What about the leg room?

Bigger pitch means more legroom.

SEAT PITCH

This is the distance between a row of seats - the measurement from the same position on two seats, one behind the other. (For example, the back face of the seat in front of you, measured to the same point on the back face of the seat you are sitting in).

What about wider seats and the video system box that is under one of the seats?

The average seat pitch in Economy Class is 31".

The largest seat pitch on a few airlines is 34" (American Airlines has up to 35" on some of its aircraft).

When we flew SAA on the 747, we always flew in the upper deck which had 3" more pitch. One year we flew downstairs on the 747 and the extra 3" does make a difference.

Seat pitch in Business Class varies widely, but American Airlines is 60".

Regards,

Terry

quote:

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Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
What about the leg room?

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As Terry said, seat pitch IS legroom.

SAA is using airline jargon instead of just saying it in plain English.

In an article in the airline's in-flight magazine, Sawubona, dated October 2004, SAA's Acting President and CEO Oyama Mabandla writes:
"SAA has taken a bold step to revise its seat pitch to deal with the overwhelming response and feedback we have received from our valued customers in the last few months.
"When this process is complete, the seating in Economy Class will be much more comfortable while giving you a superior entertainment product; the baggage compartment under your seat will be adjusted to give you more room to stretch your legs; and some of the in-flight entertainment screens will be adjusted to increase viewing comfort.


"All our current Airbuses will be retrofitted in line with these new specifications and all the new ones will be delivered with this new configuration already in place."

Mabandla goes further by saying: "Our seat pitch competes well worldwide, and our aim is to exceed customer expectations.

"We believe that this initial step is but one building block towards taking our customer service to new heights."

OK, I thought pitch meant how far back you could adjust the seat back.

Seat Pitch is not the measurement from the seat back in front of you to the front of your seat cushion. It is the measurement from a point on the seat in front of you to the same point on your seat.

Seat pitch is one thing, but how in the Hell does someone approve an entertainment system that doesn't allow you to tilt the screen enough to see it? Surely the SAA people sat in a mock up of the seats before they approved them. What a bone-headed move. It's going to cost a lot of money to fix something that should have never been a problem in the first place.

Of course it really doesn't matter if you can't see the screen because they have been having trouble with entertainment system not working at all. They have also had some problems with the some of the bathrooms not working.

Regards,

Terry

quote:

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Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
OK, I thought pitch meant how far back you could adjust the seat back.

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Yeah, that would be the "logical" assumption, wouldn't it?

But in airline lingo, it's as Terry described (point on one seat measured to same point on seat in front or behind), which since the seats are the same size translates directly into legroom.

The only thing I can imagine is they made the comapny officials sit in economy for a transoceanic flight or two.

Would be nice if the darn arm rests went all the way up instead of just half way.

Beggers can't be choosers I guess.

Read a local SA air plane magazine where they state the rumour is that SAA is about to purchase NEW Boeing 747/400's again .... At least two of them anyway!