I fly the 737 and yes the cockpit is a disaster. Before flying the 737 I was on the 767 in LAX when that went to a combined category. I bid into the 737 for a better QOL after overcoming my # 1 objection to the 737 - which is the cockpit.

If you like it small, loud, and uncomfortable you will love the 737. You can recline your seat or move it back - sorry you can't do both. Flying a 900 - good luck getting your bag out of the closet aft of first class and most likely buried behind the FA bags who like to access their bags in flight. But who needs that first 15 minutes on a 55 minute turn anyway.

I am 5'11 and occasionally hit my head on the overhead. I really dont how the the 6' plus crowd handles it.

Just to be fair - the displays are great, and the navigation is very, very tight.

To answer your question about QOL I would have to know what is more important. I weighed QOL much more heavily in seniority and controlling my schedule then flying a much more comfortable cockpit, 7ER in my case, but also the baby bus.

Scoop

^^^^^^ Yep.
As to the second jumpseat, I can see it on the short leg stuff but we fly a high percentage of coast-to-coast 5 hour plus legs. Having one JSer really makes it tight. Two, and it would be inhumane.

Thanks for the reply Scoop! Was asking more in terms of day to day flying, which airplane do people prefer to fly, especially those who've been on both the 73 and 320.

IMO the 737 is such a disaster of a cockpit. Loud, 1960s design and very cramped. The 320, 757/767 and 717 are so much better.
As for the SWA fellow a few pages back who showed up here complaining about our jumpstart config--give me a break. Why don't we ask Boeing for 3 cockpit jumpseats-- and a new plane while we're at it. Remember it was SWA who rejected Boeing's offer of a clean sheet replacement of the 737 in the first place !!

Easy answer, 7ER...unless you are senior to me.

I prefer the a320. Clean design, pilot friendly, no goofy knobs, switches, levers, etc all over the place. Bag storage is huge, being able to move your seat to something comfortable in cruise is nice, not worry about the CBs behind the FO, two jump seaters fit nicely with plenty of room for everyone and their bags, no crazy shuffle and uncomfortable positions when swapping with a FA or jumpseater to use the LAV.

The side stick is something you get used to, once you learn and actually understand the systems, the Airbus is very nice. It took me a while to get over not have a yoke and have the tactile/visual cue as to what is going on with the controls when the other guy is flying, but when you get to this level in the states, it is much less of a worry than say if someone was in the ME or Asia etc.
Plus...when it comes to meal time, you have a pull out tray and you can cross your legs, move them around, not worry about getting your knee whacked by the yoke, not have a super high speed crazy trim wheel crush your knee, the bus auto trims itself.

The bus does make you more complacent unless you make an effort to turn everything off and actually fly the plane. Even then, no trim and it commands rates, so you just stick it and leave it really.
A better understand of the computer systems is required IMO.

Only going to 39000 is a downside, 410 is useful for weather, but not that big of a deal. Longer legs so less worry of the tail and wingtip strikes like the 737-super.

Id say more passengers and dead headers find the Airbus more comfortable in the back. Except when people don't turn on the yellow electric pump with #1 running...that PTU is annoying back there.

My son non revs a lot alone and he is 12. Just need to sign him in as a UM at ticket counter, so why do you have to supervise them in the back if they can non rev on non stops from I think age 6 (ish)

I'm 6ft and the 737 was pure torture... one step removed from water boarding! After 1 year on it, I was seriously considering back surgery. Moved to 7er and after 1 month, all my back problems were gone.

From js'ing on the 320, it appears to be the same size cockpit as the 757. So the clear winner, based on the amount of time one spends in "the office".

P.s., A second js in the 73 torture chamber cockpit for 5+hr legs... um, no thanks... wouldn't do that to my worst enemy... well, maybe my worst enemy!

The 717 has awesome looking seats. But butt hurt after 45 min.

The 717 has the worst seat I've ever sat on. I'm bidding off ASAP because of it.