Delta's Newly Configured 747-400 and Lie Flat Seats

[TotallyOz]

I took Delta yesterday to Thailand as things changed for me as to when I was leaving and I wasn't able to get on the Korean Air flight I wanted. I used old reliable Delta after I found a great savings for me on a trip which made it worth my while.

 

I started in Texas and then Atlanta, Tokyo and Bangkok. The Atlanta to Tokyo haul was on the new planes with the lie flat beds. SeatGuru had it wrong as I kept trying to figure out if I was sitting next to someone or now. I was not.

 

The lay flat seats really are lay flat and 100% flatness. Even someone like me big and over 6'3" was able to lay flat and comfortable. They are done in a 1-2-1 configuration and I liked either side as you really were all in your own little world.

 

The next leg was the same old Egg Back seats they have had for years but the steward to me that this was changing as they were moving all the plans to be remodeled to the newer lay flat seats.

 

For me, it was amazingly comfortable. I did miss the lounge area at the back of Korean Air but for this trip, they were much more expensive.

 

I got a round trip for 4750.00. I thought a good deal.

 

Have others flew other configurations with their lay flat beds and had different experiences?

[kokopelli]

 

I got a round trip for 4750.00. I thought a good deal.

Have others flew other configurations with their lay flat beds and had different experiences?

 

Thanks for the info. I will be flying on Delta Business Class in Jan so am looking forward to the experience. Bought 100 K miles on sale for $2400 plus 20K I had for my award ticket.

[TotallyOz]

Thanks for the info. I will be flying on Delta Business Class in Jan so am looking forward to the experience. Bought 100 K miles on sale for $2400 plus 20K I had for my award ticket.

 

It all depends on which city you are using. Which one are you going out of and which plane? If SeatGuru and Delta have different configurations, you can assume that your plane is the new configuration. Not sure why they don't keep up with this but I asked the lady at the airport and she said she didn't know which plane it was either. But, if it shows a 1-2-1 business configuration or according to the people on the flight a 1-3-1 configuration, they are both the lie flat seats. Just an FYI on what I was told yesterday.

[Guest fountainhall]

If SeatGuru and Delta have different configurations, you can assume that your plane is the new configuration

 

Not necessarily. Not only is seatguru usually a bit out of date, airlines have a habit of changing aircraft for a variety of reasons, often at the last minute. So when seating on a fleet is being remodelled, you can often find yourself on a plane with old seats even though when you booked the computer said it would be the new ones. That has happened to me quite a lot - and usually there is zilch you can do about it.

 

But I did have a fight with Cathay Pacific a few years ago when I did not get the promised angled-flat seat but a really old semi-recline with footrest aircraft. At London I said I would get off the flight and wait for another with the new seating. I asked them to unload my bags and check their computers for the seat configurations of the six departures over the next two days. None, I was told, had the new seats. After registering a formal complaint, I took the flight.

 

On arrival, I called the airline in Kong Kong, said I had a friend who had to travel urgently from London within 24 hours but who had recently broken his leg and really needed the new seats. An aricraft with the new seats would be departing within 10 hours, I was told! That lie I had been told was the basis of the claim I made for a full refund. As is usual with airlines, over 6 months I got a whole lot of nonsense and a paltry offer of one-way "subject to load" upgrade on a short-haul flight. Finally, when I gave them a 72-hour ultimatum before, I said, consulting my solicitor, I got an email, fax and hand-delivered letter offering me a free business class ticket! It often pays to be persistent!

[TotallyOz]

I just took the same lay flat seats back to USA. I was able to get the cheapest Delta Business Class fares I have gotten in a long time. My fare was 3,000 USD plus 50,000 miles to upgrade. That is less than many of my previous upgrades with Delta. The lay flat seats were not on the Bangkok to Japan leg but were for the longer leg. Also, on the first leg, there was a famous rock band on board. I didn't know them but they were all escort in before others. Now my question, if you are an obscure rock band that no one knows, how do you get to board before all others? Do you just call and say, "hey, I'm famous, can I board early?"

[Guest timmberty]

tell them you are elvis presley .. you will get on first then ..

what was the name of the rock band michael ??

my guess as to why you didnt know of them is because id have you down more as a ballet and opera man.

[TotallyOz]

what was the name of the rock band michael ??

 

LMFAO

[Guest timmberty]

wonder if im the only one who knows thats the name of the band .. and not you laughing at the question !!!!!

ive heard of them but i must admit ... im not sure id use the words famous rock band to discribe them ...

[Guest timmberty]

as it happens ive just you tubed them .. im getting to old to remember things these days ... they had 2 of the biggest hits in the uk last year .... mind you that only means you have to sell 7 records these days .. so still not a famous rock band ..

[firecat69]

Michael,

 

That fare was much better because you began your journey from Thailand instead of rip off USA. Fares are always much lower when you originate in Asia sometimes substantially lower. My business fares next year are $1200 lower . which is 30% lower . It was well worth me throwing away my return economy ticket.

[Guest thaiworthy]

It was well worth me throwing away my return economy ticket.

 

Interesting. I knew fares from Thailand were lower, but I had no idea that much lower. In another thread, Michael mentioned having an International Driving Permit, which cannot be any more than 90 days old to be valid. So I assumed his flight originated in the USA. If you did indeed throw away your return ticket Michael, then you most likely have a return date for the inbound portion of your existing round-trip ticket. So, when are you coming back?

 

Does this mean you will be returning here more frequently and staying longer? Do you consider Thailand your home base now? If not here, then where? Still USA?

[Guest fountainhall]

It was well worth me throwing away my return economy ticket.

 

Was this throwing away an entire round-trip economy ticket - or just the return portion? I ask because throwing away the return portion of a ticket which is cheaper than a one-way ticket can now have financial consequences on certain airlines.

 

Last year, I asked a London-based travel agent to book clients on business class round trip tickets London/Hong Kong/Bangkok/London using BA/CX. When I got the quote, I reckoned it was a bit high, so they sent me the fare breakdown. The problem was the CX one-way ticket which was considerably higher than a restricted return HKG/BKK/HKG business ticket bookable on the CX website. So I said I would book the tickets for that sector here are throw away the return coupons. I was then told that if I did that and paid by credit card, after the return flight date had expired CX would come after me for the difference in cost and debit it that from my card. I told the agent this had to be baloney. She then gave me a list of examples of airlines who now do this - regularly. It only affects return tickets with restrictions, and in business class that is typically the I or D class fares - not the full fare J or slightly cheaper C.

 

I suggested I'd pay cash. But she said the airline's computer will retain the passenger info which would cause problems the next time bookings came up in those names. It was especially worrying for her, she said, because my clients travelled extensively with her agency and were all top tier BA members.

 

Whether this was all true, and whether it affects only front end of the bus tickets on One World airlines I have not bothered to find out. But I will certainly check before I buy a return ticket intending only to use the outward sector.

[firecat69]

Actually unlike some fares economy 1 way fares originating in USA are not more expensive then RT fares. So the return portion of the ticket I won't use is a benefit to the airline ( a seat to resell)

 

I have done the above many times in the USA and Europe where frequently airlines charge less for RT then one way. Probably why they all lose money. I have never had an airline come after me. Granted though these are economy tickets. Probably not worth their while?