United Airlines The Latest Carrier To Make Its Coach Seats Smaller

Hadn't seen this one; probably old news.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/09...test-carrier-to-make-its-coach-seats-smaller/

It is both old and somewhere between misleading and false. The part most passengers care about - legroom - isn't actually getting any smaller.

True, but I still wonder about other things, like usable space for something like a laptop on the tray table and comfort of the seat bottom, armrests, and back. There are a lot of different issues that go into overall seat comfort, as you know.

My experience with the NEK seats on LH is that the under seat space is quite nice and that the space for a laptop is no worse than other types. As for the other things, a lot depends on the individual carrier's spec's for the padding and such. We'll have to see what UA ends up with.

Just flew a couple legs on Austrian last week, which I think has the NEK seats as well. For short routes it seemed reasonably comfortable, though the cushions felt harder. The seat pocket is big enough to hold an iPad or a paperback, but I don't think people who currently are used to shoving a bunch of other stuff (laptop, water bottle, ...) in there are going to be able to do that.

At least we won't have to hear the, "that can't go in the seat pocket," line, especially if they are modeled after the LX A319/320 seats--which were pretty comfy on MAD-ZRH and ZRH-LIS a few months ago.

My experience in those (LH) seats is that they have harder seat bottoms and less padding, but are tolerable for flights up to about two hours. Not something I'd want UA to implement without extra padding, though.

WA had brought up this topic in another thread with information that there are two models of the NEK seats with one seat being an upgrade over the basic seat. We should all be ready to congratulate UA management when they choose the "comfy chair" option.

And get the popcorn ready for when TOBB learns they chose the uncomfortable seat? Hell, we'll need the popcorn here too...

If they do not choose the "comfy chair" then we will have to subject them to the spanish inquisition to determine why...

The local news (ABQ) was reporting it this morning, but I thought it was probably old news. The "story" is that the seat width (not pitch) will shrink by 1" allowing 6 (I think) additional seats.

Is there any question WHY they'd not choose the "comfy" chair if they end up doing that?

Hah, those must be really skinny seats then that they'll add.

Shrinking seat width doesn't allow more seats to be added to the plane. It will be 3-3 across no matter what. The pitch will technically shrink 1" which will allow the extra row (likely with some other modifications, too). But because the seats are thinner the loss of pitch should not be noticed by passengers. We'll see what actually happens when they are deployed.

The link in the first post also says the seats will be narrower. I think that's just bad reporting and now it is being picked up and run with by folks who don't know any better and who didn't bother to stop and think.

Maybe UA is not adding an extra row but rather it's adding an extra column. Keep the pitch but lose the arm rest

I do hope they're the extra padded seats ----

...if only because popcorn can be used as padding in an emergency.

(Says the person who used frozen okra to get out of the driveway during a freezing drizzle storm.)

I was reading this thread and planning to post exactly the same thing. It's just pure logic. The only way to stuff more sardines in the can is to push the seats closer together from front to back, not side to side.

If they are smart, they'll put the extra cushions in E+ and use the cheaper ones in E. FFers are the only ones who will notice the seat cushions, but we WILL notice noisily. We have already discussed at length Brookstone's large variety of memory cushion "adapters" for our behinds when we don't make the UG.

It is interesting to note that the E seats are (almost?) always full before the E+ and F/BF seats. Maybe it's just the routes I fly, but I can't recall ever seeing E+ fill up while the back end is empty. While I have read here that the ratio of Premier:Non-status varies from route to route, and that makes sense, it does seem to me that the NON-status customers cumulatively make up the bread and butter of an airline's sales.

Not that this has much to do with the topic, but then again, desamo's post has me craving fried okra all of a sudden. There is no fried okra in Costa Rica. I will be burning rubber to The Black-Eyed Pea or Cracker Barrel on my next trip to Texas! Does anyone know if there is fried okra anywhere in New England? I'm flying into LGA in two weeks and driving into MA. I don't know if yankees eat fried okra yet, or if it is still just a southern "thaing."

It's mostly a southern thing. I didn't have it until I went to college, but then I fell in love with it. Most BBQ joints have it up north, but that's about it.

I'm going to assume that UA is going to install the uncomfortable seats until they announce otherwise.

Church's Chicken tends to have it... if there is one in your travels.

So you prefer the no one expects the comfy chair approach as opposed to the no one expects the spanish inquisition...

I will have my eyes peeled, looking everywhere for a Church's Fried Chicken or a BBQ joint when in New England. Thanks for that feedback! It's amazing how the little things are magnified when they become totally unavailable. After our 7.6 earthquake on Wednesday, however, I'm just grateful that we HAVE food right now.

If I don't get an upgrade on that trip, I'm in trouble, though. I can't find my Tempur-pedic butt pillow, so that means SJO-IAH at least will be in one of those seats that feels like it is made out of soft wood after about 90 minutes of flight. My connection at IAH is almost two hours, so IF we are on time and IF Brookstone has the right pillow in their IAH store, I'll at least save my tail for the remainder of the trip. It's really hard to fly with a sore tail. Let's just hope that DRSL didn't skimp on the new seats.

Thank you for reminding me about Brookstone. I shall venture forth momentarily!

Glad you are okay.

There are at least two cracker barrels on your way up from LGA towards NE if you are taking the 95. I have been to both. They are not to far into drive in CT though. Now I want some biscuits, chicken and dumplings.

In a few years laptops won't be an issue. We'll all have dumped our 7-pounders and be carrying Airs or Air-like laptops and tablets that are thinner than the inflight Duty Free catalog and hide nicely in the seat back stowage area. I've flown enough on LH since they've introduced this seat and have not had any issues with them. And who really cars...don't we always get our UDU to F?

hmm, I see a market for seat cushion add-ons - have one of those gel pads to buffer the stiff seats! <also hoping UA opts for the more comfortable seat>

and don't forget that most of us will use the easy Fare availability listing to search out the upgradable R fares so we know when to use our certs! oh wait.....