Slim Planes Now in it for the Long-Haul

Travel Blog  •  Terry Ward  •  07.30.07 | 12:03 PM ET

imageThere’s more bad news for those of us who like to stretch our legs on transatlantic flights. New York Times Practical Traveler writer Michelle Higgins notes that Delta Airlines is among the latest carriers to start using narrow Boeing 757s for flights between the U.S. and Europe.

While the use of the slimmer planes increases routes to Europe and the number of nonstop options, the space factor is definitely a downfall.

Instead of two aisles and seating configurations of two people per row on the window sides of the plane, such as the pattern found on wide-bodied 767s, the 757s have just one central aisle with three seats on each side—all the more opportunity to get stuck in the middle for a long haul. Not to mention the difficulty of getting to a lavatory when the beverage cart is taking up the plane’s only thoroughfare. (Note: The airplane interior pictured is not a Boeing 757.)

The story gives some good tips for making the most of the compromised seating:

To try to maximize your comfort on a 757 to Europe this summer, take a look at the diagrams on the airline’s homepage to see which seats are open for your flight. Then cross-reference your findings with information on Web sites like SeatGuru.com or SeatExpert.com, which rank seat quality. SeatGuru.com recommends seats in Row 16 on Continental’s 767-200, for instance, because they are exit-row seats, with extra legroom, and they recline fully. It advises avoiding Row 14, where reclining is limited.

Sure makes those in-flight exercises to combat deep vein thrombosis sound more relevant than ever.

Related on World Hum:
* Leg Room Requirements Under Consideration for European Flights
* Tall, Short Travelers at Greater Risk for Thrombosis
* Dick Cheney, Long Flights and the Dangers of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Photo by Hyougushi via Flickr, (Creative Commons).

Tags: Air Travel, Travel Tips, News and Briefs

Terry Ward

Terry Ward is a Florida-based writer and a long-time contributor to World Hum.


1 Comment for Slim Planes Now in it for the Long-Haul

Craig of Travelvice.com 11.18.07 | 12:49 PM ET

Also watch out for those Low Cost Carriers—where a pregnant woman can’t even get a cup of water without paying for it.

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