Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
Yes and I will pile in too. There is no question in my mind that the B787, A350 and A380 are game changers for me, and have probably pushed my retirement back several years. The difference they have, particularly in terms of frequent, repeated travel is amazing. My patience with 777s generally, and 777-200 in particular is now spent and I largely avoid them on BA, AA and any other airline unless it's a short flight. 777-300 aren't so bad but I still choose alternatives where I can. And I still get the occasional 757 and 767s, which aren't great either. So there is no inverted nostalgia on my part.
However the 747 in UD, particularly in BA's Super J format, remains an excellent product in my opinion and remains my first choice.
The A350 and A380 are great aircraft and certainly better than their counterparts, but the B787 is a terrible experience simply due to the seating arrangement in Y. There's no point being well hydrated if you can barely straighten your knees and walk off the plane. I've made the mistake of travelling in this torture machine a couple of times now, struggling with pain in my legs for hours after landing, and will never do so again. Indeed, I'd proactively seek out a mid-journey stopover to avoid a direct long-haul flight in economy on a 787 in Y. The newly refurbished BA 747s are a much superior experience to the 787s if you're down the back, even if you have to spend a bit more time with the lip salve.