12 hours in Y on 788. Avoid at all costs?
Jun 7, 2019, 9:42 am
#46
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 19
Just to counter and balance I did 12 hours to Kula Lumper in a 787 in the last row in the twin seats and it was ok.
The flight was packed but I could spread out into the space between the window.
If that seat wasn't free on a 787 I wouldn't fly it.
It could be worse an airline in France is flying it 10 across!!!
The flight was packed but I could spread out into the space between the window.
If that seat wasn't free on a 787 I wouldn't fly it.
It could be worse an airline in France is flying it 10 across!!!
Off to YUL on Sunday for work (yes in Y - sigh...) - again on the 787 and have taken a seat futher forward but I'm tempted to switch back to one of the pairs depending on how busy it starts to look, although I'm hoping some UUA availablity in WT+ pops up (have checked and I'm on a K ticket - which should be upgradable) and according to EF it's not too packed, so fingers' crossed...
Jun 7, 2019, 9:44 am
#47
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
Slightly off topic but I may have found a solution. I did a very quick search on Google flights and QR have got some great fares exEU to JNB, albeit in Y, for a shade over £400 which is amazing for peak season. BA want £1000.
Going to sound like a real skinflint but there are so many experts on FT that know all the tricks, if anyone can get it below £400, please share your findings. ExCDG is the best I’ve found so far.
The dates are 1/1 to 10/1.
Going to sound like a real skinflint but there are so many experts on FT that know all the tricks, if anyone can get it below £400, please share your findings. ExCDG is the best I’ve found so far.
The dates are 1/1 to 10/1.
Jun 7, 2019, 10:09 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 79
Is it pleasant? No.
Is normal economy on a 12hr overnight flight on any carrier "pleasant"? Also no.
It will be ~12hrs uncomfortable, pretty sleepless hours either way. So I wouldn't go to far out of the way to avoid it.
Booking an ex-EU in the depths of winter, on New Years Day when the available of other ground transport will also be weaker, is more of a risk than I would personally be comfortable with. Especially as a hotel room in Paris on 31/12 will demolish your savings.
If the location in your profile is correct then I would have a look at Qatar's prices out of BHX for your dates. Much less than the BA flights but without the risks of the ExEU.
Is normal economy on a 12hr overnight flight on any carrier "pleasant"? Also no.
It will be ~12hrs uncomfortable, pretty sleepless hours either way. So I wouldn't go to far out of the way to avoid it.
Booking an ex-EU in the depths of winter, on New Years Day when the available of other ground transport will also be weaker, is more of a risk than I would personally be comfortable with. Especially as a hotel room in Paris on 31/12 will demolish your savings.
If the location in your profile is correct then I would have a look at Qatar's prices out of BHX for your dates. Much less than the BA flights but without the risks of the ExEU.
Jun 7, 2019, 10:51 am
#49
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South Glos, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver/OW Sapphire
Posts: 1,157
Is it pleasant? No.
Is normal economy on a 12hr overnight flight on any carrier "pleasant"? Also no.
It will be ~12hrs uncomfortable, pretty sleepless hours either way. So I wouldn't go to far out of the way to avoid it.
Booking an ex-EU in the depths of winter, on New Years Day when the available of other ground transport will also be weaker, is more of a risk than I would personally be comfortable with. Especially as a hotel room in Paris on 31/12 will demolish your savings.
If the location in your profile is correct then I would have a look at Qatar's prices out of BHX for your dates. Much less than the BA flights but without the risks of the ExEU.
Is normal economy on a 12hr overnight flight on any carrier "pleasant"? Also no.
It will be ~12hrs uncomfortable, pretty sleepless hours either way. So I wouldn't go to far out of the way to avoid it.
Booking an ex-EU in the depths of winter, on New Years Day when the available of other ground transport will also be weaker, is more of a risk than I would personally be comfortable with. Especially as a hotel room in Paris on 31/12 will demolish your savings.
If the location in your profile is correct then I would have a look at Qatar's prices out of BHX for your dates. Much less than the BA flights but without the risks of the ExEU.
Jun 7, 2019, 11:03 am
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
On the longer B787-10, B77W and if the A380 is densified, there is an opportunity for MCE with 18” wide seat, 32” pitch and a welcome thimble of soft drink, for an extra cost.
Last edited by FlyerTalker39574; Jun 7, 2019 at 11:40 am
Jun 7, 2019, 12:11 pm
#51
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand
Programs: TK E,*G, A-Club G
Posts: 869
I once flew LHR-YUL on a BA787 in Y: dreadful it was although a short 7h flight, most horrible seating for the last 1000 flights.....Y
Some Super DC8 FRA-JFK I flew 40 years ago might have been worse?
Dreamliner my ..., typical American praising of their crappy products.
On the return luckily got upgraded to Y+, that was bearable.
Other 787 I flew was J on QR, marvelous.
My next long hauls are on A330/300, most in J, one return in Y, all 2-4-2 config, window seat, Y will be fine.
Never had the chance to fly A350 so far....
j
Some Super DC8 FRA-JFK I flew 40 years ago might have been worse?
