Economy Class Seat: Bulkhead Row? (Boeing 777)
 

Hi, Fodorites.

Wondering if frequent, overseas travelers might have an opinion on this.

If you could choose, would you select a seat in the bulkhead row of a 777 or not? On seatguru, there is a note that this is a "good seat," but it is also a "bassinet" location, so families with young children are often seated there. (And that sounds like a nightmare to me.) Would you gamble on children NOT being seated there for the feeling of more space and a little extra leg room?

This would be for a single traveler, so I'm not able to select a block of seats. The seating is a 2, 5, 2 configuration (left, center, right) - but even the left/right sections are "bassinet" locations.

What are your thoughts?

I would not pick the bulkhead as an adult traveling alone. For a few reasons. I don't think there is a felling of more space. I don't like the wall in my face. I don't like that I can't have my carryon under the seat in front of me. Even your purse has to be in the overhead bin for take off and landing and otherwise the wall in front of you means it is under your feet.

Instead I would pick any row other than the bulkhead the aisle on the right hand side of the plane. It's less busy than the other aisle. (I don't know why.)

Thanks, laurie-ann. Those are really good points. I didn't think about not having your purse at your feet. And the more I think on it, I imagine the flight attendants might ask folks to surrender the seat to a family right before takeoff, and leave that person to perhaps take a less desirable seat.

I, too, don't like the bulkhead. The amount of leg room can vary, there is the higher possibility of crying kids, and there is the carryon issue. My carryon will fit under the seat in front of me for take off and landing. For the rest of the flight it fits in the curve of the fuselage beside me, provided I have a window seat.

I always try to reserve a window seat near the front of a section, <i>on the shady side of the plane</i>.

Also there's no footrest in the bulkhead seats.

For seating questions and recommendations, I suggest you look at Seat61.com.

Are you sure it's not a three-three-three configuration? Many of the 777's and 767's have been changed over in the last couple of years.

Thank you all for the feedback. I won't be choosing the bulkhead seat after all. And thank you, bahaman, for the other website--I thought the site was only for trains. I used seat guru and put in the flight number, and it gave me that 3,5,3 configuration, but I'm not always confident in seat guru.

The seat is for my mother and I'm still hoping & trying to get her upgraded to business/first class on her flight to Japan. (I'm using miles, so it's a matter of checking daily for a possible upgrade.) I was able to get her first on one leg, but not on the other. If it were me, I'd choose a window, economy over the wing, somewhat near an emergency exit, as I sleep the entire time. But she wants an aisle for frequent restrooms breaks.

Thanks for all the advice!

Whoops... I meant it was a 2-5-2 configuration on seat guru. (haven't had my coffee, yet!)