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Answers (21)

AA 777-200

AA 777-200

  1. Mikewarren1000 Member

    Anyone have any experience lately on knowing which version of J the plane will be? I had thought if it shows 37 seats i am guaranteed the B/E Super Diamond whereas 45 J seats means the horrible Zodiac front/rear combo seats…. Now it looks like AA has 6 777-200’s with 37 J seats but with Zodiac. On the seat map for my flight on AA it doesnt show that notch in the square that means reverse facing but i def. am now concerned. I chose this flight b/c i prefer the B/E over the Zodiac Cirrus on the 77W. Also, it was half the miles by taking the 772 than the 77W. But now that there are these 6 planes that have the same looking seat map/same number of seats as the B/E configured 772’s i am more worried if i may get stuck on a 13 hour flight in those horrible Rocking zodiac seats.

    As of right now the seat map doesnt have the notches how it would for the Zodiac but that said i cant find any 772 seat maps for some random AA flights i chose that show any seat map showing the notches (for 787-8 you can see the notch and know its Zodiac). I am not seeing any 772’s with the notch if i did it might make me feel better that my flight will be the B/E..

    My route is DFW to NRT if anyone has flown that lately in J on a 772 which version was it?

    Thanks

  2. Donna Diamond

    According to the AA Fleet Site, all AA 45 J seat 772s have been converted to 37 seats. Currently, there are 19 Zodiac and 28 Super Diamond 772s, so you have a 40% chance of getting a Zodiac cabin with the forward and rear facing, rocking seats. My colleague took that flight last September and it was a Zodiac cabin but there’s no way to know in advance since the planes are easily switched out. The trick is to select a seat that doesn’t rock just in case you don’t get a Super Diamond. See this FlyerTalk link for details [URL]https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1703263-best-business-seat-777-200-777-c37-zodiac-aft-fwd-business.html[/URL].

  3. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65129, member: 1566″]According to the AA Fleet Site, all AA 45 J seat 772s have been converted to 37 seats. Currently, there are 19 Zodiac and 28 Super Diamond 772s, so you have a 40% chance of getting a Zodiac cabin with the forward and rear facing, rocking seats. My colleague took that flight last September and it was a Zodiac cabin but there’s no way to know in advance since the planes are easily switched out. The trick is to select a seat that doesn’t rock just in case you don’t get a Super Diamond. See this FlyerTalk link for details [URL]https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1703263-best-business-seat-777-200-777-c37-zodiac-aft-fwd-business.html[/URL].[/QUOTE]

    Thanks Gia, but damn this really is a Bummer. I booked the 777-200 on purpose instead of 77W b/c i love the B/E seat but obviously its a no Brainer i rather have the 77W business seat over the horrible forward/rear combo seat

    How is it even okay to have rear facing seats in J class. And furthermore seats that ROCK

    The link you sent was helpful. Says less rocking on 777 than 787 but who knows. Also, AA isnt showing the seating map with the little notch to show rear facing so you know which plane you’re on. Apparently all seat maps for 772 on AA will show it as if it was the BE seat. I booked this flight not knowing that and seeing 37 seats and not 45 assumed i was in the good..

    Appreciate your suggestion on booking a non connected seat. I cant find a map for that, only with the 45 lay out. But i assume it will be Row 1 and 7 again as well as the last row which would now be Row 10. Row 10 too close to coach, Row 7 by the noisy galley. I guess Row 1 but also not exactly a quiet spot. And its rear facing so i am staring at the side of somebody in the middle section

    Kind of bummed out right now. I think i will keep my 3L seat i always take and check 1 week out , it says seat maps will properly show if its rear facing, much sooner to the flight……..

    United is so much better at showing which 772 you are on and there is no confusion at all

  4. Donna Diamond

    [URL]https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1703263-best-business-seat-777-200-777-c37-zodiac-aft-fwd-business.html[/URL]
    According to the seat map on the top (with the 37 J seats), the non connected seats are 1A, 1D and 1H; 7A and 7L; 10A and 10L. I prefer the aft facing seats and I try for 7A or 7L.
    It might be wise to check the tail number of the incoming flight on the day of travel to determine if you have a Zodiac or a Super Diamond plane. If you get a Super Diamond, you might be able to change your seat assignment on the app prior to boarding. I often change seats a few hours before boarding.

