AA to refurbish 757s; new seats, interiors, IFE

[FWAAA]

Beginning next year, complete refurbishment of the 757s:

American Airlines to Upgrade Boeing 757 Aircraft

Tuesday April 24, 12:33 pm ET

Additional Projects Under Way to Enhance American's Boeing 777, 767-300 and 767-200 Aircraft Fleet

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines today announced plans to make upgrades over the next two years on its entire fleet of 124 Boeing 757 aircraft to include the installation of new seats, new cabin interiors, and updated in-flight entertainment systems throughout the aircraft.

"American is committed to investing in products and services that make traveling more comfortable and convenient," said Lauri Curtis, American's Vice President -- Onboard Service. "The Boeing 757 aircraft project is our newest effort to enhance our fleet of aircraft, improve the overall customer experience, retain our loyal passengers, and win new travelers."

The 757 enhancements include the installation of two additional First Class seats, which increases the number of First Class seats from 22 to 24 on each aircraft. Other modifications include:

* New Economy cabin seats;
* New sidewalls to give the interior a lighter and brighter look;
* New LCD monitors, which replace CRT monitors, to enhance in-flight
entertainment viewing;
* New digital media file servers for better in-flight video and audio
entertainment quality.
As American Airlines conducts more than 90 percent of its maintenance work in-house at its maintenance bases, in the United States, these aircraft refurbishment projects will be completed by American's highly skilled Maintenance and Engineering department comprised of 14,000 employees, including 12,000 members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

In addition to the Boeing 757 aircraft enhancements, which are slated to begin in 2008, American already has plans in progress to enhance its fleet of Boeing 777, 767-300s and 767-200 aircraft, all of which were previously announced.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070424/datu030.html?.v=95

So tell me how this is terrible news. B)

 

[StraaightTaalk]

Beginning next year, complete refurbishment of the 757s:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070424/datu030.html?.v=95

So tell me how this is terrible news. B)

It's about time. Those interiors are looking pretty beat-up.

 

[LGA Fleet Service]

It's about time. Those interiors are looking pretty beat-up.

'Pretty beat up' is being polite about it,trashed is a more suitable description of the condition of the 757 interiors these days.

 

[FWAAA]

After reading the press release a couple of times, I don't see any mention of new First Class seats, only an additional two (bringing the cabin to 24).

The old park bench smooth leather 757 F seats are perhaps the least comfortable ones in the fleet (other than their nearly identical A300 cousins), especially on redeyes. Too bad AA isn't planning to reduce the seating to 16 and installing some international style J seats (ala the old 777 style business class seats).

 

[StraaightTaalk]

'Pretty beat up' is being polite about it,trashed is a more suitable description of the condition of the 757 interiors these days.

Very true. And despite the pay cuts, benefit cuts, draconian work rule changes, UN-shared sacrificed, and UN-shared gain that now characterize working at AA, I still would like a decent, clean, refreshed cabin environment in which to work.

The 757 fleet needs it desperately.

 

[FA Mikey]

2 new FC seats loses one or both of the closets. Not a huge lose since they have little more than some crew luggage.

 

[StraaightTaalk]

After reading the press release a couple of times, I don't see any mention of new First Class seats, only an additional two (bringing the cabin to 24).

The old park bench smooth leather 757 F seats are perhaps the least comfortable ones in the fleet (other than their nearly identical A300 cousins), especially on redeyes. Too bad AA isn't planning to reduce the seating to 16 and installing some international style J seats (ala the old 777 style business class seats).

I heard they were removing the closet behind the last row of First Class seats, forward of the mid-cabin lav, to accomodate the extra 2 seats. I think this is a mistake, as that is the closet in which we hang passengers' coats and jackets.

I am sure they are replacing the F-Class seats, though, as even the company seems to know how unpopular, and worn, they are.

I, too, wish they would to to an increase in personal space for F-class passengers on these aircraft, rather than adding additional seats, especially if they have any plans of using them Internationally in a two-class service (like Continentals Business First-equipped 757s).

Still, I think this will be a major improvement for both passengers and crew, and, I, for one, cynical as I am, take the sprucing up of our fleet as a positive move.

 

[MCI transplant]

After reading the press release a couple of times, I don't see any mention of new First Class seats, only an additional two (bringing the cabin to 24).

The old park bench smooth leather 757 F seats are perhaps the least comfortable ones in the fleet (other than their nearly identical A300 cousins), especially on redeyes. Too bad AA isn't planning to reduce the seating to 16 and installing some international style J seats (ala the old 777 style business class seats).

<_< ------ Rummor has it they may use the same seats we're putting in business class of the 767's. And where are they going to do all this?---- If they're thinking here at MCI, they'll need a hell of a lot more heads to do it!

 

[FWAAA]

<_< ------ Rummor has it they may use the same seats we're putting in business class of the 767's. And where are they going to do all this?---- If they're thinking here at MCI, they'll need a hell of a lot more heads to do it!

With 40 inch pitch (given 24 F seats), that rumour don't fly. Ain't enough room to fit them.

What would fit are the soon-to-be-retired 777 J seats. If AA slimmed the F cabin to 16, there'd be plenty of pitch to recline. Even if there were 20, that would be as much seat pitch as the old (now retired) 762s that used to fly transcons.

Are you guys doing the 763 cabin modifications?

 

[IORFA]

The info on Jetnet says that the seats in F/C and M/C will have NEW seats.

 

[777 fixer]

About time! I have some family members who fly frequently on AA for business. They always ask me about the interiors on the 757's and when they are going to update them. It's almost embarrassing the condition of the interiors on those planes.

 

[MCI transplant]

With 40 inch pitch (given 24 F seats), that rumour don't fly. Ain't enough room to fit them.

What would fit are the soon-to-be-retired 777 J seats. If AA slimmed the F cabin to 16, there'd be plenty of pitch to recline. Even if there were 20, that would be as much seat pitch as the old (now retired) 762s that used to fly transcons.

Are you guys doing the 763 cabin modifications?

<_< ----- That we are! We'll be doing the 762s also.

 

[StraaightTaalk]

To be honest, the interiors of the 757s, I think, have always looked awful, with the tube-like effect of that very long coach cabin.

Too bad that AA did not opt for the configuration that TWA and Eastern had, with exit doors and lavs behind the wing, thereby breaking up the long cabin.

 

[formeraa]

To be honest, the interiors of the 757s, I think, have always looked awful, with the tube-like effect of that very long coach cabin.

Too bad that AA did not opt for the configuration that TWA and Eastern had, with exit doors and lavs behind the wing, thereby breaking up the long cabin.

Yeah and American could have been out of business just like those two airlines!!

But, seriously, the long tube configuration originally allowed one more row of Y without sacrificing anymore of the tight legroom. So, AA naturally went with the tube-like configuration.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

What about the Mad Dogs? At least put new cushions on them. An iron bench seat is more comfortable, I don't care about IFE, just made the damn seats more comfortable.