Cabin Configuration Changes....
- Thread starter eolesen
- Start date
I was thinking some of the 767-300s would be re-positioned for transcons and have a 3-class configuration. 777-200 in a 3-class layout could be amazing.
If AA does switch to 757s or A321s I hope they offer a great product, something, anything, to differentiate from UA, DL, B6, VX. Otherwise they're toast.
If AA does switch to 757s or A321s I hope they offer a great product, something, anything, to differentiate from UA, DL, B6, VX. Otherwise they're toast.
Good point. More 75Ls with 16 NGBC would be a welcome alternative, and would eliminate the fuel-stop problem that the A321s would have. Using A321s on non-transcon current 757 routes would free up some 757s.
They are a welcome addition for anyone that doesn't fly 7 hours routes on them. Did to LHR a couple times and NEVER again.
Josh
Oh, yes, Boston to London on a 757 in angled-flat business class. Oh, the humanity. Seriously, it's a 707-sized plane with pretty decent front cabin seating for short TATL flights.
On my transatlantic 757 flights in biz, I recline the seat and next thing I know, it's "Flight attendants, please prepare for landing." I would not want to sit in that seat on that plane for 14 hours to Asia. But 6-7 hours? Barely longer than a transcon, and I've flown dozens of those in 757 domestic F and 738 domestic F. 75L biz class is better by several orders of magnitude.
On my transatlantic 757 flights in biz, I recline the seat and next thing I know, it's "Flight attendants, please prepare for landing." I would not want to sit in that seat on that plane for 14 hours to Asia. But 6-7 hours? Barely longer than a transcon, and I've flown dozens of those in 757 domestic F and 738 domestic F. 75L biz class is better by several orders of magnitude.
IMHO it's more of an 'image' or a 'psychological' thing. I know the 757 biz class seats are nice, but not that long ago all that AA flew into LHR was the 777. And this was before the ATI deal with BA. Now it's a mix of 777/767/757.
Agreed. And I gotta think that now with the joint business agreement between AA and BA/IB, the decision of what equipment flies where is no longer just Arpey's decision (like it was before the ATI was granted); it's now a joint decision that is designed to maximize profits of AA and BA/IB. If max profits could be had flying nothing but 777s to London, they'd still be doing it.
One thing some people have forgotten is the dropoff in LHR-USA First Class travel that the sacking of tens of thousands of investment bankers on both sides of the Atlantic caused in 2008-09. The bankruptcies of several firms and the reduction of tens of thousands of employees at all the firms has hurt paid premium travel.
Another elephant in the room is this: It's no secret that if given the choice, many would prefer to pay for BA First Class over AA First Class. And with the immunized joint venture, you can now earn AAdvantage miles across the Atlantic on BA. Maybe there has been a conscious decision that it's pointless to fly as many AA F seats with the geriatric AA FAs when passengers prefer the BA First Class with the BA FAs and service standards. On AA, the FAs sometimes make passenges feel like they're an inconvenience, interrupting US magazine reading, games of Sudoku and planning the next month's bids. I've occasionally seen that on AA but never on BA. Never.
Put me in this camp, have been taking BA to LHR for over a year now, much, much better than AA. Just wish they would have more NF on the routes I fly or the new 777-300ERs.
Josh
OP
- Jul 23, 2003
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Not exactly true. AA took F off the 763 fleet almost ten years ago. But there was still demand in certain core markets, primarily from investment bankers.
Then the banking crisis and recession hit, taking a serious chunk of the long haul F traffic away at a global level. Eliminating it isn't a snap decision, especially if there's a recovery. Every month we go with a delayed recovery reduces the desire to "snap-back" on corporate travel policies. My company used to have a pretty liberal policy with regard to business or first class on flights over four hours. Now it is eight hours, and has to be overnight in at least one direction...
Don't believe me on the timing? Go look up the press releases regarding QF, CX, BA, LH, TK, LA et al removing their F cabins in the past few years. AA's following the trend, and unusually, a little quicker than normal.
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