Airline?

Apologies
Thompson TOM 134

It looks like you are going on a Monday so I assume Thomson, in which case it will be 2-3-2 in premium club and 3-3-3 in economy club, far from a cattle market....

Been going with FC/TUI for 8 years, usually 2-4-2.or am I mistaken????

According to Thomson schedule TOM134 on 11/11/13 will be the “Dreamliner” 787.
Economy seating on that is 3-3-3. So that looks to be what you will get.

The 2-4-2 mentioned by cornflaky is the economy seating layout on the Thomsonfly brand longhaul 767.
These will be replaced by the 787 over the next couple of years.

The BEST economy seating experience with Thomson longhaul, in my opinion, are the wonderful ex-First Choice 767 planes. These are just 2-3-2 in economy – and offer really good seat comfort.
The thing many folk like about these planes is that, since they are only seating 7 across in economy, this results in much better average WIDTH per passenger.
It is even significantly better widthwise per economy passenger than the much publicised Dreamliner 787 because the 787 cabin is only very slightly wider than the 767 but Thomson have chosen to squeeze in 9 passengers across instead of 7 across.

Thomson advertising concentrates on the 34 inch seat PITCH (legroom) statistic even though this figure is exactly the same for their old ex-FC longhaul 767 planes.
They NEVER mention seat WIDTH. One wonders why...
Sadly the the ex-FC 767s will also all eventually be gone, replaced by the Dreamliner 787 squash

Have you travelled on the Dreamliner yet ukbill? It is not anywhere near as bad as you Make out and the experience width/length/ any which way is far superior to either of Thomson's 767's first choice or Thomsonfly, the aisles are narorower than the first choice 767s and the cabin is around 3ft wider so the difference is negligible, offset by the better seats.

The Thomsonfly 767's will be around longer than the ex first choice ones as the leases have been extended.

The old first choice long haul planes are only 33" legroom in economy(not 34") and 36" legroom in premium vs 33-36" in economy and 38" in premium on the 787's

The Dreamliner cabin is about 15" wider than the A330, and lots of airlines have those configured 3-3-3. Ethiopian, Air India, British Airways, LAN, LOT, Qatar, and United are all 3-3-3 in economy for the 787, which gives a seat width of over 17".
Economy is 33" on the 767s. They've never been 34".

The Thomsonfly 767's will be around longer than the ex first choice ones as the leases have been extended.

I'm sort of guessing that is because the ex-FC 767s - which provide more space widthwise per passenger than the exThomsonfly ones - carry less people and therefore make less profit for TUI, so they go first.
The exFC 767s provide the better experience for customers.

the cabin is around 3ft wider

According to Boeing website the interior cabin is actually only 30 inches wider than the 767 at the widest point - a 16% increase. The Dreamliner TUI squeezes in 9 people instead of 7 - a 29% increase!.
My maths tells me that the Dreamliner 787 actually provides approximately just the same space WIDTHwise for passengers as the shorthaul 737-800s now in use. People crushers....

The Dreamliner cabin is about 15" wider than the A330, and lots of airlines have those configured 3-3-3

Understand that comment - but the Airbus A330 is not what I was comparing.

Have you travelled on the Dreamliner yet ukbill?

Yes, I had a shorthaul flight to Ibiza on G-TUID just a few weeks ago.
I'm sorry - it did not really live up to the hype in my opinion.

The silly dimmable windows are a daft use of technology - they operate way too slowly and there's more to go wrong than a simple blind. And it really is crazy that cabin crew still have to ask passengers to un-dim the windows on landing
- if we really need this daft expensive gimmick - why not a single switch for the pilot to do the lot!

And pretty coloured cabin lights? Nice on Christmas trees - but necessary in aircraft?

I had a window seat 15A - and I am convinced there was definitely LESS space widthwise than the exFC 767s. The left armrest is pretty solidly jammed against the cabin wall - in the 767s there were a few inches spare. And the seats are no more comfortable I reckon.

I've travelled a lot as a passenger on the excellent Thomson exFC 767s over several years.
I reckon they were a very pleasant flying experience for economy passengers - probably the best on the entire economy seating market - and the 787 Dreamliner is a step backwards in customer service compared to them.
- though I guess a step forwards in profits for TUI.

I'm sort of guessing that is because the ex-FC 767s - which provide more space widthwise per passenger than the exThomsonfly ones - carry less people and therefore make less profit for TUI, so they go first.
The exFC 767s provide the better experience for customers.

I would have thought it was because they are the older aircraft. Plus the ex Thomsonfly can be reconfigured for short haul work, so more flexible.

If 3-3-3 is perfectly ok for some of the best full service carriers and their passengers, I really can't see why it shouldn't be alright for package holidaymakers.

Whilst on seats, what about row 37, no window
Is it right to charge same price for these windowless seats

As someone who isn't bothered about looking out of the window I'd be happy to sit there and let others pay more sit to elsewhere with a window.

But seriously, I'd certainly object to being made to pay more to sit in a seat just because it did have a window and that as far I am concerned is going to be no more comfortable or roomier than those without one. Physical comfort in the seat is my main concern and the only reason that I'd be happy to pay more for.

It's going a bit of topic but I never cease to be a amused by the endless inquiries we get here about 'the best seats' on a particular aircraft. I can understand why families and friends would want to be able to sit together but not why couples think single travellers like me are pariahs who must be avoided at all costs and don't want to sit in a row of 3 with one of us. I can assure you that I'm the perfect seat mate - I'll probably fall asleep as soon as we take off and I'm more than happy to have the aisle seat. And because I can fall back to sleep at the drop of a hat it won't concern me if you have to get up to go the loo during the flight. I'm likely to want to use them myself on a longhaul flight. It's why I don't mind the inconvenience of others actually using them either - and someone has to sit near them and I'm not sure why others feel it's so important not to sit near them? But then I don't attach much importance to having a good view of the clouds beneath me either so if others want to pay more to have a window or not to sit over the wing then I am happy to let them.

Which brings us back to where we started. Airlines are not going to reduce the price of such seats - they'll just put the price of the others up if they truly think that people are willing to pay a higher price to have another one. As with the more legroom seats - they'll charge extra to sit there, not reduce the price to encourage others to sit in them.

SM