May 8, 2013, 9:14 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Seating links:
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Uni...ng_787-800.php
="3"%Polaris business Cabin
Rows 1 and 4 (bulkheads) - all seats have larger footwells. Aisle seat footwells are slightly larger than window footwells in all rows.
6DE are considered "most private" because away from galley and lav (although near coach). 6D angles away from aisle so slightly more private than 6E.
1A Footrest well
{new pics needed}
2A Footrest well
{new pics needed}
4A: DAY Love the full access to both windows and the view of the engine. However, I agree with others here, you're just TOO close to the galley. Worse yet, the galley has these super bright lights that can be bothersome on a night flight. The noise from the galley was bearable if you have your headphones on and are watching the TV etc. I didn't see any curtains to cordon off the galley...I wonder why they don't have this like on other aircraft. (If I remember correctly)
5L: DAY Nice quieter side. No galley issues. Still have a view of the engine but not as good as 4A. Your second window is partially obstructed by your seat so you only have access to the window "button" on the more forward window. Not a big deal...but I prefer to have 2 full unobstructed windows like in 4A.
6A: NIGHT Same a 5L very quiet. Full access to windows. No galley noise. Not as good a view of the engine but you can still see it albeit you're mostly over the wing at this point. ***NOTE: If you're on a night flight, like I was for this instance, there was this very bright spotlight just over the exit door 2R (across the 2L door where we boarded from) that the F/A couldn't turn off. He was very apologetic but ended up just taping a piece of cloth or something to accommodate me. Maybe I'm just super sensitive to the light but I couldn't ignore it even if I tried to. It was just perfectly aligned to my line of sight from my seat.
="3"%Economy Plus Cabin:
The front bulkhead rows (16ABC, 17DEF, and 16JKL) all have good (and identical!) legroom. Unless you are over 6'3" and/or just hate bulkheads, I'd recommend any of these seats.
I can confirm that all of these seats have identical legroom. Didn't bring my tape measure, but in both seats, my fully extended legs just touched the bulkhead -- I couldn't quite brace my feet against it, and ended up using my camp stool. For reference, I'm 6'1" with a 32-inch inseam. There's easily enough room to get up from the window seat and walk out into the aisle in a civilized way without (much) disturbing the neighbors. So, even as a committed aisle guy, 16A/L will be my first choice in the future. The view of the wing, engine, and horizon is pretty good (and you can easily spend half an hour playing with the windows). Bulkhead comes about half-way across 16C/J seat, so angling legs can get you a bit more room into business cabin. However, the curtain dangles there, which can be annoying, as can FAs going through.
UA actually did something pretty clever in 17DEF and 27DEF. Unlike every other bulkhead row in the fleet, this one actually has an adjustable armrest! It's the one between D and E (note: I'm certain of this in row 17, but could be wrong about 27). The trick is that the tray tables and video screens are to the left of D, to the right of F, and in between E/F. Thus, 17D is the clear choice here, since if 17E is empty you get to flip the armrest up and squish out. 17D/E is a good choice for couples. 17D/E are usually blocked until checkin.
Row 27 is the other potential winner. 27A and 27L have significant encroachment from the exit doors, and will probably be debated in this thread for years. 27BC and 27JK have infinite legroom, so the aisle seats are probably the top choice if you have NBA ambitions. You're going to have the standard issues with people hanging out in your space and waiting for the lavs, though. I think that the legroom in 27DEF is pretty much the same as 17DEF, but I didn't get a chance to sit there, and the inhabitants didn't encourage close inspection.
The rest of the E+ seats seem pretty much indistinguishable.Keep in mind that they're narrower than anything else in the fleet, so the eternal "E+ middle or E- aisle?" debate is differently weighted -- middles are gonna be tight. All the seats are tight, but not as tight as the 777-300 and reconfigured 777-200 (10 across) in coach.
Fixed bassinets 4AB, 4KL & 16ABC, 16JKL, 17DEF, 27DEF
Summary.
Normal people: 16A/L, then 17D, then 17F, then 16C/J. 27C/J are probably next best, and after that, it's personal preference between the E++ middles (16B/K, 17E, 27B/E/K) and the rest of the aisles and windows in E+.
Tall (6'3"+) folks: You aspire to 27C/J, followed by 27B/K, and then probably fall back on the advice for "normal people" above. 27A/L are probably not worth it.
Couples (or single + small child): 17D/E and 27D/E are the hidden treasures here; you can put up the armrest and snuggle. Or, if you're traveling with a toddler, you can have legroom while Junior stretches out across your lap for a nap.
