Emirates 777 - magic seats?
 

Planning a trip to Oz with the family later this year, regrettably in cattle class, and studying on Seatguru the comparative degrees of misery of the respective offerings, I noticed that Emirates (which has just started flights from GVA) somehow fits 10 seats in a row in its 777s, in a 3-4-3 config. This is in contrast to the 9-abreast 3-3-3 config used by other 777 operators (CX, SQ, EY, QR, etc). But according to Seatguru, the seat width is still 17", which is on the lower side of average, but still average.

So did Emirates order the fat-body option for its 777s, or are the seats very clever, or the aisles very narrow, or what is the story? More to the point, can anyone comment on the actual comfort (or lack thereof) vs. the 3-3-3 alternative?

Thanks.

Just done a round trip GVA-DXB-GVA on the 777-200lr (non-lr on the return). Was in Business and the seat was very uncomfortable. Very hard (they offered 'mattresses on the outbound, but not the inbound) and was impossible to set into a comfortable position. At takeoff/taxi/landing position it felt like you were leaning forward and I found the seat controls almost impossible to use.

Service, etc was fine, but I won't use them again because of these seats.

Sorry, doesn't answer your question but if Business is bad, I can't imagine what their camel class would be like.

I think seat sensitivity is a bigger factor than airlines realise. I refused to fly with Monarch for years because the seats were the most uncomfortable I ever encountered and all seemed to show varying degrees of vomit staining. After a couple of flights when I used (not very successfully) safety cards and magazines to protect me from the seat I decided I'd had enough.

Sea the Airline quality website and the same complaint is repeated again and again.

From a recent trip to DXBI can tell you that the aisles are narrow, and the seats unbelievably tight. I was fortunate that with my wife who is small and 6 year old daughter in the middle of a row of 3 it didnt matter my shoulders being in the other seat.

However the argument that broke out in the row in front due to the guy and wife taking up the aisle seats and a lady being crushed in the middle seat who thought it bad form husband and wife wouldnt sit next to each to other suggests that others found it a problem.

The entertainment was excellent, leg room not bad, food ok - but I will never fly them again in the back until they go to 9 across.

I often book both the aisle seats on a middle three row on the triple seven.
I don't mind if I don't talk with my partner for eleven hours so long as we both are comfortable. The ultimate evil intent of course is that no one will book the middle seat thereby leaving us three for two. Sad to say that doesn't usually work out so we just pretend that we don't know each other very well. It would be very bad form to talk across the middle passenger or pass Kali dips to one another.
I fly a lot on KLM 777s. Their seating is 3/3/3. I would avoid 3/4/3 like the plague. It would be highly unsanitary especially as I think Emirates only provided six toilets for economy as against KLM's eight on the triple seven two hundred. A disgusting experience far removed from a magic carpet awaits?

Look, I don't work for them and they cheeze me off sometimes, but I just had a wonderful trip OZ-KL-OZ in Air Asia Premium. Lie flat seats, pillow, thick doona, 20kg baggage allowance, one free meal ... all great on an overnight flight, and they continue on to the UK.

Yes, it costs more than cattle class, but a lot less than Business on most other airlines, who don't even always provide a lie flat seat ... and all you miss out on is that great airline Business Class Meal, with fancy cutlery ???

Definitely something to consider.

Have just flown Oz (Melbourne) to LHR on Emirates. On a 777 MEL -> DBX and then A380 DBX -> LHR. While the 777 looks good, there didn't seem to be much padding in the bum of the seats and they did seem a bit tight width wise. As much as Qantas gets knocked, I still think that they have the best economy seats on 747 & A380 (best lumber support on a plane seat ever) that I've been in.