First long haul in J with infant, best seats?

[marcoakis]

Wife, daughter (under 2) and I will be flying J to LA using points later in the year.

We have been allocated seats 1H and 1K, so I have a couple of questions:

- Are these seats ideal when flying with an infant?
- I've read about row 5, what are the benefits if any? They're available.
- When is the new business configuration going to be rolled out?

Thanks

 

[robd]

Row 5 will give you privacy and is it's own mini cabin, so you will be away from the bulk of the other J passengers.

 

[smit0847]

New J starts November completed by about March next year

 

[EUROPA]

New J starts November completed by about March next year

hmm, but what exactly does that mean?? Planes taken out of service from November to start new fit-out or planes will be in service from November with new fit-out? Curious too as I have J return SYD-LAX in Mid December...

 

[Dr_Fliptop]

hmm, but what exactly does that mean?? Planes taken out of service from November to start new fit-out or planes will be in service from November with new fit-out? Curious too as I have J return SYD-LAX in Mid December...

I was going to say something similar. As far as I'm aware, all B747s are now fitted with A380 seats and was completed the end of 2012. The only other international J update going on is the A332/A333 updates, which don't fly trans-pacific.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

It really depends on whether your child will sleep in the bassinet and how busy the cabin is. If they will and can sleep in the bassinet then those are the seats you want. Otherwise 5 A/C or H/K are the go. Private and less people giving you the evil eye. However if your game and the child does not sleep in a bassinet I highly recommend 5D/G leaving F free. This will be the last seat anyone takes and could give you a spare seat in the middle for your little one. Risky but a game changer if you pull it off.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

I was going to say something similar. As far as I'm aware, all B747s are now fitted with A380 seats and was completed the end of 2012. The only other international J update going on is the A332/A333 updates, which don't fly trans-pacific.

The international Boeing 777s will follow in November 2015 and be completed “within three months.”

Virgin Australia new domestic international business class seats Airbus A330 Boeing 777 - Australian Business Traveller

 

[Dr_Fliptop]

The international Boeing 777s will follow in November 2015 and be completed “within three months.”

Virgin Australia new domestic international business class seats Airbus A330 Boeing 777 - Australian Business Traveller

Ahhh - right. OP never specified the carrier - you're talking Virgin, I was thinking Qantas.

*edit* - and now I just realised this was posted into the Virgin Velocity forum - what a wally!

 

[marcoakis]

Thanks for your feedback.

So row 5 sounds like the best bet... how do you secure them, through a call to the platinum team?

 

[Jurahn]

However if your game and the child does not sleep in a bassinet I highly recommend 5D/G leaving F free. This will be the last seat anyone takes and could give you a spare seat in the middle for your little one. Risky but a game changer if you pull it off.

This is a bit of a risky strategy, as transpacific J on VA seems to have fewer and fewer empty seats these days, especially out of Sydney - we recently flew to SYD-LAX on a Tuesday morning and returned on a Monday night, and on both flights the main cabin only had a couple of empty seats. We were in Row 5 both ways and there was one empty seat in that row on the way over, but it was full on the way back. On the return flight, there was a couple with a toddler in 5H/K (we were in A/C). They were able to put him down in front of their seats from time to time and he happily played on the floor with a toy, then would climb back up on to Mum or Dad, play with them for a while, or have a sleep, then rinse and repeat LOL. You would probably have more difficulty with this if you selected the middle seats and someone did take that third seat, as it would be hard not to cause some disruption for that person with an active toddler (you said your daughter is under 2, so I assume she's closer to toddler age and not a little bub?), especially if the other pax had their bed made up and was trying to sleep. H/K or A/C are probably a safer bet.

 

[robd]

This is a bit of a risky strategy, as transpacific J on VA seems to have fewer and fewer empty seats these days, especially out of Sydney - we recently flew to SYD-LAX on a Tuesday morning and returned on a Monday night, and on both flights the main cabin only had a couple of empty seats. We were in Row 5 both ways and there was one empty seat in that row on the way over, but it was full on the way back. On the return flight, there was a couple with a toddler in 5H/K (we were in A/C). They were able to put him down in front of their seats from time to time and he happily played on the floor with a toy, then would climb back up on to Mum or Dad, play with them for a while, or have a sleep, then rinse and repeat LOL. You would probably have more difficulty with this if you selected the middle seats and someone did take that third seat, as it would be hard not to cause some disruption for that person with an active toddler (you said your daughter is under 2, so I assume she's closer to toddler age and not a little bub?), especially if the other pax had their bed made up and was trying to sleep. H/K or A/C are probably a safer bet.

I second this

 

[marcoakis]

Just an update, I called VA Platinum and requested Row 5.

She changed my booking without a problem, however since my wife and daughter were on a separate booking she was reluctant to change them to row 5 as they're not platinum. I asked her to check with her manager and it was fixed without issues.

I'm really looking forward to long haul J