True Polaris seta verision Everything You Want to Know about Where to Sit on the 788 true Polaris and PP version
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Uni...ng_787-800.php
="3"%Polaris business Cabin
Rows 1 and 4 (bulkheads) - all seats have larger footwells. Aisle seat footwells are slightly larger than window footwells in all rows.
6DE are considered "most private" because away from galley and lav (although near coach). 6D angles away from aisle so slightly more private than 6E.
1A Footrest well
{new pics needed}
2A Footrest well
{new pics needed}
4A: DAY Love the full access to both windows and the view of the engine. However, I agree with others here, you're just TOO close to the galley. Worse yet, the galley has these super bright lights that can be bothersome on a night flight. The noise from the galley was bearable if you have your headphones on and are watching the TV etc. I didn't see any curtains to cordon off the galley...I wonder why they don't have this like on other aircraft. (If I remember correctly)
5L: DAY Nice quieter side. No galley issues. Still have a view of the engine but not as good as 4A. Your second window is partially obstructed by your seat so you only have access to the window "button" on the more forward window. Not a big deal...but I prefer to have 2 full unobstructed windows like in 4A.
6A: NIGHT Same a 5L very quiet. Full access to windows. No galley noise. Not as good a view of the engine but you can still see it albeit you're mostly over the wing at this point. ***NOTE: If you're on a night flight, like I was for this instance, there was this very bright spotlight just over the exit door 2R (across the 2L door where we boarded from) that the F/A couldn't turn off. He was very apologetic but ended up just taping a piece of cloth or something to accommodate me. Maybe I'm just super sensitive to the light but I couldn't ignore it even if I tried to. It was just perfectly aligned to my line of sight from my seat.
="3"%Economy Plus Cabin:
The front bulkhead rows (16ABC, 17DEF, and 16JKL) all have good (and identical!) legroom. Unless you are over 6'3" and/or just hate bulkheads, I'd recommend any of these seats.
I can confirm that all of these seats have identical legroom. Didn't bring my tape measure, but in both seats, my fully extended legs just touched the bulkhead -- I couldn't quite brace my feet against it, and ended up using my camp stool. For reference, I'm 6'1" with a 32-inch inseam. There's easily enough room to get up from the window seat and walk out into the aisle in a civilized way without (much) disturbing the neighbors. So, even as a committed aisle guy, 16A/L will be my first choice in the future. The view of the wing, engine, and horizon is pretty good (and you can easily spend half an hour playing with the windows). Bulkhead comes about half-way across 16C/J seat, so angling legs can get you a bit more room into business cabin. However, the curtain dangles there, which can be annoying, as can FAs going through.
UA actually did something pretty clever in 17DEF and 27DEF. Unlike every other bulkhead row in the fleet, this one actually has an adjustable armrest! It's the one between D and E (note: I'm certain of this in row 17, but could be wrong about 27). The trick is that the tray tables and video screens are to the left of D, to the right of F, and in between E/F. Thus, 17D is the clear choice here, since if 17E is empty you get to flip the armrest up and squish out. 17D/E is a good choice for couples. 17D/E are usually blocked until checkin.
Row 27 is the other potential winner. 27A and 27L have significant encroachment from the exit doors, and will probably be debated in this thread for years. 27BC and 27JK have infinite legroom, so the aisle seats are probably the top choice if you have NBA ambitions. You're going to have the standard issues with people hanging out in your space and waiting for the lavs, though. I think that the legroom in 27DEF is pretty much the same as 17DEF, but I didn't get a chance to sit there, and the inhabitants didn't encourage close inspection.
The rest of the E+ seats seem pretty much indistinguishable.
Fixed bassinets 4AB, 4KL & 16ABC, 16JKL, 17DEF, 27DEF
Summary.
Normal people: 16A/L, then 17D, then 17F, then 16C/J. 27C/J are probably next best, and after that, it's personal preference between the E++ middles (16B/K, 17E, 27B/E/K) and the rest of the aisles and windows in E+.
Tall (6'3"+) folks: You aspire to 27C/J, followed by 27B/K, and then probably fall back on the advice for "normal people" above. 27A/L are probably not worth it.
Couples (or single + small child): 17D/E and 27D/E are the hidden treasures here; you can put up the armrest and snuggle. Or, if you're traveling with a toddler, you can have legroom while Junior stretches out across your lap for a nap.
True Polaris seta verision Everything You Want to Know about Where to Sit on the 788 true Polaris and PP version
Everything You Want to Know About Where to Sit on a United Dreamliner 787-8
Sep 27, 2013, 2:17 pm
#151
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
Oct 1, 2013, 4:50 pm
#152
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Lone Tree, CO
Programs: United Mileage Plus, BA Executive Club, Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 744
Anyone know why there are only three E+ seats in row 23? The ones on either side seem to be standard economy.
