747 PE seats downstairs

Hi all,
I'm new to v-flyer but have been an avid reader for some months now!

I have just returned from a trip to Florida (MCO) - TR to follow !
The question I would like to ask is: Are the seats in PE downstairs on VS 747's smaller/narrower with reduced pitch compared to upstairs?We travelled upstairs outbound which seemed to be much wider with more leg room that those dowstairs( or maybe its all the great food & drink consumed on holiday[:o)]
Would appreciate some comments/thoughts
Cheers
nowt ont clock
[:D]

[Nottingham Nick]

A warm welcome to the site. I guess from your user name, that you are a Northerner. [y][y]

It is a long time since I have been on LGW plane, but could it be that you got one of the LHR planes for one of your trips?

I am sure one of our LGW regulars will be able to offer a more informed opinion.

Nick

Hi Nick,
Yes north Yorkshire to be a tad more specific, although the username comes from my previous gliding days, as if you were down low and run out of lift(thermals) you had 'nowt ont clock'[:#]. Thanks for your reply , just for further info, the 747 we flew back on was Jersey Girl.

Many thanks

[buns]

Hi Nowt

I join Nick in welcoming you to V-Flyer[y]

The PE seats on the upper deck of the LGW fleet will be one of the features i will miss when VS eventually gets round to refitting the aircraft. They hark back to the old First Class seats back in the 70's and 80's and whilst I cannot say for sure, they have always struck me as being wider than the seats downstairs. They are certainly more comfortable even if they are older

As to leg room I would not like to say, other than I think the tiny downstairs cabin compared to the upper deck does little to give the impression of space.


buns

Hi Buns,
Thanks for the reply. Give me the old style seats anyday then!!! They were great.
Thanks,


Nowt

The seats on the upper deck, actually were the old Upper seats that were on the lower deck years ago. Some of the LGW fleet if not most never had the J2000 seats that were the upper seats on LHR planes. Hence why they are wider than the lower deck. They use an older style PE seat on lower deck to fit the seats in for capacity. Reason for PE on the lower deck is so that all classes are offered for disabled travellers.

The lower deck PE seats on the LGW config aircraft are the dreaded 'plastic terror' seats which were initially fitted to the v:port equipped aircraft... so mostly on the A346 fleet, and the LHR 744s with v:port.

They were terrible to look at, though someone must have thought they looked nice, all silver backed and space-agey. Evidently someone in the halls of power only sat in the seat for 11 seconds rather than 11 hours before signing off on it!

It was let down by hard arm rests, hard seats, wobbly headrests, a tiny seatback pocket (on the original design of these seats, it could only just manage to hold the safety card), the monitor being set too low in the seat, and the plastic seatback moulding being too thick and intruding into the space of the person sat behind. A design failure if you ask me.

Upper deck PE seats are an older (i.e. 1980s style) Business Class seat design, and I used to find those seats very comfortable.

Mike

the upper deck seats remind me of big arm chairs, although i haven't had to sit in them for very long. on a recent trip i had a rather large gengleman complain that the upper deck seats were far too narrow for him and could he go downstairs as those PE seats are much wider! so we swapped him with someone else and he said it was much better for him! so perhaps those seats are wider!
i really wish they would make the LGW fleet PE upstairs with the new seats it would look so good lol and i love working up there

Thanks to all for the helpful replies.
Yep, in my vast experience of travelling with VS(1 flight!![;)]) I can safely say the upstairs seats, although seemingly older in design are far more comfortable than the silver space-agey ones downstairs. I can safely say that I will be gunning for them on future trips[y][y][y]
Thanks again

NOC

well enjoy them cause the days of traveling PE in 'the bubble' are numbered!!!

[mitchja]

Even on LGW/MAN flights John [:?]

Regards