dnajockey

I just returned from a trip to Doha, out on the Qatar 350 and back on the BA 787-9. I'm interested in what people think of the planes, not the hard (or soft) product. I have found the 787 very quiet and comfortable in the past (esp. compared to the 777) but thought the 350 was even better in terms of cabin noise. Opinions on a quiet Friday afternoon welcome ...

Cheers

Mordac

I never thought the 787 was as quiet as it's made out to be, I think the A350 is quieter, but not as quiet as the upper deck on the A380.

Can't stand those dimmer windows on the 787 either!

TTmex

Can't comment on a350, but I've always found the cabin atmosphere great on 787. Never get dry nose etc.

Steve_ZA

I prefer the A350 over the 787 but I don't think the difference is significant, also happy on an A380 and I will take any of those before a 777/77W.

Bohinjska Bistrica

I've only flown on Qatar's A350 (in economy) . Never been on a 787.

I enjoyed it. Legroom was decent (I am 6"2) and there was also enough room to be comfortable and not feel squashed by the person next to you. The aircraft was indeed pretty quiet and on the whole felt very pleasant.

787s seem to get a terrible review in general in economy so I am intent on avoiding them if it'll be a Y flight. The A350 is fine with 9 across whilst the 787 is cramped due to not being designed with that in mind, seems to be the consensus. BA's 787s also seem to have those irritating IFE boxes blocking legroom, which will not help. As I said said though, never flown on it so could be doing it an injustice. Feedback does however seem to be scathing

Skipcool3

I have walked around both. The A350 just seems the latest generation and spacious, whereas the 787 seems slightly earlier time and Cramped.....

gliderpilot

A350 definitely quieter than the 787 and much better experience in Y due to the extra cabin width. I’m so torn between whether the a380 is quieter than the a350 and which I prefer overall. A380 upper deck probably edges it due to the side bins and forward toilets.

corporate-wage-slave

I would also have a preference to the A350 to the B787 (having flown plenty of both BA's aircraft types) however I'd also say the game between the two is quite small, the big gap is between that and the 777-200 range in particular. So I don't think it's much of a factor if the choice is between the 787 and 350, given their route profile is likely to be quite similar, but it's a very different question if the comparison is with older aircraft.

The BA version of the A350 is much better than Qatar's incarnation, in my view, particularly in Club/business and WTP.

Sam Bee

Purely on an economy level (just in case, I know there are one or two of you out there) - I flew two identical length day flights on Qatar A350 connecting to a B787.

Was dreading the 787 as i'm tall (really tall) and, I had every reason to be! The seats are narrower, legspace felt tighter, but air quality and onboard noise & entertainment felt identical.

Put it this way, I won't touch a 787 willingly again, and absolutely not if I can't book an emergency exit. A350 is now my preferred aircraft type, and will amend my airline accordingly to fly it!

Yllanes

Yes, both are very good aircraft in terms of air quality, etc. but the A350 is much better in economy, no contest (on any airline with 9-seat rows for the 787).

HighwayToHEL

I do EDI to DOH 3-4 times a year, and onward to BLR. My first trip was on the 787 and I really liked it. By the time I came to do the next one they had swapped to the 350 and I loved it! That sector has become one of my all time favourites now.

wb1969

I’ve been lucky enough to fly the A350-900 and the A350-1000 in Business and Premium Economy on CX and I absolutely love it. Also flown in economy on QR and it was a pleasure.

I wouldn’t fly on a 787 unless there was no alternative. I’d even route with a stopover just to avoid it.

LCY8737

In my head the seating blurs with the rest of the aircraft into on experience, so I struggle to make an assessment of just the plane, but I found both aircraft to be pretty decent, maybe with a slight preference for the A350 as it is a little newer. Also in my head I still have an image of battery fires and engine micro fractures every time I hear B787 - though that by now is just my head.

jday

Have tried both on QR in J and all four classes on the BA 787. I like both aircraft. The 787 in Y isn’t an experience I want to repeat in a hurry because of the width. However if in W and above I do like the 787. On QR I prefer the 787 because of the more intimate J cabin. The A350 J seems a bit big. One thing I did notice on the A350 was the fumes when the engines started. I believe the A350 has the usual system were air comes In from the engines. Whereas the 787 has a completely unique air intake system (not an expert just heard this). in terms on noise I couldn’t pick between them.

manord

I’ve flown A350 and B787 on various airlines (e.g. CX, SQ, BA, AA, etc.) and I do prefer the A350 (better than either A380 or B787).

Any of these are a big step up from the B777 or the A330/340 and even from the B747 LD.

However, I’m not sure which I’d pick if it was a choice between A350 or B747 UD :-)