Oct 7, 2013, 8:12 pm
#153
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,271
What is the foot-well like at seat 1L? Is it as large as the foot-well in 1A?
Oct 7, 2013, 8:44 pm
#154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
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Posts: 12,686
Oct 14, 2013, 12:02 am
#155
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: LAX 1K
Posts: 323
787 LAX - PVG seating question
Awaiting confirmation for upgrade LAX-PVG (return is confirmed!) and not very hopeful. I have chosen an aisle econ seat (empty seat next to me, though that won't last) over a middle econ plus seat.
I get up a LOT - so figured this would be the better choice. Never been on the 787. What are your thoughts/experiences on the choices?
Thanks in advance for potentially making those 13 hours better!
I get up a LOT - so figured this would be the better choice. Never been on the 787. What are your thoughts/experiences on the choices?
Thanks in advance for potentially making those 13 hours better!
Oct 15, 2013, 10:59 pm
#156
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: U.S. (sometimes)
Programs: UA 1k 1MM, AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Accor ?????
Posts: 1,398
16 A/L experiences?
QBK's definitive post lists the bulkhead window seats (16A/L) first, but SFO 1K points out that the window seats are tight. From the walkthrough video, it does look like window seats are jammed right up against the sidewall. Can anyone resolve the controversy? Maybe the window seat is only good for smaller people?
I like the idea of being able to sleep against the sidewall, but I have somewhat broad shoulders and don't like to be cramped. One of my worst Y flights ever was a bulkhead middle seat long-haul with large neighbors brushing against me the entire flight. So seat width is a concern. In the aisle seat I can creep into the aisle a little bit (at the expense of getting knocked around at random intervals).
Sometimes, if a flight seems empty while I'm hanging out in the lounge, I'll roll the dice and move myself from the bulkhead back to an open section of E+. Sometimes you get lucky and end up with a row of 3 to yourself, other times a bunch of last-minute standbys fill up the plane and now you've lost both seat length and width. But it's a good gamble for me, because an open row of 3 is so much better than a crowded bulkhead seat. Having an aisle to one side and even just one open seat on the other side is like heaven. You can angle yourself a bit, which makes up for the lost seat pitch of the bulkhead. Plus it's easier to store stuff that you want to get to during the fleet.
I like the idea of being able to sleep against the sidewall, but I have somewhat broad shoulders and don't like to be cramped. One of my worst Y flights ever was a bulkhead middle seat long-haul with large neighbors brushing against me the entire flight. So seat width is a concern. In the aisle seat I can creep into the aisle a little bit (at the expense of getting knocked around at random intervals).
Sometimes, if a flight seems empty while I'm hanging out in the lounge, I'll roll the dice and move myself from the bulkhead back to an open section of E+. Sometimes you get lucky and end up with a row of 3 to yourself, other times a bunch of last-minute standbys fill up the plane and now you've lost both seat length and width. But it's a good gamble for me, because an open row of 3 is so much better than a crowded bulkhead seat. Having an aisle to one side and even just one open seat on the other side is like heaven. You can angle yourself a bit, which makes up for the lost seat pitch of the bulkhead. Plus it's easier to store stuff that you want to get to during the fleet.
Oct 16, 2013, 4:59 am
#157
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 25 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,751
QBK's definitive post lists the bulkhead window seats (16A/L) first, but SFO 1K points out that the window seats are tight. From the walkthrough video, it does look like window seats are jammed right up against the sidewall. Can anyone resolve the controversy? Maybe the window seat is only good for smaller people?
Oct 16, 2013, 8:20 am
#158
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SNA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 239
My first 787 flights are in a few weeks and I've booked 1A and 1D.
Seatguru mentions limited overhead space for the bulkhead center seats, due to crew and safety equipment, can anyone here confirm whether that's really much of an issue?
Seatguru mentions limited overhead space for the bulkhead center seats, due to crew and safety equipment, can anyone here confirm whether that's really much of an issue?
Nov 22, 2013, 11:16 am
#159
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: 5280 feet
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 674
Another thought for those flying on the 787:
I flew DEN-NRT in a window seat in C a few weeks ago. I was sitting on the left side of the plane. Because the windows do not darken fully, obviously more light than you'd expect gets into the plane. But when you sit on the left side of the plane going westbound to Asia, your window is facing south. For most of the trip, this means direct sun will be in your face for almost the entire trip, until maybe the last couple of hours, which is when the plane has started heading more SSW than WNW, W or WSW. The sun makes the window pretty warm, and that radiates out to you in the seat as well.
