Originally Posted by
hockeypilot44
This configuration is idiotic. It amazes me how a few months ago we were being told how important "high priority" customers are and then they do this. Actions speak louder than words. Why don't we just take out the galleys, all the first class seats, and put 145 coach seats in the 319's like some other airlines out there?
I can't figure out exactly what the A319 configuration will be from the above posts, but here is what they're doing on the 744's:
Delta Revitalizing Boeing 747-400 Fleet with New Interiors - Yahoo! Finance
Out of 434 seats, they'll have 48 B/E seats, or only 11%.
On the ER's, I think we will also drop some B/E seats when we go to lie-flats.
That seems to be the trend.
Now, on the vast majority, probably the totality, of my ER flights, the front cabin had a high proportion of non-revs and/or "involuntary" upgrades from an overbooked Coach.
So when you have a high proportion of the cabin dedicated to either First or B/E, you're pretty much giving some of it away. It's good for nonrevs, and it's good for people that expect perks without paying for them, but it certainly isn't great business sense. Considering the ridiculously high LF's we're seeing across the industry, but considering the resistance to
booking (paying for) First or B/E, it seems like we can probably get more money from each airframe by having the proportion between the two cabins match demand.
What's the final ratio of First/Coach in the new A319 configuration, anyway?