But Passengers Feel The Squeeze, Literally
Quick poll -- what would you rather
travel on between the US and Europe, a long narrowbody aircraft, or
a twin-aisle widebody plane? If you answered the latter (sorry, "in
my own private Global Express" isn't an option here) then you may
be disappointed the next time you fly Delta, Continental, and a
variety of other carriers.
The New York Times reports Delta is the latest carrier to add
narrowbody 757s to routes commonly flown by larger, two-aisle
aircraft, such as legs to Britain and Ireland. Continental was
among the first to swap out the smaller planes; Northwest and US
Airways also followed suit.
Recent improvements in range and efficiency for the 757s --
including the addition of Blended Winglets -- have made the older
planes a viable option for airlines on longer flights.
Those decisions do mean some advantages for travelers... as more
available planes mean more routes to choose from, and often from
smaller airports to boot. But the 757s -- which are "generally
tolerated" on domestic runs, says the NYT -- also mean less room
for passengers to spread out, and one fewer aisle available for
passengers to walk around and stretch their legs a bit.
Adding to the misery is the commonly-used 3+3 seating
arrangement in coach onboard a 757, rather than the 2-3-2 (or even
2-4-2) seating arrangements seen on widebodies. Changes implemented
to first-and-business-class cabins on 757s, such as IFE and better
seats, haven't filtered rearward into steerage, either.
“What this means for the economy passenger is that some
amenities they typically receive on international flights, such as
personal video screens or laptop power ports, are not
available,” said Seatguru.com founder Matthew Daimler. Larger
aircraft such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 777 also
“generally offer more overhead storage per passenger,
slightly extra seat width, bassinets for infants and typically a
better chance of getting an upgrade.”
And, oh yeah, one other thing: there are fewer lavs on a 757,
and those available are harder to get to.
“If the only aisle is continually clogged and you’ve
got to go — it’s a problem,” said Jerry Chandler,
who writes Cheapflights.com’s travel blog.
“You’ve got to get a kid back to the bathroom?
I’m sorry, you’re stuck" if another passenger or
serving cart is blocking the aisle.
The Times notes carriers are taking steps to make the 757 more
livable for passengers. Northwest has reconfigured its
trans-Atlantic 757-200s, adding more business-class seats and IFE
while taking out some coach seats to expand legroom somewhat.
Continental has made similar changes, and US Airways plans to do so
before the end of the year.
But there's only so much airlines can do to make a 757 feel
bigger than it really is.
"To go that long, it just seems so small," passenger Joseph Remy
told the NYT after a recent 757 flight. With only one aisle, "there
was no escape route" to get away from his seatmates, and he had to
squint his eyes to view the inflight movie on "a really small
screen."
"It felt like it was 1965," he said.