We'll be flying to Paris on an Air France Boeing 727-300ER (3 class configuration). My wife prefers a window seat.
Seat guru says that on this aircraft "Window seats have an entertainment box beneath the seat ahead which limits storage and leg room." Air France says this isn't so, that there are no obstructions associated with those seats.
Does anyone have any recent experience that can resolve this contradiction?
Thanks
Sorry. Yes, that's a 777-300ER Three class.
Thanks for catching that Michael.
I am looking at seatguru for AF 99, Miami to Paris. I see no such limitations on the seats. Boeing 777-300.
edit - I did notice that economy seats are 10 across, 3-4-3 which only gives a seat width of 17 inches and there were a lot of complaints about that.
Sam, on the SeatGuru site, under the Air France Boeing 777-300ER 3 class seat map there is a a note that says "This aircraft is equipped with personal entertainment onboard with a variety of video and audio programming. Window seats have an entertainment box beneath the seat ahead which limits storage and leg room." You can find it on the right side of the page under "In-flight amenities", on both the "Audio" and "Video" tabs.
When I look up Air France flight 99, it shows that the aircraft is an Airbus 380-800.
Air France representatives have told me that they have no information about an obstruction under the window seats. It is that discrepancy - between what SeatGuru says and what Air France says - that I'm trying to resolve.
Assuming that you entered the correct flight number and date in the SeatGuru query, it should identify the scheduled equipment and display its seating configuration. Go to the Air France website seating selection page and verify that the configurations are the same. You may have an apples and oranges situation (or Boeing and Air Bus).
Thanks Edgar, but there's no discrepancy about the aircraft. Air France and SeatGuru both list it as a Boeing 777-300ER three class. (It was an earlier poster, not me, who came up with the Airbus.)
The discrepancy is about the obstruction under the window seats. SeatGuru says there's an obstruction. Air France says they have no information indicating that there's an obstruction.
I'm hoping to hear from someone who's recently sat in one of those window seats.
Seat guru probably has better information than anyone you talk to at Air France. After all, would Air France actually give this kind of information to telephone agents? Their job is to "accentuate the positive". They are salesmen. Never tell your sales force the negative aspects of the product you are asking them to sell.
I see that note now.
For what it is worth, I have sat on that kind of seat on many airplanes and never gave it much thought other than the momentary "That's a bother".
These days, when you travel in Economy, it is the 21st century equivalent to steerage on the Titanic.
Ugh. I get your point Sam, but I hope it's not exactly like the Titanic.
I accept that this isn't going to be a real comfortable experience, but it'll be even worse if I can't stretch my legs or stow my personal carry-on under the seat in front of me.
I'm still hoping to hear from someone who's recently sat in that seat in that particular Air France cabin configuration.
The cautionary note from SeatGuru isn't there on an Airbus or even a Boeing 777-200.
Another thing to keep in mind is that every plane of a certain type is not identical (even though you would think they would be). Every airplane is slightly different, almost a custom build. And airlines sometimes buy each other's planes and do a quick makeover. So even if AF or Seat Guru are right about MOST 777 3 class planes in their fleet, there will be some that are built differently. And you could end up on that one. Also remember that planes are substituted for other planes all the time, folks who pay for premium seats often find that on the replacement plane they're not getting what they wanted (and paid for). Your "window seat" could actually be between windows staring at the wall, and you won't get much sympathy from the flight crew. You paid for a seat, you got a seat, you're on the plane, shut up and sleep.
Thanks phred. I know that the airline can do things like that to me. I'm trying to avoid doing it to myself.
We flew United business to Europe and on the way back our plane was configured slightly differently than the way over (wasn't supposed to be) so that the row behind us was "crew quarters," which unfortunately they used as a staging area for meal service.
