India-based Airlines - A look at Air India's to be launched 787 service

Hello everyone,

I was in Hyderabad to have a look at the Boeing 787 they made for Air India, and the one which will come to them first. Managed to click some pictures, and here are the links:

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/livefromalounge/2012/03/18/a-first-look-inside-the-boeing-787-dreamliner-which-will-go-to-air-india/

and

https://www.facebook.com/livefromalounge

Do have a look. I found the product very bland, what are your views?

Those are great pictures. Thanks a bunch for putting them up!

I agree, the "hard" hard product (seats, decor, IFE) seem normal. Nothing really cool about them. But the "soft" hard product (lighting, air pressure, humidity) could still be worth a trip on AI's 787s (MEL, here I come!).

Great work getting all those shots and writing it all up. I have to agree that the interior design makes the brand new plane look like its 20 years old (this is one of those areas AI excels in ;)).

great pictures....^^

Haha the upholstery looks downright disgusting!

Excellent pics and write up! :)

Well, the 787 wasn't really expected to do all that much from a passenger amenity perspective, nor will it ever generate the buzz that a 747 or a 380 did.

So it's all down to how each airline kits out the aircraft.

On that count, this plane already looks very nearly like one of their tatty garden variety 321s that I flew the other day.

Give Air India two weeks and they will make a brand new plane look like it's nearly a senior citizen.

could still be worth a trip on AI's 787s (MEL, here I come!).

Not if AI flies it on routes that make economic sense.

I feel if AI could now make a good ‘re-launch’ with this product and fly it on routes that made economic sense, they had a good shot at making a profitable flight with these planes

The more I look at the interior, the more it reminds me of Palam's Terminal 2 when it first opened. Downright nasty.

Not if AI flies it on routes that make economic sense.
Then getting a tan on the Delhi tarmac will be the only option ! ;)

Does this Aircraft have a first-class cabin?
Or is it a two-class aircraft?

2 class 18C/238Y. Quite an excellent decision I think - less opportunity for those with connections to get first class seats out of cheapo economy tickets...

It's not like they were selling those First Class seats for good yields anyway. Most just went out empty.

Does this Aircraft have a first-class cabin?
Or is it a two-class aircraft?

As per Boeing, since the airframe is not as large as the 747 or the 777, there is only so much space to put in a premium cabin or two. Most airlines are expected to go for a 2 class configuration on these planes.

Seat covers in J look very retro to me....reminds me of the Air India scenes in Bollywood movies from the 60's.....more specifically, Junglee with shami kapoor!

Nice pics

Nice pics, have not really been able to understand what the fuss has been about the Dreamliner. Just seems to be a similar product with better fuel efficiency which would benefit the airlines but other than some small upgrades such as the windows, mood lighting etc i dont see too much for the paying customer.

I guess at some level the lower cost of operation will be passed on to the customer (directly in the form of lower price or indirectly in the form of lesser taxpayer subsidy to Air India) but this is unlikely to create the A380 type buzz.

Nice pics, have not really been able to understand what the fuss has been about the Dreamliner. Just seems to be a similar product with better fuel efficiency which would benefit the airlines but other than some small upgrades such as the windows, mood lighting etc i dont see too much for the paying customer.

I guess at some level the lower cost of operation will be passed on to the customer (directly in the form of lower price or indirectly in the form of lesser taxpayer subsidy to Air India) but this is unlikely to create the A380 type buzz.
The general fuss is likely to do more with the delays and cost overruns and compensation claims than anything else.

From a passenger perspective, it was never going to be an iconic plane. And if all had gone according to plan, most of the world likely wouldn't even have ever heard of it.

As for costs, I wouldn't hold my breath on any savings being passed on to customers. The airlines shouldn't anyway; they need the cash!

The seats have a very close resemblance to the seats on the plane in the movie, Delta Force. So, it is the 80s style IMO.

Seat covers in J look very retro to me....reminds me of the Air India scenes in Bollywood movies from the 60's.....more specifically, Junglee with shami kapoor!

But the 60s were the glory days of AI as a Tata company, so they hit the right nerve :)

Nice pics, have not really been able to understand what the fuss has been about the Dreamliner. Just seems to be a similar product with better fuel efficiency which would benefit the airlines but other than some small upgrades such as the windows, mood lighting etc i dont see too much for the paying customer.

Its a modern 767-300 from a pax perspective. The super duper fuel savings never happened, if they had put a new wing and better engines on a 767 frame with a new interior it would have had the same effect and saved them a lot of headaches. Hence the 737 'MAX' concept :)

Great work getting all those shots and writing it all up. I have to agree that the interior design makes the brand new plane look like its 20 years old (this is one of those areas AI excels in ;)).

The colour scheme is twice that old--mustard/gold, avocado, orange, rust, McDonalds.

I always liked the red surrounding of the window that makes the plane look like an Indian Palace :)

Anyone know of a date for the DELMEL service?

I always liked the red surrounding of the window that makes the plane look like an Indian Palace :)

Anyone know of a date for the DELMEL service?

I hate it with a passion. The interior + blunt edges on the windows is how AI manages to make a brand new plane look old. As a fellow FT'er wrote, I understand that the 787 from a commercial point of view is not going to bring the same hype and enthusiasm as does the 747 or A380 for that matter.
AI had a chance to bring new life in the airline while introducing and integrating a brand new type of aircraft in its fleet.

Fugly doesnt begin to describe what Air India has done to the plane. Just compare it to the now in-service ANA product - what a difference

Fugly doesnt begin to describe what Air India has done to the plane. Just compare it to the now in-service ANA product - what a difference

Fair enough; ANA interior looks great whereas AI interor looks, well, eurgh!