What's the most comfortable aircraft to fly to Europe: The Boeing 747, 767 or 777? I'll be flying to the south of France from San Diego California in mid-May. There are several options involving these three types of aircraft...all are about the same price, more or less. The 767's involve flying into JFK, then getting onto another 767 to France. There are also nonstops from LAX to CDG using 747's & 777's.
I'd like to hear what other flyers think.
Thanks!
747, 767 or 747 flying coach to Europe?
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777 is my first choice because of the in-seat videos.
Erica
Generally I would agree that the 777 is the best option. However, I would be more concerned with the airline choice rather than the aircraft. Check which airline offers you the greatest seat pitch (the distance from your seat to the one in front).
I presume you will travel the whole distance with the same airline. If not it may require a terminal change in JFK or CDG - which can be a pain.
Mike
777 all the way. Newest plane so designed for the most comfort. Assume if going from LA on 777, probably United. Heard they're nice in coach also (fortunately work pays business class for overseas). Have fun
The type of aircraft has relatively little to do with the comfort in considering these 3 aircraft. As mentioned by Mike iN London, the seat pitch is the key. All of the aircraft come in various seat configurations and it is up to the individual airline to decide which version it wants. Delta for example is notorious for tight pitch seating, at least out of Atlanta. United has advertised that it is offering better comfort, but I have not yet had the opportinity to experience it.
I will in May!! Let you know then.
As a secondary note: has anyone flown in one the new Air France 777's? I am scheduled to fly in one of those in a few more weeks. So I am curious. How is coach class seating in AF run flights?
Have flown several times on British Airways - both 747 and 777. The 777 is really very nice, even in coach.
Ray,
The correspondents above are correct in stating configuration, not model dictates comfort or lack thereof. Annually, the Travel Letter published by Consumer Reports "rates" airlines based on their seating arrangements in varying aircraft. Check your local library for the Travel Letter.
Hi, Ray,
Economy-class comfort or the lack thereof is a frequent topic on this forum, often getting pretty hot. In my opinion it's a fertile area for creative activism on the part of consumers, and a potential windfall for the airline that picks up on this discontent and makes more room, even if it means raising prices a few percent.
My favorite statistic was that Air France's (earlier?) seating configuration on their 747-200s (Wes is right - it's all up to the carriers on how they design their seating plans) gave less knee and tush room than a New Jersey commuter train seat (and it's always rush hour in coach)... Try THAT on a LAX-CDG segment.
Some carriers, such as United, SAS, Continental, American, now put their seat dimensions up on the web - it takes some sleuthing on their websites to find the data, but it's there. The bad news is that except for some "premium" (i.e., full fare?) economy seats turning up on some carriers, it's still a 17" x 31" world up there, oy.
Some big considerations are the specific seat assignment - more knee room in exit rows, some narrower (!) than average seats here and there, and whether it's a 2-4-2 or 2-5-2 or 3-3-3 configuration. The 777 has the best potential, but the carriers have more room to play with the layouts in the 747s (or especially DC-10s which can be quite roomy). The 767 sometimes has a 2-on-the-aisle side configuration, which combined with an exit row can be pretty tolerable, otherwise, bleh. Airbus Industrie says their A310 and newer generation ships are the roomiest of the lot, but since I live in Seattle, well...