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Will air travel ever improve?

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    Last month I was in "first class" of a transatlantic flight on Delta that was way below my expectations. Granted I had purchased the flight with frequent flier miles, so I'll admit that Delta wasn't my first choice. But, if I had actually paid sticker price on my seat, I would have felt like I wasted my money.

    I just don't see how they can get away with flying 767-300s with yester-year seat configurations. The seats were all beat-up and worn, and looked like the plane was once on a domestic route many years ago.

    That really isn't right, and their website doesn't do a very good job of telling you what type of seats you're in for before you buy your ticket!

    Why don't airlines realize that customers who are splurging for greater comfort will appreciate the investment in better seats and are more likely to be repeat customers?

    Will air travel ever improve? Or is it bound to keep on getting worse and worse?

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    Do you know this site? It can help you pick the right seat on the right aircraft. Masses of information on types of seat, airlines, the planes they're flying etc.

    http://www.seatguru.com/

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    Of course! Everyone knows Seatguru.

    The problem is that the Delta website said I was on a 767. But, I had to call up two diferrent Delta representatives before they could tell me if the flight was a 767-300, 767-300ER, or a 767-400. Seatguru is just a seat map, it doesn't know what flight I'm on.

    My point is that the airline websites need to do a better job of telling people what kind of seats will be on their plane. It's pretty ridiculous that everyone needs to go to seatguru to figure out what they're in for. If things were done right, there wouldn't be a need for Seatguru.

    Seatguru doesn't -- and can't single-handedly -- improve air travel for everyone. On each plane there are, at most, half-a dozen seats in each class that are desirable. That's a big problem when there are hundreds of people on board. Seatguru is merely putting a microscope onto the problem. It's not a solution.

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    Been on British Airways Club World seats yet? Complicated, badly built, badly configured, and won't last long I suspect.
    Singapore Airlines First Class seats are just that.
    My current feeling is that all US-owned airlines should be avoided at the moment, as your experience with Delta supports. Don't get me started on American Airlines...

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    I recently (past 4 months) had the dubious pleasure of flying around the world a few times in various directions. Some observations:

    American Airlines was reasonably decent for domestic first class between Hawaii and LA. Maybe my expectations were extra low but it was not bad.

    Air France is a shocker, although they definitely had the largest lavatory by far. The food from LA to Paris was appalling. Ancient non-flat First Class seats as well.

    British Airways LA to London had the nicest eyeshades, crowded fully flat seats in First Class, so-so food and decent service. They need to upgrade badly. Forgettable, which for modern air travel is often a bonus!

    I had two completely different Air Canada experiences on the same Sydney to Honolulu route. One 767 had the newer sleeper seats while the other did not. Easy to figure out which was better! Food was acceptable, wine was not. Oldest flight attendants as well.

    Emirates from Paris to Sydney via Dubai was OK and great. OK from Paris to Dubai, great from Dubai to Sydney. The big A340-500 is the way to travel, for sure. Only the food could be improved upon. The cabin is fabulous, particularly the "night sky" effect during sleeping periods.

    Hawaiian from Sydney to Honolulu made you feel like you were in the land of Aloha, except for the lousy seats. Great French Toast for breakfast. Avoid unless you want to stay up for the entire 10 hour flight - if you do, it's pretty good actually.

    And Qantas, which I fly every month somewhere, is very good, with excellent staff and the best food, but is in dire need of new planes. They were counting on those A380's and are just making due for now. Great amenities, though.

    Bottom line: the long overdue next generation of airplanes should make things a lot better, although not as quickly in the US. Not one A380 is on order by a US airline, but 787's are.

    Thanks from: grouse
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    There's a new site called http://seatexpert.com which is sort of a clone of SeatGuru.com but with more detail.

    SeatExpert has also been more accurate in some cases than SeatGuru. You should really check both sites whenever you book your seats.

    Thanks from: grouse
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    I can't say for sure if this is an improvement. Delta plans to introduce the "Cozy" seat in coach class. They can squeeze more people into the plane by staggering the seats in every row. While the plane is more packed, everyone gets a little bit more privacy. I like the concept, but I think it would prove difficult to get out of your seat if you're sitting on the aisle!

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