No major U.S. airline any longer operates the 747. All across the world it is being phased out after nearly 50 years in service. Many airlines are replacing it with the 777. But the 777’s cabin is nearly a foot narrower.
That means that in order to ram a 10-seat row into a 777 cabin each seat has to significantly shrink in width. The result is painful. For example, American Airlines has 10-abreast coach seating in its 777s, with seat cushions only 16.2 inches wide. British Airways still flies its 777s with nine-abreast seats, with seat cushions of the original width of 17.5 inches.
Other long haul airlines are following American’s lead, and it may be only a matter of time when they all do, because in a coach class cabin that can add as many as 20 or more seats, which is real money.