No Bulkhead, No Problem: Making the Most of American Airlines’ 737-800 Seating

822

When it comes to choosing a seat on an airplane, it’s more about personal preference than a clear ranking. That’s because each seat comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. While most people would prefer to sit in first class rather than economy, there are also different types of economy seats to consider. For instance, airlines typically charge more for bulkhead seats, which are either the first row of the plane if there’s no first-class cabin, or they can also be located behind a partition separating first class and coach.

Seats in this row often have extra legroom. They also have the advantage that the person in the row in front of you can’t recline into your personal space. However, there are downsides to the bulkhead seats, which include having a tray table in your armrest and having to store your personal items in the overhead because you’re not able to put them under the seat in front of you.

But there are some aircraft where the bulkhead seat isn’t what it seems. While it’s still the first row of the cabin, there’s no wall separating the two areas. Here are the differences from a normal bulkhead I found when flying in on an American Airlines 737-800 in the first row of Main Cabin Extra.

Main Cabin Extra 737-800

My 737-800 had American Airlines’ Oasis interior. This meant there was no separation between first class and the economy cabin. I was seated in the window seat behind a row of two first-class seats.

There were some advantages of this setup, as well as some downsides.

Advantages

Or should I say AAdvantages (I couldn’t help myself there).

The main plus of this setup over a normal bulkhead seat is that you have a massive amount of legroom. You can stretch all the way under the first-class seat in front of you. You can also store your personal items in front of you instead of needing to keep them in the overhead bins. I found it interesting that American installed separators under the first-class seat to give each passenger an idea of their personal space.

Negatives

The negatives are that since you don’t have an economy seat in front of you, there’s no easily accessible USB power plug like there is in the rest of the 737-800 economy section. Since AA doesn’t provide any seat-back entertainment on their Oasis fleet, the only way to watch anything is with your own device. Economy seats have a device holder on the seat back, while the first row has a modified tray table with a fold-up flap where you can lean your device.

Additionally, I learned after my flight that there are power outlets located underneath your seat, which requires some maneuvering to plug in your phone or computer. There’s no indication this is where the power plugs are located, like I’ve seen on other aircraft with the same power setup.

Final Thought

I’m not one to usually take the bulkhead, as I don’t like having the tray in the armrest and no place to put my personal items. On other aircraft, I dislike that the IFE is mounted to the wall, making it harder to see.

I really prefer this \ setup over having a wall in front. There’s only a curtain separating the sections, which provides more legroom. I also have space to stow my backpack or personal items under the seat instead of having to put them in the overhead bin. This might not seem like a big deal, but with more turbulence these days, it can be a long wait after takeoff before the captain turns off the seatbelt sign, allowing you to stand up and get your bag. Also, if you’re in the window seat like I was, this would mean everyone else in the row would have to stand up to retrieve your bag.

Your Mileage May Vary on this one. Which side are you on? Team Bulkhead or Team Curtain?

Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.

Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.

Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.

Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary