getting any younger...
Skiing or this? I opt for this. 😂
As we've discussed via PM, given the choice of 32F vs 32C, I'll take 32F!
Bringing this thread back to SeatGuru ... If SG is outdated and no longer keeping up with new aircraft and interior modifications, #dogdoctor upthread mentioned expertflyer that has actual availability of seats and not just the map as well as alerts that can be set if an occupied preferred seat becomes available. But, they charge a small subscription fee. Do you think this is worth it? Is it easy to use?
@inlanikai - based on what I know of expertflyer - if you are a frequent traveler, have particular preferences for your particular seats, and most importantly - you are trying to travel on points or upgrades, it can be very helpful. I by no means, am a frequent flier, and I've not been able to experience business class yet (I had one magical upgrade to FC from Sacramento to Boston nearly 16 years ago as I few on a ticket paid by a business flying me out for an interview). But I have read over and over that folks that are frequent fliers, who are hoping for upgrades, are often looking for particular class of seat so they can book it and call their respective airline and make the booking/upgrade happen. If that is something you like to or try to do, then I think the moderate expense is worth it considering I can only imagine how much traveling or expenses one had to already make to make those upgrades possible in the first place.
I have found the site easy to use...once you get a little adept at using it.
I don't subscribe - and a free account can only make one alert at a time. But since I travel currently more based on day/time/price and do not have the luxury of moving/booking trips based on when a preferred airline seat is available, it's not really something I would subscribe to at this point in my life. That said, it is still fun to check flights after you've booked to see how full the flight has become and if the seats next to you have become occupied.