Will that be a mistake by booking window seat in row 41 or 42? If yes, then which other row should I aim for?
Seatguru - http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Etihad_Airways/Etihad_Airwa…
Etihad Boeing 777-300ER Seat Selection
UncommonName on 08/07/2016 - 04:32
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It bugs me when I go to book two of these cuddle seats and I see single passengers wasting them!
Not sure of your definition of a 'mistake' in seat allocation but if you're booking for just yourself and you're someone who needs to visit the toilet every 1-2 hours on a night flight when the aisle passenger is fast asleep then yes it would be a mistake.
Seatguru only colours a seat green when there's a tangible benefit (eg. extra leg room, power outlets), however from experience those window setas in a 2-4-2 seat configuration at the back of the Boeings are the first ones taken as they're perfect for couples.
Some other disadvantages with those rows:
you'll be one of the last to disembark when you arrive at your destination (unless it's a flight like Ryanair when they offload you to the tarmac and they open both front and back doors, unlikely for an Ethiad flight).
unless you pre-book your in-flight meal as a special meal (vegetarian/kosher/halal/GF) you'll be one of the last to choose when there's a meal option. Not usually an issue but on occasion one meal might be extremely popular (or the alternative extremely unpopular) and you may not get a choice when you're one of the last to be served.
Edit: juicedpixels beat me to it. tl;dr - what he said.
My airsteward friends recommend sitting as close to the front as possible. The nose is more stable.
+1 Yep, I have found this to be true myself.
Funny, just travelled on an Etihad 777-300ER this morning.
I always book row 41 or 42. 42 is probably better and 43 a bit more again, however like I say we usually choose 41 or 42. Any further back than that, i.e., 43 onwards and you'll struggle for overhead storage as the staff usually store all sorts of stuff in those overhead bins, e.g., brochures, extra blankets, their own stuff, etc.
The seats also feel like you have a few mm extra space as the fuselage curves from about row 40.
One thing I would say is to watch in case Etihad change the plane type to an A380. Just watch your emails for any updates. They transfer the seat numbers one for one, but when transferring to an A380 there will be a seat between A and C and H and K, so if you are travelling as a couple chances are there will be someone sitting between you. They wont mind changing as they would they end up with the window or aisle….You sure the seat plan was same? Etihad has 3 different seat plans for 777-300ER.
Yes, I'm sure. I've been doing the same trip for the last 3 years in June/July timeframe and previous to that in March/April.
The MEL-AUH leg, when using a 777 has been the Three Class configuration. This year though the outbound leg from Melbourne had been changed to an A380. Not sure if that is all days and/or just for busier months…. Return leg was a 777.Okay, booked 41 for 2 and 42 for 1 flight. But prepared to burn in my wrath if it turns out the other way around! ;)
@bargainaus:
If there are 3 of you travelling then I reckon you've done well. I'm assuming a leg to Abu Dhabi then on to somewhere else.
If your next leg is on an A330 then I'd stick to the sides again, i.e., 2 seat rows, but this time grab seats as close to the front as possible.@theclearout: No just me, all 3 different legs on 777-300ER. But I agree, front seats are best on AirBus.
As close as possible to the black box😁
All aircraft are noisier down the back. I always book as far forward as possible, but I always look for an aisle seat of the centre 4 bank, but where 2 of the centre bank seats are occupied but 2 are not. EG if 19D & E are occupied but 19F & G are vacant, then I select 19G and hope that the single seat of 19F remains vacant. You will have a max. of 1 person climbing over you.
If you're a couple they're good seats.
If you're solo I personally prefer aisle either end of 4 seats since you won't have to climb over someone to use the toilet - and chances are someone else can exit the other side if they're in a group