StrongEagle

I've noticed that every A340-500 I've flown as a passenger from Asia to the US has either been all business and premium economy (SG) or business, some premium economy, and 36" pitch on the remaining economy seats towards the back of the a/c (TG).

Someone told me that the reason these aircraft are configured this way is that if they had a full cattle car section of 33" pitch seats there would be CG problems.

Would appreciate if someone with experience could confirm or refute this allegation.

Cheers.

chornedsnorkack

I am not sure whether it was CG or simply weight. Those A340-500 flights were and are the longest of all flights - 777-200LR does not operate such long routes. On those extremely long flights, there is not enough payload capacity for full cattle car. So the planes must be lightened - SQ had 181 seats total with 64 business and 117 premium economy at 7 abreast, 37 inches pitch, then dropped premium economy altogether, TG with slightly shorter routes had 215 seats total with 60 business, 42 premium economy at 7 abreast and 42 inches pitch and 113 coach at 36 inches pitch - then dropped the plane. Air Canada, Emirates and some others fly A340-500 on less extreme distances, and they can carry full coach seating.

TwinAisle

Much less to do with weight than marketing.

SQ use the aircraft on routes that have a stopping 747 service; it was seen that passengers would pay extra for the non-stop service, but not in economy. And in any case, who'd want twenty hours in Y? So airlines that use them on longer distances use better classes of seating, simple really.

TA

StrongEagle

Hope not - I've got an TG SIN-BKK-LAX run set for October 2008 that has me booked on the A340-500 for the BKK-LAX leg... business, so I guess it wouldn't be too much of a big deal to change planes.