An improved convertible aircraft seating arrangement that is adapted to convert a row of seven economy class seats into a row of six business class seats, and vice versa. A pair of outboard seats (12, 20) are positioned on opposite sides of the passenger cabin (16), and a central set of seats (18) is positioned in between. In the economy class configuration, the central set consists of three seats (36, 38, 48), but is converted to two seats for the business class configuration. When making the conversion, the outboard pairs (12, 20) are slid inwardly a certain distance, and their inboard armrests (32) are extended further into the aisleway (22, 24) on each side of the central set (18). The outer, aisle seats (36, 38) of the central set (18) are slid inboardly, until they abut against the centermost seat (48). There, they are joined to lateral sections of the centermost seat, which are split apart from such seat to form wider, business class seats. The intermediate armrests (44, 46) of the central set (18) are nested within or behind the spilt-apart lateral sections. The outer armrests (56, 58) of the central set (18) are also retracted inwardly to make up for the aisle space that was lost in the conversion of the outboard pairs of seats (12, 20).