JFK to Joberg on SAA - seating question

19 March 2014, 04:52

mrjulian_1970

Has anyone recently flown from JFK to Joberg on SAA while sitting way back in coach? I am booked on this flight this fall on my way to Tanzania, and I have a question for those with first-hand experience on this flight...

According to seatguru.com and Meliza at Travel with Guns, seat 73D is in the middle section, on the aisle, with only 3 center seats, AND it does not have a seat in front of it... so extra legroom/space.

Based on Meliza's recommendation, this is the seat I currently have reserved.

However, according to a friend of mine who just made this flight last week (over and back to visit family), there is no such seat. To her recollection, all the center sections have 4 seats and the way back is actually more cramped than a normal aisle due to the narrowing of the fuselage in the rear.

Anyone familiar with this seat and can either confirm or deny its existence?

19 March 2014, 06:36

Fjold

Type in your airline and flight number and it will give you a seating chart with a picture and an explanation about the pluses and minuses of your seat.

http://www.seatguru.com/

19 March 2014, 17:42

Labman

I flew in that seat a few years ago. Nice not having another seat in front of you since you get a lot of extra leg room. The seat itself is narrower than the standard (like all seats without a seat in front) since the TV must retract into the armrest. The biggest drawback is the seat is close to the bathroom. You'll have a constant stream of people walking/standing in line by your seat and have the almost constant noise of the toilet flushing.

19 March 2014, 22:53

mrjulian_1970

Tom, thanks for the feedback... wonder if my friend was mistaken, or if something has changed in the past couple of years.

Frank, Seatguru is showing the configuration without a seat in front, but I wanted to confirm if that was really the case based on feedback from a friend of mine who made this flight last week.

Mike

20 March 2014, 16:06

Chris Lozano

I have sat in that seat also. It does exist.
The reason the seat in front of you is missing, is because there is a hatch in the floor. It is access to the life raft.
So if things go bad you know where to look.

20 March 2014, 19:40

cal pappas

I have sat in this seat and it is wonderful. Now I prefer Economy Comfort as sometimes it is difficult to reserve a single seat on a specific flight. Now that this thread is here it will be even more difficult.
Cheers all.
Cal

_______________________________

Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska
www.CalPappas.com
www.CalPappas.blogspot.com
1994 Zimbabwe
1997 Zimbabwe
1998 Zimbabwe
1999 Zimbabwe
1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation
2000 Australia
2002 South Africa
2003 South Africa
2003 Zimbabwe
2005 South Africa
2005 Zimbabwe
2006 Tanzania
2006 Zimbabwe--vacation
2007 Zimbabwe--vacation
2008 Zimbabwe
2012 Australia
2013 South Africa
2013 Zimbabwe
2013 Australia
2016 Zimbabwe
2017 Zimbabwe
2018 South Africa
2018 Zimbabwe--vacation
2019 South Africa
2019 Botswana
2019 Zimbabwe vacation
2021 South Africa
2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later)
______________________________

20 March 2014, 20:42

David Culpepper

quote:
Originally posted by mrjulian_1970:
Has anyone recently flown from JFK to Joberg on SAA while sitting way back in coach? I am booked on this flight this fall on my way to Tanzania, and I have a question for those with first-hand experience on this flight...

According to seatguru.com and Meliza at Travel with Guns, seat 73D is in the middle section, on the aisle, with only 3 center seats, AND it does not have a seat in front of it... so extra legroom/space.

Based on Meliza's recommendation, this is the seat I currently have reserved.

However, according to a friend of mine who just made this flight last week (over and back to visit family), there is no such seat. To her recollection, all the center sections have 4 seats and the way back is actually more cramped than a normal aisle due to the narrowing of the fuselage in the rear.

Anyone familiar with this seat and can either confirm or deny its existence?

This seat does exist and I have sat in it from Dulles to Joberg. Down side is that my feet got stepped on about 100 times as people would step over in that area when passing someone in the aisle.

21 March 2014, 06:09

Zephyr

When my wife and I flew SAA from JFK we sat in the outside two seats and were very comfortable, plenty of leg room if I was traveling on my own I might look at a different seat.

21 March 2014, 22:41

butchloc

i had that seat a couple of times. on a smooth flight it is just great. on a turbulent flight, well - you are in the rear of the plane

23 March 2014, 08:25

georgeld

Don't know the plane, I haven't flown enough to matter and never on one with center sections either so that puts me in the smaller planes.
I do know on them the engine noise is a ear/head killer just from going back to the head a couple times from up front.

I always request a window seat ahead of the wings as I like to look out and see what's under the flight. On the way back from Fla in July '11 I was put in the front bulkhead seat. Man the leg room was wonderful, but, the solid wall right in from of me was a PITA. Won't take that one again, I'd rather have less leg room than be blocked in like that.

Those big planes you guys ride in/on most have wing engines so this wouldn't apply I'm sure.

Wish you well and have a great flight.
George