  5. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65138, member: 1566″][URL]https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1703263-best-business-seat-777-200-777-c37-zodiac-aft-fwd-business.html[/URL]
    According to the seat map on the top (with the 37 J seats), the non connected seats are 1A, 1D and 1H; 7A and 7L; 10A and 10L. I prefer the aft facing seats and I try for 7A or 7L.
    It might be wise to check the tail number of the incoming flight on the day of travel to determine if you have a Zodiac or a Super Diamond plane. If you get a Super Diamond, you might be able to change your seat assignment on the app prior to boarding. I often change seats a few hours before boarding.[/QUOTE]

    Gia what was sitting facing the rear like ? It wasnt weird? I can take 7L but not only is it facing rear its also right behind the galley and thats the galley with the snack bar right where all J pax can go to get food. Also the lavs are there too.

    I am currently in 2L which i am happy with , unless its the Zodiac.

    Also was wondering is the rocking as bad on the 777? i have heard its not as bad as on the 788?

  6. Mikewarren1000 Member

    Also Gia i did a Flight status search for todays DFw to NRT flight just to see what you were talking about with looking up “where the plane is coming from” and trying to find a Tail number and i dont see the option to do this. Is that something i can only do if i am actually flying on the flight so from within the App on my phone the day of flying sort of thing? i cant try to see the Tail number earlier than the day of ?

    Currently all the 772’s are showing the B/E seat map, do you know for sure that a few days out the accurate map will even be displayed? I think Aa has the worst web site i mean maybe they will just show the B/E map the entire time and i wont even be able to have a heads up a day or 2 out? When there were 45 seats Vs. 37 seats you could easily see it but now the only difference is the little notches showing rear facing seats and that link you sent me on your original reply says currently they arent even showing the notches on any seat map

  7. Donna Diamond

    I prefer the aft seats in this configuration – actually like watching the engine through the window. Here is Lucky’s favorite Zodiac seats in the 788, which is close enough to the 772 seat [URL]https://onemileatatime.com/best-american-business-class-seat-787/[/URL]
    As for the rocking, I’ve managed to dodge the connected seats all but once and that time, the gentleman seated in the connecting seat didn’t move much and slept most of the way and I wasn’t disturbed.

  8. Donna Diamond

    Today’s DFW-NRT AA Flight 175, in flight as I write, is tail number N777AN, which is B/E Super Diamond. Download the Flightradar24 App and enter AA175 and you will find where it is in flight and the tail number. Go to the AA Fleet site [URL]https://sites.google.com/site/newamericanfleet/[/URL] and click on 772 and from there look up the tail number and it will tell you if it’s B/E or Zodiac. Tomorrow, that same plane will return (AA176) to DFW, and unless it’s taken out of service and switched, it will be used again.
    As for the AA seat map, I don’t believe they change it for the 772 Zodiac aft facing seats. The 788 seat map shows the notched square but I’ve never seen these on the 772s. Someone chime in if I’m wrong.

  9. OCTinPHL Diamond

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65144, member: 1566″]I prefer the aft seats in this configuration – actually like watching the engine through the window. […] As for the rocking, I’ve managed to dodge the connected seats all but once and that time, the gentleman seated in the connecting seat didn’t move much and slept most of the way and I wasn’t disturbed.[/QUOTE]

    I’ve only flown the 788 twice, on a RT to PEK, before the addition of PE. I sat in 4L over and 7L back. Like Lucky I like the mini-cabin (as I do on the 77Ws) and thought 7L was great. But I also enjoyed sitting in the aft seat and I didn’t really notice the rocking. I’ve only had one leg on the 45J 772 and was in 9A and again enjoyed the aft seat. It was a daytime flight from Europe so what rocking there was (minimal) didn’t really bother me.

  10. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”OCTinPHL, post: 65146, member: 4556″]I’ve only flown the 788 twice, on a RT to PEK, before the addition of PE. I sat in 4L over and 7L back. Like Lucky I like the mini-cabin (as I do on the 77Ws) and thought 7L was great. But I also enjoyed sitting in the aft seat and I didn’t really notice the rocking. I’ve only had one leg on the 45J 772 and was in 9A and again enjoyed the aft seat. It was a daytime flight from Europe so what rocking there was (minimal) didn’t really bother me.[/QUOTE]
    When you say mini cabin it’s 4 rows vs 6 rows right? So it’s not that substantial of a difference. On the 77W I agree the mini cabin is perfect. Only 2 rows and two n front of all the boarding madness of the 2nd J cabin

    Gia in row 7 you didn’t find the galley right there bothersome ?? And sitting facing the rear you would see row 8 9 10 each time they get up to us the lab no?

