British Airways Dreamliners

[pauljdh]

Just returned from Canada on one of BA's new 787-8 Dreamliners and what a disappointment.

I bought a world traveller ticket but was given a double upgrade outbound, but not on the return.

The cabin / seat pitch in world traveller is a joke configured for ramming people in and sod the comfort.


I have worked for RR for nearly 40 years and been around the Dreamliner project for 11 years - probably flown transatlantic 150+ times with every carrier out there (we supply some stunning Trent engines for this airframe) - the ethos that we were told was that this craft would be a game changer for passenger comfort....higher humidity, lower effective cabin pressure and lower nose with mood lighting etc such that we'd be dancing off the plane all fresh as a daisy.

Im sorry BA, the way you have gone means you have negated all that and its just another bus.

Last time I was as uncomfortable as that was on an Air Transat A300 charter flight 25 years back

I really was surprised about how unpleasant it was.

Please don't screw up the A350XWB in the same way when you get that!

[Countdown]

What's the seat pitch on BA? When we flew with Thomson it was 33" in economy which was plenty, even for mr

[anonymous-user]

So you've been in aviation for 40 years, have flown the atlantic 150 times and you don't know what to expect in economy? Hmmmmmm

[pauljdh]

think you didn't read my post properly.......the 787 was purported to be a very pleasant aircraft regardless of cabin...the way BA have configured it screws it up.

Try an A380 economy.......excellent

[Sheepshanks]

pauljdh said:

... was given a double upgrade outbound, but not on the return.

I suppose it would be disappointing after that.

[barryrs]

I flew back from LA in economy class on a virgin Dreamliner last week and in my view it was only marginally more comfortable than previous planes although pretty cool/cold onboard.

I certainly wouldn't have paid a premium for it.

Edited by barryrs on Wednesday 16th September 08:27

[MisterJD]

Do BA have the Dreamliner economy seats as 3x3x3 really squeezing everyone in and reducing seat pitch as well?

[uncinqsix]

I recently did Auckland - Perth in one of the Air New Zealand 787s. Economy (9 abreast)

It was st. Cramped and uncomfortable. I have travelled quite a bit in economy on various airlines, including plenty of long haul. The 787 would be down the bottom alongside the 10-abreast 777-300ER

(Best is SQs A380, closely followed by their 9 abreast 777-300ER)

[m3jappa]

We came back from the maldives via Doha on a Dreamliner and it was absolute st, possibly the worst flight I have had.
In contrast the outbound flight on the a380 was possibly the nicest!
I was very disappointed with it tbh.

[pushthebutton]

I don't suppose that you gave the same feedback to BA?

[itwasntandy]

BA have admitted the screwup on the 788 economy seating. They are fixing it. It will take a while to get sorted for the existing planes in service.

For their 789s they are increasing the width of each seat in economy by 0.5 inch, and increasing the pitch a little too:

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/british-a...

Not the first time they made such a misstep. On their initial 772s, they went for 10 abreast, and alter reverted to 9 abreast.

[Sheepshanks]

It seems incredible that Boeing wouldn't start with their customers' desired seat number and width and then build a plane around that. Unless they're constrained in some way?

[Simpo Two]

When you think how much technology is stuffed into these things it seems remarkable that they can't get a simple bit of arithmetic like seat size right.

[anonymous-user]

Countdown said:

What's the seat pitch on BA? When we flew with Thomson it was 33" in economy which was plenty, even for mr

BAs is 31" going down to 30" in the last six rows.

It's nothing to do with Boeing. BA decide how many seats they want and what size.

There are all kinds of different seat pitches and configurations on 787s with different airlines.

[Ayahuasca]

pauljdh said:

lower effective cabin pressure

Shirley you mean higher cabin air pressure?


I flew a Thompson Dreamliner Birmingham - Bridgetown and have to say it was very pleasant.

[fadeaway]

Sheepshanks said:

It seems incredible that Boeing wouldn't start with their customers' desired seat number and width and then build a plane around that. Unless they're constrained in some way?

are you sure they don't and then those customers think...mmmm, I reckon we could squeeze a few more in there...

[pauljdh]

No the carbon fibre structure allows the delta P (internal cabin pressure compared to outside) to be much greater than on a conventional metal aircraft as the low cycle fatigue cycling is largely eliminated ...therefore you can have a lower more comfortable pressure in the cabin flying at the same altitude......

Ayahuasca said:

Shirley you mean higher cabin air pressure?


I flew a Thompson Dreamliner Birmingham - Bridgetown and have to say it was very pleasant.

[anonymous-user]

fadeaway said:

Sheepshanks said:

It seems incredible that Boeing wouldn't start with their customers' desired seat number and width and then build a plane around that. Unless they're constrained in some way?

are you sure they don't and then those customers think...mmmm, I reckon we could squeeze a few more in there...

Exactly. Do people not wonder why different airlines have different seats and even the same aircraft has different cabins in different classes? It's 100% down to the airline if the seats aren't wide enough or have enough legroom.

[maffski]

pauljdh said:

No the carbon fibre structure allows the delta P (internal cabin pressure compared to outside) to be much greater than on a conventional metal aircraft as the low cycle fatigue cycling is largely eliminated ...therefore you can have a lower more comfortable pressure in the cabin flying at the same altitude......

Ayahuasca said:

Shirley you mean higher cabin air pressure?


I flew a Thompson Dreamliner Birmingham - Bridgetown and have to say it was very pleasant.

Shirley a higher cabin pressure leading to a lower effective cabin altitude?

[Ayahuasca]

pauljdh said:

No the carbon fibre structure allows the delta P (internal cabin pressure compared to outside) to be much greater than on a conventional metal aircraft as the low cycle fatigue cycling is largely eliminated ...therefore you can have a lower more comfortable pressure in the cabin flying at the same altitude......

Ayahuasca said:

Shirley you mean higher cabin air pressure?


I flew a Thompson Dreamliner Birmingham - Bridgetown and have to say it was very pleasant.

Higher more comfortable pressure, Shirley?