i try to find an airline that has 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 seating....then HE and you can be more comfortable...

Thanks everyone for suggestions. We worked a bit with Airtreks -- they are very responsive if unimaginative. Our biggest hurdle in dealing with both Airtreks and the assigned travel agent for the group was seemingly inability to think creatively.

We're going from JFK to Seoul to Beijing for arrival and then HK to Seoul to Chicago to DC. The entire trip is business class except for the Chicago to DC and I'm hoping to upgrade these seats with points, but if not... that's fine.

The cost per person is a little over $4000, quite a difference from the initial price of $11,200 per person.

Now the next challenge: figuring out how to get approval to use a CPAP machine so my husband can sleep without snoring.

Goddess: Thank you for the pool information. Were people swimming in February? Where did you stay and what were your impressions of the hotel and location?

Thanks!

Where is he going to put the CPAP while he is sleeping? I asume if he is so tall, having the tray down or wedging it in to the seat beside him is not an option. Hope there is a plug for a power source. Otherwise, you shouldn't have a problem. It is not a radio type device.

Experienced air travelers look up the seat configurations of the type of aircraft they will be flying and seek out the two-across seats that generally are near the rear of the plane.

There is a very large open space between these seats and the aircraft wall, plenty wide for the people to stretch their legs.

I am just under six feet tall, and my wife is only a little shorter. We switch off seats from time to time, and we use the wall space to advantage.

In a 747, for example, seats in rows 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57 (depending on the model) provide this side-by-side seating.

Personally, I wouldn't pay the extra money for comfort I can obtain for free by choosing those side-by-side seats. Business class is overpriced by far in the instance you cite.