What must one do for an exit row?

[Dave Noble]

737s dont have bulkheads other than row 1 in J so unlikely to get a bulkhead on one of those

on the 767s, the bulkhead seats have the bassinets so, iirc, are kept back till close to check in in case there is a bassinet request

Dave

[anat0l]

I must be quite lucky. For someone of low status (well, was low status and before that no status), I've been rather fortunate with seat selection, especially under the new complex "loyalty" preallocation regime.

Now never been able to get prealloc, alloc or select an exit row, but... (and considering I've done a lot of flying as a PS and not much yet as an SG)...

• About 90% of the time, been able to select row 4 in 737 Y. This is not 4B or 4E either! Admittedly, if it's 738 then row 4 is good (not bulkhead - just a curtain - but still more legroom!), but if it is 734-convertible-J, then row 4 doesn't really have the same kick (no pun intended) to it (except perhaps that 4ACDF is slightly bigger in width).
• About 80% of the time, been able to select within the first row of Y cabin on a 767. Less experience with this (don't fly many 767s), but again non-middle seats. I recently was on a 767 SYD-MEL on Sunday afternoon; I got 23B (front row in the exclusive 2-row section of the Y cabin), but I was an SG and it was low load.

My luck hasn't been spot on recently (usually managing to get rows 4-8 aisle or window: don't particularly like middle seats).

I got an exit row after enquiring at the QP for ADL-SYD about 2 weeks ago. It was the last exit row seat left on a 734 - and it was a middle. But I still took it - massive leg room......... (exit rows >>>>> row 4 or 5 on a 734, except you have to wait a long while before you can get off, especially if some idiots use up all the overhead locker space in your row).

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Febs

Kind of on-topic...does anyone else find they never get given a bulkhead seat?

A few years ago as a Silver and Gold travelling to/from SIN via BNE or PER on the A330 I would always be allocated a bulkhead, 23B or 23H. The last couple of years a Platinum I seem to get the seat behind the bulkhead and most recently it is not uncommon to be 6-7 rows back in economy. Not an issue for now as I can generally get exit row pre-allocated.

For domestic flights I used to always get row 4 or 5 and now find myself back in rows 6-8. I prefer to be one of the first off the aircraft and this is about as far back in the cabin I want to be seated. Many times I have deplaned and noticed nobody behind me and get to the baggage belts and it is almost 5 minutes before the next person appears. I would guess that from rows 9-10 and back it is very congested trying to get off the aircraft especially with the amount of carry on passengers get away with these days.

[Febs]

Originally Posted by Dave Noble

737s dont have bulkheads other than row 1 in J so unlikely to get a bulkhead on one of those

on the 767s, the bulkhead seats have the bassinets so, iirc, are kept back till close to check in in case there is a bassinet request

Dave

Yeah sorry, when I said bulkhead I meant front row. I like the 737 row 4 in Y - heaps of leg room behind those two J seats.

[anat0l]

Originally Posted by Febs

Yeah sorry, when I said bulkhead I meant front row. I like the 737 row 4 in Y - heaps of leg room behind those two J seats.

Not if it's a 734, which has convertible J/Y for the first 6 rows or so. Then the leg room is somewhat equal to that of the other Y rows, possibly only slightly more.

[serfty]

Originally Posted by anat0l

Not if it's a 734, which has convertible J/Y for the first 6 rows or so. Then the leg room is somewhat equal to that of the other Y rows, possibly only slightly more.

Slightly?

The 734 with convertible seating has this for the first five rows. These rows have at least 13% more pitch when compared to the remainder of the aircraft!

These rows have at least 10 cm more than the standard 78 cm.

[Groundfeeder]

The 734 with convertible seating has this for the first five rows. These rows have at least 13% more pitch when compared to the remainder of the aircraft!

These rows have at least 10 cm more than the standard 78 cm.

Can vouch for this as my last few flights BNE - TSV return have been 734 with me in 4A/F. Unfortunately my last return trip had two elderly folk in 4BC who apparently had to wait for assistance, but gratefully allowed me to squeeze past to disembark - impossible with normal Y pitch.

[anat0l]

Originally Posted by serfty

Slightly?

The 734 with convertible seating has this for the first five rows. These rows have at least 13% more pitch when compared to the remainder of the aircraft!

These rows have at least 10 cm more than the standard 78 cm.

I stand corrected.

Just checked the seat maps and yes there is extra pitch in the Y/J rows. Quite a decent amount as it seems (only exit row is much, much better).

Seems an advantage for those that can secure the front rows of the Y seating, unless they convert all of the J/Y seats into J.

[Chris_Leo]

Hmmm, I had an entire left section of the bulk head row to myself on my last trip SYD-LAX, and similarly, a lady to my side had the entire middle section of the bulk head row. The right hand section is reserved for cabin crew.

I'm not sure why that was the case, especially since I overheard cabin crew discussing whether it would be ok to move the lady next to me (occupying 4 seats) elsewhere to allow a family of 4 to sit together. The decision was not to move said lady.

The bulkhead is nice, but one negative factor is that you cannot really make use of extra seats next to you because of the solid arm rests that separate the seats. I guess it is the price you pay for more leg room!

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Chris_Leo

The bulkhead is nice, but one negative factor is that you cannot really make use of extra seats next to you because of the solid arm rests that separate the seats. I guess it is the price you pay for more leg room!

From my recollection the legroom in the bulkhead rows on the A330s and 747s is very restricted and I am not a tall person. I remember one time sitting in 23A and having cramps for a few hours after the getting off the flight. I have never had problems in a bulkhead aisle seat as most of the time I am able to stretch one or both legs in the aisle.