    I think I should have taken the 77W but I did this solely to get my fav seat , the BE. I like how the angle isn’t as sharp as the zodiac citrus ones. But I just can’t imagine enjoying rear facing or sitting right by the galley

    I will check out the link you gave me for checking tail numbers. Thanks:)

    And I am on flight 61 not 175. Afraid to look now. Watch that be the one they use zodiac on

  11. OCTinPHL Diamond

    [QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 65148, member: 5445″]When you say mini cabin it’s 4 rows vs 6 rows right? So it’s not that substantial of a difference. On the 77W I agree the mini cabin is perfect. Only 2 rows and two n front of all the boarding madness of the 2nd J cabin [/QUOTE]

    No, on the pre-PE 788 the mini-cabin was 2 rows, 6 & 7.

  12. Mikewarren1000 Member

    Sor
    [QUOTE=”OCTinPHL, post: 65149, member: 4556″]No, on the pre-PE 788 the mini-cabin was 2 rows, 6 & 7.[/QUOTE]

    Sorry my bad. On the 772 it will be 6 rows vs 4 rows so it’s not really a smaller cabin feel like w 2 rows

    I may keep my fav row 3 seat and just hope it’s a BE plane.

    It’s frustrating they don’t assign routes w the 2 styles so we can know. Furthermore how can they ever have made this horrible rocking seat

  13. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 65150, member: 5445″]Sor

    Sorry my bad. On the 772 it will be 6 rows vs 4 rows so it’s not really a smaller cabin feel like w 2 rows

    I may keep my fav row 3 seat and just hope it’s a BE plane.

    It’s frustrating they don’t assign routes w the 2 styles so we can know. Furthermore how can they ever have made this horrible rocking seat[/QUOTE]

  14. Donna Diamond

    I don’t recall any noise issues from the galley however I wear noise cancelling headphones throughout the flight, even when I’m sleeping. It’s good to attempt to attenuate the risk of a bad cabin experience as much as possible ahead of a long haul flight but not everything can be controlled. Last year on a flight in Business Class from VCE to PHL a lap infant in the next row screamed nonstop throughout the entire nine hour flight making it impossible to rest, even with noise cancellation. For every ten flawless flights, there’s at least one irritating one.
    On the bright side, AA has indicated they will stabilize the Zodiac seats – one can only wonder if and when these modifications will happen. Perhaps the seat issues could resolve in the meantime before your flight next year.

  15. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65152, member: 1566″]I don’t recall any noise issues from the galley however I wear noise cancelling headphones throughout the flight, even when I’m sleeping. It’s good to attempt to attenuate the risk of a bad cabin experience as much as possible ahead of a long haul flight but not everything can be controlled. Last year on a flight in Business Class from VCE to PHL a lap infant in the next row screamed nonstop tThhroughout the entire nine hour flight making it impossible to rest, even with noise cancellation. For every ten flawless flights, there’s at least one irritating one.
    On the bright side, AA has indicated they will stabilize the Zodiac seats – one can only wonder if and when these modifications will happen. Perhaps the seat issues could resolve in the meantime before your flight next year.[/QUOTE]

    That would be awesome i hope they fix the problem by April.. However, i still think of the 3 top Business seats on AA that is the weakest, rocking or not..

    Flight 61 today is the Zodiac. Thanks for the tip on how to find that, i downloaded the app..

    Do you think this means this flight 61 will always be Zodiac or is that now how it works? I know 10 months is a long time out

  16. Donna Diamond

    Airplanes get service checks at around every 500 flight hours, so on a route like DFW-NRT, that would mean the plane is rotated out if service every three to four weeks and sent to maintenance and another plane is substituted. There could be a number of reasons a plane is substituted. A few months ago while waiting for a flight from PHL to SAN, the incoming flight from BOS was delayed by three hours, so they substituted the arriving aircraft from Aruba for my flight to SAN. They can substitute any 772 for that route at any time, so again, there’s a 60% it will be a Super Diamond.