My advice (which I will follow next time I fly a 787 to Asia) for those who would find either of these things annoying is to sit on the right hand side of the plane heading west on long (TPAC or TATL) daytime flights. This applies as much in Y as it does in C (and may apply more in Y because you sit closer to the window and have less freedom of movement to angle yourself so the firey ball of the sun is hidden).
I get the weight reduction opportunity of eliminating all those window shades, but this just seems like Boeing went too far. It reminds me of the NASA space pen, developed at high cost, to provide a pen that would write at any angle and in zero-G. The Russians scratched their heads and just kept using their pencils.....
I flew DEN-NRT in a window seat in C a few weeks ago. I was sitting on the left side of the plane. Because the windows do not darken fully, obviously more light than you'd expect gets into the plane. But when you sit on the left side of the plane going westbound to Asia, your window is facing south. For most of the trip, this means direct sun will be in your face for almost the entire trip, until maybe the last couple of hours, which is when the plane has started heading more SSW than WNW, W or WSW. The sun makes the window pretty warm, and that radiates out to you in the seat as well.
My advice (which I will follow next time I fly a 787 to Asia) for those who would find either of these things annoying is to sit on the right hand side of the plane heading west on long (TPAC or TATL) daytime flights. This applies as much in Y as it does in C (and may apply more in Y because you sit closer to the window and have less freedom of movement to angle yourself so the firey ball of the sun is hidden).
I get the weight reduction opportunity of eliminating all those window shades, but this just seems like Boeing went too far. It reminds me of the NASA space pen, developed at high cost, to provide a pen that would write at any angle and in zero-G. The Russians scratched their heads and just kept using their pencils.....
Last edited by harryhood; Nov 22, 2013 at 11:29 am
Nov 22, 2013, 2:09 pm
#160
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,337
Another thought for those flying on the 787:
I flew DEN-NRT in a window seat in C a few weeks ago. I was sitting on the left side of the plane. Because the windows do not darken fully, obviously more light than you'd expect gets into the plane. But when you sit on the left side of the plane going westbound to Asia, your window is facing south. For most of the trip, this means direct sun will be in your face for almost the entire trip, until maybe the last couple of hours, which is when the plane has started heading more SSW than WNW, W or WSW. The sun makes the window pretty warm, and that radiates out to you in the seat as well.
I flew DEN-NRT in a window seat in C a few weeks ago. I was sitting on the left side of the plane. Because the windows do not darken fully, obviously more light than you'd expect gets into the plane. But when you sit on the left side of the plane going westbound to Asia, your window is facing south. For most of the trip, this means direct sun will be in your face for almost the entire trip, until maybe the last couple of hours, which is when the plane has started heading more SSW than WNW, W or WSW. The sun makes the window pretty warm, and that radiates out to you in the seat as well.
I did not notice this in August & October, but apparently since daylight savings it has become an issue. I sat in 2E from LAX>NRT the other day, which is middle right and I was blinded on occasion! That is 4 seats from the left side of the plane!
Dec 2, 2013, 8:15 pm
#161
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: 5280 feet
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 674
So on a TPAC flight PVG to LAX in December, would you take 1B, 1L or 4D?
Dec 16, 2013, 9:47 am
#162
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Texas
Programs: Former 1K turned UA Kettle
Posts: 413
Flying IAH-LHR with my wife in E+ next July. I am 6'3 so legroom is at a premium for me, thus I gravitate to bulkhead rows when travelling solo. My wife likes the IFE and the like, so looking at pictures of the 787 bulkheads in Y (specifically 16 ABC/JKL) it appears that the bulkhead rows only have one shared IFE monitor for all three seats. Is this the case? Or, has united done the reasonable thing and put a screen in each seat's armrest or something? If it is a shared monitor, does it just function like the days of yore playing a set playlist of movies on a loop?
Dec 16, 2013, 9:54 am
#163
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
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Posts: 4,751
Each seat has a personal monitor in armrest.
Note this makes already narrow seats even more narrow.
Note this makes already narrow seats even more narrow.
Dec 19, 2013, 1:43 am
#164
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Virgin Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 204
Looking for some advice. Just got a CPU (yay!) on the LAX-IAH 787 and have a 40ish minute connection, so I'd like to be close to first off the plane. When deplaning, do they always use the 2nd door (between 3 and 4), the front door, or does it vary?
Also, is the guy in the picture cheering or about to hit the IFE?
Also, is the guy in the picture cheering or about to hit the IFE?
Dec 19, 2013, 11:53 am
#165
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
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Posts: 14,427
IIRC it's been posted that they use door one if arriving at C and door 2 (possibly 1 as well) in E.