Dreamliner my ..., typical American praising of their crappy products.
On the return luckily got upgraded to Y+, that was bearable.
Other 787 I flew was J on QR, marvelous.
My next long hauls are on A330/300, most in J, one return in Y, all 2-4-2 config, window seat, Y will be fine.
Never had the chance to fly A350 so far....
j
Jun 7, 2019, 12:33 pm
#52
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,184
Jun 7, 2019, 12:46 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: BAEC OW Gold/Emerald
Posts: 538
Returning to LHR from BWI recently on a 787, I stretched my legs and took a wander to the back of the plane from my WT+ seat.... the faces of the Y passengers could have been used to illustrate the poor unfortunate souls trapped in Dante's 9 circles of hell.
Jun 7, 2019, 1:15 pm
#54
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
There used to be a time when the 787-8 seats were indeed marginally narrower than the 787-9's, but now I believe this has been rectified (certainly on the newer tails). I say that because the seat have the same "asset number" whilst, for instance, the all-white Club seat on a 77W isn't the same as a grey-and-white seat on a 787.
Having said that, the 787 seat isn't in itself a pleasant experience. I've now flown Y on 787s on BA, both 788 and 789, LATAM and JAL. JAL is of course the shining light with its 2-4-2 arrangement. BA and LATAM were pretty similar, i.e. not great. In all honesty it's a matter of perception; I didn't mind neither flight. My worst flights in terms of crampedness, if that's a word, were on Emirates (10-abreast 77W) and Uzbekistan Airways with their 767 that can carry almost 300 people.
Having said that I remember what my uncle, who'd been deported to a work camp in Poland, once told me: "At least you didn't spend 3 days standing in a freight car together with a hundred other people". He had a habit of putting even my crappiest flight into perspective.
Having said that, the 787 seat isn't in itself a pleasant experience. I've now flown Y on 787s on BA, both 788 and 789, LATAM and JAL. JAL is of course the shining light with its 2-4-2 arrangement. BA and LATAM were pretty similar, i.e. not great. In all honesty it's a matter of perception; I didn't mind neither flight. My worst flights in terms of crampedness, if that's a word, were on Emirates (10-abreast 77W) and Uzbekistan Airways with their 767 that can carry almost 300 people.
Having said that I remember what my uncle, who'd been deported to a work camp in Poland, once told me: "At least you didn't spend 3 days standing in a freight car together with a hundred other people". He had a habit of putting even my crappiest flight into perspective.
Jun 7, 2019, 1:34 pm
#55
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
If you're tall but fit in the Exit Row seats (I'm not perfectly thin myself, but comfortably fit in bulkhead/exit row seats) and can get them for free, then I'd take them over any regular Y seat even on a slightly "better" airline where I couldn't get a Exit row seat guaranteed (or would have to pay a massive surcharge for it)
I do agree with some of the posters that two shorter flights might be more enjoyable than a single longer one (say, BA LHR-SIN vs EK LHR-DXB-SIN) when it's more or less no detour, but I'd probably not feeling fancy to fly a massive detour unless I really need the miles or the price would be very tempting. In Y, it is, of course!
I do agree with some of the posters that two shorter flights might be more enjoyable than a single longer one (say, BA LHR-SIN vs EK LHR-DXB-SIN) when it's more or less no detour, but I'd probably not feeling fancy to fly a massive detour unless I really need the miles or the price would be very tempting. In Y, it is, of course!
Jun 7, 2019, 1:47 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 267
I flew 787 on KLM and was utterly disappointed by the tightness of the seats! I pretty much don't care if you got lower altitude pressure if the seating is unpleasant. I'm 6'4 so not the smallest of travellers and the reduction of seat pitch to 31 is a joke.
I heard that JAL is so much better. Now the thing is they might not fly from where you are. So might be needed to suck it up and take the flight. You want to go home and don't spend too much time flying because of 1 inch or so
Sorry haven't read all the other posts....
I heard that JAL is so much better. Now the thing is they might not fly from where you are. So might be needed to suck it up and take the flight. You want to go home and don't spend too much time flying because of 1 inch or so
Sorry haven't read all the other posts....
Jun 7, 2019, 2:47 pm
#57
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,758
A Y seat for 12 hours with IFE, food and drink and ready access to a toilet feels like positive luxury after that... Obviously not comparable to being deported to a work camp, but that's my go-to recent memory whenever I'm feeling uncomfortable on a plane...
Jun 7, 2019, 3:55 pm
#58
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 289
I've flown a 12h 789 in Y. I am 6'3".
I don't like the IFE boxes being under the seat in front of me. I like to stretch my legs out into that space and I don't like them pressing against the occlusion.
That's the only difference i could detect between that seat and other BA Y seating. I got a good night's sleep, as much as is possible in any Y seat.
I don't like the IFE boxes being under the seat in front of me. I like to stretch my legs out into that space and I don't like them pressing against the occlusion.
That's the only difference i could detect between that seat and other BA Y seating. I got a good night's sleep, as much as is possible in any Y seat.