What Is the Seating Plan on a Boeing 744 Airplane?
The most common international carrier seating plan for a Boeing 747-400 (sometimes called the 744) provides 23 first-class, 78 business-class and 315 economy-class seats for a total capacity of 416 passengers. However, Boeing customizes seating to the specifications of each buyer, so actual seating arrangements vary among individual aircraft.
As with all 747 models, the 747-400 includes a distinctive upper-deck seating area. Most carriers use the upstairs for first-class or business-class seating, although some have experimented with a smaller number of “mini-suites,” offering a level of exclusivity (and revenue-per-passenger) not commonly associated with commercial air travel. Economy-class seating in most 747-400 aircraft is comprised of 10 seats per row in a 3-4-3 arrangement with dual aisles. Some separation between economy seating areas is provided by lavatories and flight-attendant stations. Business-class and first-class seating are more varied among carriers, with some maximizing the number of seats while others offer fewer seats in larger sizes and fully reclining options. The goal of any carrier, of course, is to find the intersection of quantity and ticket price that produces the most income from higher-paying passengers. For shorter domestic flights, the aircraft can be arranged to seat 24 in first class and up to 544 in economy. The 744 is also produced as a non-passenger cargo plane and a “Combi” model with increased cargo area and fewer passenger seats, typically 266 in a three-class configuration.