  17. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65154, member: 1566″]Airplanes get service checks at around every 500 flight hours, so on a route like DFW-NRT, that would mean the plane is rotated out if service every three to four weeks and sent to maintenance and another plane is substituted. There could be a number of reasons a plane is substituted. A few months ago while waiting for a flight from PHL to SAN, the incoming flight from BOS was delayed by three hours, so they substituted the arriving aircraft from Aruba for my flight to SAN. They can substitute any 772 for that route at any time, so again, there’s a 60% it will be a Super Diamond.[/QUOTE]

    Alright sounds good. Crossing my fingers !!!!!

  18. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65154, member: 1566″]Airplanes get service checks at around every 500 flight hours, so on a route like DFW-NRT, that would mean the plane is rotated out if service every three to four weeks and sent to maintenance and another plane is substituted. There could be a number of reasons a plane is substituted. A few months ago while waiting for a flight from PHL to SAN, the incoming flight from BOS was delayed by three hours, so they substituted the arriving aircraft from Aruba for my flight to SAN. They can substitute any 772 for that route at any time, so again, there’s a 60% it will be a Super Diamond.[/QUOTE]

    Hey Gia the Flight Tracker site is awesome. Was just wondering is there a way to check a day or 2 in advance if its going to be Zodiac or BE ? Like when i go on the site it shows the current DFW to NRT flight. So essentially i have to wait until that flight is completed to get any info on the next flight. The outbound flight arrives to Tokyo at 2am my time in LA. I would be flying at that time on the red eye to dallas. Be cool to be able to try to pick the right seat a day or 2 in advance but seems like i wont be able to really know until the flight from the day before has landed?

  19. Donna Diamond

    There are no guarantees, but if you’re scheduled out on AA175, the day before you fly check to see the tail number of that plane going out (and coming back home the next day as AA176), chances are that will be your plane. If the plane comes in late, it could be substituted or if it’s going out on scheduled maintenance it could be switched. While in flight if you have WiFi, it’s easy to see the incoming flight AA176 tail number and then if you want to switch seats on your upcoming flight, do it on the App. I’ve done it before a few times.

  20. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65347, member: 1566″]There are no guarantees, but if you’re scheduled out on AA175, the day before you fly check to see the tail number of that plane going out (and coming back home the next day as AA176), chances are that will be your plane. If the plane comes in late, it could be substituted or if it’s going out on scheduled maintenance it could be switched. While in flight if you have WiFi, it’s easy to see the incoming flight AA176 tail number and then if you want to switch seats on your upcoming flight, do it on the App. I’ve done it before a few times.[/QUOTE]

    Okay sounds good thanks. I am on AA 61 which i think is AA 62 coming home. So i will do what you said. Its the later of the 2 non stops DFW to NRT. Planning on getting a work out in at the attached hotel, jacuzzi, massage and a lunch back at Flagship. So hence i went for the later flight. Thanks again for the help.

  21. Mikewarren1000 Member

    [QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 65350, member: 5445″]Okay sounds good thanks. I am on AA 61 which i think is AA 62 coming home. So i will do what you said. Its the later of the 2 non stops DFW to NRT. Planning on getting a work out in at the attached hotel, jacuzzi, massage and a lunch back at Flagship. So hence i went for the later flight. Thanks again for the help.[/QUOTE]
    [QUOTE=”Gia, post: 65347, member: 1566″]There are no guarantees, but if you’re scheduled out on AA175, the day before you fly check to see the tail number of that plane going out (and coming back home the next day as AA176), chances are that will be your plane. If the plane comes in late, it could be substituted or if it’s going out on scheduled maintenance it could be switched. While in flight if you have WiFi, it’s easy to see the incoming flight AA176 tail number and then if you want to switch seats on your upcoming flight, do it on the App. I’ve done it before a few times.[/QUOTE]

    As of now i am in my usual seat on the 787-9 and 772 with BE seats, which is 2L. Seems like Row 1L always goes through forward galley and uses the lav on the left front. Rows 3 through 6 will go to the lab behind them. Hence, no one walks past my Row 2 seat (except the FA’s) I feel like if i change to Row 7 how you suggested, although i believe you fully that its the best seat in the Zodiac set up I may lose Row 2 (or really any of the right side L seats in the forward cabin). I may be better keeping 2L and switching to 7 should it be a Zodiac plane.

    In retrospect i should have flown from LA it would have been a 789 and i would have had my fav seat in an even better plane. nothing i can do now

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