I’m sticking with a narrowbody again for this week’s Vintage Airline Seat Map and bring you the American Airlines Boeing 727-100 from 1977 appearing below. Seating a total of 100 passengers, this pre-deregulation configuration offered 14 first class seats and room for 86 in coach, which probably had nearly equivalent seat pitch as that found in first class.
A couple of interesting things to note are the carryon luggage racks, a coat compartment in coach and the bar across from the mid-cabin galley. Smoking was likely allowed plane-wide, so without that information, you’d find me in 3A in first class and 5A in coach if there was more legroom at that bulkhead, otherwise 6A.
Where would you sit?
I remember this plane! I flew MEM – SAN as an unaccompanied minor at least four times a year on AA and this was the plane used for both the non-stop and direct flights. AA referred to the first coach cabin as “special coach” and seated um’s there. Often the FA’s would move me (and any other um’s) to first so that we were seated together and could entertain ourselves. I had my first ice cream sundae at 35,000 feet on this plane. Thanks for posting these maps as it has been fun trying to remember which aircraft I have flown and where I sat!
@Paul: Cool story… thanks for the insight about “special coach!”
@Planereality: Good choice(s).
@AAdvantage Geek: But you’d be deafened by the engines! 😉
2A or 3F depending on how that coat closet opens/is configured
My little brother and I always wanted to sit in one of the last four rows do that we could watch the flaps do their thing.
Thanks for sharing!
@ Darren – My folks and my sister sat up in front in first class, my brother and I insisted on being in the back with the engine and flaps. We would rotate the window seat at takeoff and landing. What dorks!
@AAdvantage Geek: Naw, just fully committed avgeeks enjoying the view! I used to enjoy sitting behind the wing on 737-200s just to see the engine “come apart” when landing and reverse thrust kicked in.
I started working for AA in 1982 and remember flying on this around their network until it was replaced with “super new” MD-80’s.
I remember 21A or F sitting right next to the engine, barely able to see outside the window and hoping that the engine wasn’t going to blow apart.
And, I remember row 15, which was the AA “buffer row” between smoking (behind) and non-smoking (ahead) generally “undesirable” for employees.
The last time I flew on one was DFW-MCI, plane was so empty that the flight attendants invited all of the passengers to sit in First Class so they wouldn’t have to walk so far (all 21 rows).
Great plane.
@Jim: Thanks for the insight! So cool everyone was invited to sit in first on your DFW-MCI flight.
Don’t get too excited about the “bar” mid-cabin across from the galley/buffet. “Bar” actually means liquor cart stowage. There was a counter top above that, but it wasn’t a bar in the way you’re thinking. Sorry to disappoint you.
Were there ever any 727s with a 3/2 or 2/3 seating configuration?