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Normally my fellow BA blogger, whose fireside chat you can read HERE btw if you missed it, and who is a Platinum Medallion Delta flyer, has solid and trusted advice when it comes to flying on our dear Delta Air Lines. This time, well, really not so much!
You see in THIS POST from last week he gives some of the worst advice I have EVER seen. Get this, he tells us:
“First and foremost, legroom is an important reason why I do not select the bulkhead seat. Most of the bulkhead seats have a carve out for your feet and a few have a carve out for basically your toes. Nowhere near the space of the under seat storage for rows not in the bulkhead. ” – PM&M
What total rubbish! Please do not follow this bad advice about picking row 3. Here is why you should absolutely pick the bulkhead seat, especially so on short haul trips.
You see, many of the 757’s, on the CD side, have a large cut out and even if you get stuck on a bird with the tiny cutout the leg room is fine. On to the reasons why either side, aisle seat, bulkhead on a short haul 757 is the BEST choice:
- Service. Short flight, row one best service & Woodford quickest
- Laptop space (safety). No one to recline into you and break your laptop
- The aisle seat for quick access to overheads since no under seat storage
So there you are. I hope you can see MY advice is the one to follow not PM&M’s. Now he does have great Delta advice HERE & HERE when it comes to seats so maybe we can just chalk this post up to a “5PM somewhere” kind of a post 🙂 ! – René
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PM&M is right. For tall people, a bulkhead seat, even in first class, is the absolute worst! I’d rather sit in Economy Comfort than in a first class bulkhead seat. Feet cutouts don’t matter, you need to be able to extend your legs under the seat in front of you.
@Tom – DEAL! 🙂 Next time you are bulkhead 1st and I am in coach (when what that – hummm) we can trade 😉
I agree with PM&M. I travel in a small CRJ every week. Of course first class is better than coach, but within first class I ALWAYS prefer rows two and three to row one because of the legroom.
Bulkhead is really only good for certain kinds of travelers. These days with overhead bin space being rare to find, and airlines practically discouraging passengers to put a briefcase or laptop case in the overhead space…not having the option causes problems. Twice this year I’ve been told to take my laptop bag from the overhead and put it beneath the seat in front of me because the flight is extremely full and they need to make as much space as possible. And this is in domestic first class…and being the first group to board where you’d think this wouldn’t happen. The airlines and passengers should be blamed, I feel that the airlines make it expensive to check-in but also that many passengers want to be cheap and not check-in bags that really should be checked in. Everytime I read about what excercises to perform in-flight to keep the blood flowing while in my seat…I shake my head because of the bag that has to sit under the seat in front of me. But I don’t really see a solution to this anytime in the near or distant future, it’s just what traveling has become these days. I’ve had the bulkhead a few times and don’t have many positive experiences.
Seat 1A, 757 LAX to MSP, illustrated: http://twitter.com/alainsmi/status/473903319510175745/photo/1
No cutout at all. It’s okay if you’re wide awake and sitting up, but to try to slouch to get some zzz’s, it stunk. (Was still happy to get the upgrade, tho, just my seat selection wasn’t optimal. Wish I had seen PM&M’s post.)
De gustatibus non disputandum.
I’m 6’0″, and choose 1B/C over all others, even on the RJs. Don’t care one way or the other about Woodford, but like immensely not having to deal with recliners (I don’t, typically, and if I do, I always look round and ask).
Guess I’m the 1% here when I agree with Rene. One thing I dislike about 1st class domestic, recliner seats is that they can really arch back which can inconvenience the passenger behind you. I’ve seen on a few occasions a passenger recline causing the passenger behind to spill her coffee or her food tray slide almost into her lap.
At least in Economy, the recline is much more limited. Give me a bulkhead seat anytime.
love bulkhead seat. not disturbing the neighbor nor get disturbed when going to the lavatory
I had 2 flights in Row 1 last week and didn’t care for them at all. I much prefer having the extra leg room further back.
I saw the post a few days ago and just made a quick read but was not moved enough to comment. I will here but for different reasons, tongue firmly in cheek mind you.
As a back of the bus person up until a couple years ago I need to point out THERE IS NO BAD FIRST CLASS SEAT. So stop it. Don’t wine about your legroom. I remember so many coach flights in the middle seat with both neighbor elbows in my side so I will never be able to reach my carry on to get my laptop flights, my feet firmly on top of my laptop bag due to bad legroom or lack thereof. Just sit up there and be smug no matter where your but is located. And please don’t let the rear of the plane folks know there are less superior seats up front. It’s part of the gig. Just remember to avoid eye contact if they pass thru first class.
Do not comment on the level or drink service. Ever. I clearly remember my first time up front and when I was asked if I wanted a drink before takeoff I nearly giggled like a schoolgirl. I still sometimes have the urge to hug the FA just for the offer. Man up and ask for a double. His name is Points, Miles and MARTINIS you figure the ability to procure drinks would be almost muscle memory.
Did PMM say “short flight”? Are we really talking about short flights? Like 1:05 TPA>ATL? Oh please. I can do that in coach middle seat with no pre flight imbibe. But now I do it while complaining non stop about my upgrade not cleaning and it’s at least economy comfort. 😉
During our last vacation in the US my gf and I were lucky enough to receive two upgrades on eight domestic flights (as lowly Silver Medallions). On one flight we had 2C/2D on a 757.
Of course, we were super happy to score an upgrade, but since we were not cleared until the last day before travel, first class was full then and I couldn’t switch seats anymore.
I’m just somewhere between 5’10” and 5’11”. But the lack of any cutout in the bulkhead made it uncomfortable for me (and that on ATL=>SFO). From time to time I could stretch my legs by blocking the aisle. My gf is shorter than me so the window seat was okay for her.
On the other flight on which we were upgraded (was a 757 as well) we had 4C/4D I think. That was totally cool but only a short flight (LAX=>SLC).
So I agree with PM&M that the bulkhead seats are not really favorable. I still say first class is better than economy, of course. But in terms of legroom an economy comfort seat (with no wall in front) is better than bulkhead first class.
The answer for me is: It depends. I am 6’2″ and have a healthy appreciation for legroom. On one DL 757 variation the cut out is at least two feet deep and I can stretch my legs out fully. On other 757 variations there is only a toe cutout, but even on theses I can cross my legs and not have to worry about getting crunched by the seat in front. Another benefit of row one is always having time to finish the preflight drink without having to gulp it down, and on a flight with a meal, being a slow eater, finishing the meal is no problem before the FAs come back to collect the trays. If I am sitting in the last row, I have barely started the entree when the FAs are coming back to clean up. So there are a lot of considerations in the bulkhead versus non-bulkhead debate.
@John @all – yep it is a never ending fun debate. If you look at my older posts I am also all about the leg room too. On any long flights I will do all I can to get open leg room. But, on short flights, or most importantly if I am working most of the time on my laptop, I need that room over leg room.
DP. I’m with you, I prefer bulkhead, always. I’m 6-1 so not tall or short.
I find not having some slob recline all the way back into your space (almost breaking the seat recline mechanism) and not having to bother my seatmate if I need to go to the restroom–particularity when the seats in front of you are in full recline as a bonus. I also enjoy having 2-3 windows at my disposal, and of course, a slightly quicker beverage. I see these as benefits not drawbacks, I’m just glad few other do apparently.
The old NWA A319/320’s are the best for space in row 1, MD 80/90 no so much….
First, c’mon guys, no need to fight. Difference of opinions is good, though.
While I agree (and personally love 1A, window, bulkhead, first), the only grip is I can’t keep my laptop bag with me during takeoffs. So then I have to stow on bin, and then move some person next to me a few times during the flight to get or put back my bag.
@Roberto – you can ask the FA to get the bag for you and not move 🙂
@Rene, if getting stuck in the 2nd row of 1st class, and having to wait a couple extra seconds for your bourbon is the worst problem you encounter, you lead a pretty charmed life! Note: I was in the 2nd row of first class on a 757 Saturday, and amazingly, I actually lived to tell about it! 🙂