Got my first ride on the 787 without getting subbed. Unfortunately it was a 2h48m (big tailwinds) redeye SFO-IAH. I wasn't looking forward to the short redeye right after coming in from LIH-SFO but to make matters worse, as warned in a previous experience, the FAs were yapping it up in the galley the whole flight. I was in 5L, so two rows off the galley on the right side, and they clumped up on that side after meal service. I could hear every word being said even with ear plugs on! Now, it's not that they were being especially loud (just normal loud and laughing) but I do think that the sound carried more in that plane than in others. I really thought it was the people in the row in front of me and was shocked when I sat up to check and saw they were fast asleep and it was the FAs yapping it up.

I managed to get 1 hr of sleep and spent the second hour watching the map across Texas... heh.

Otherwise, I found the plane to be awesome. It was like the feel of a luxury car over a standard car, in the smoothness of the ride, taxi, and engines. I do wish the windows were lower. The bigger windows are wasted on looking up more. The intercom system sounds really sweet...like digital or something... but the mics being used introduce a lot of distortion on the S's, both from the FAs and the flight deck, so the clear sound is ruined in that way. Love the automated announcements on seat belt sign-on events! I imagine they can be set for multiple languages depending on the flight.

Unfortunately, the special lighting wasn't taken advantage of on this redeye. They kept the lights full on during meal service and then just turned them off, then on again later instead of the gradual increase for acclamation.

I definately felt the difference in the pressure and humidity. I am especially affected by an aircrafts low pressure for flights over 2.5 hours so I could really feel the difference and appreciated it. Felt more like flying in your living room than in a typical aircraft. I watched as we passed the older generation aircraft as we taxiied by and felt like I was really in a new generation of flying. Kudos to UA for making it a part of the fleet. Big thumbs down on the 9 across seating in economy, glad I didn't have to experience it. Wish/hope they keep some 787s flying domestically. I enjoyed the good ole days just a few years ago of riding 3-class 767s from IAD to SEA during the summers. The 787 would be fantastic for that route, especially the redeye!

Oh another point of note... we did the straight slope approach from 41,000 feet down to about 4000 and they must have saved even more fuel with that. I have been reading in Aviation Week how that is being slowly phased in at certain airports. I am not sure if that requires newer equipment in the cockpit to support it as other new ATC advances require, but maybe it does and the 787 has it, so they can do those approaches? ....or maybe it has happened before on my flights in 737s and 757s and I just didn't notice it.