The Boeing 787 is one of the most common widebody airliners in service, with over 1,200 examples being operated by over 70 airlines worldwide. A majority of these are the Boeing 787-9 variant, but there are also nearly 400 787-8s in service and over 100 787-10s flying. Additionally, the 787 has received over 2,200 orders, with demand seemingly limitless. With its popularity, distinctive design, and extensive use on long-haul routes, the 787 is taking its place as an icon of 21st-century aviation.

One of the major innovations with the Dreamliner came with the onboard experience. Far removed from the boring and uncomfortable airliners of the past, the Boeing 787 would usher in a new era of passenger comfort, and its originally-marketed eight-abreast configuration for economy passengers would come with some of the widest seats in any aircraft. Of course, the eight-abreast configuration is rare today, and the 787 comes with some unique quirks as well.

The Boeing Sky Interior On The Dreamliner

A new design philosophy for airliner cabins

With the Boeing 777 (first introduced in 1995), the famed planemaker introduced a new interior design philosophy. The new Boeing Signature Interior features curved panels and pivoting overhead bins, rounded interior windows, and indirect lighting with more mood lighting options than prior-generation airliners. This organic design created a more relaxing environment for passengers, and the Signature Interior proved such a hit that Boeing adapted it onto later-produced 747 and 767 aircraft.

With the 787, Boeing developed a new design standard named the Boeing Sky Interior. This would include similar curves to emulate an organic appearance, and an even more advanced « bulbless » LED lighting system that features more color combinations. Airlines can now create brand-specific lighting or simulate the various times of day. Additionally, the 787 also comes with enormous pivoting bins, which have now become the standard in the airline industry as they can take more bags than a traditional shelf-type bin.

The interior not only distinguishes the 787 from other aircraft, but it also differentiates airlines flying the Dreamliner from non-787 operators. In theory, this can help an airline attract more customers from competitors. While the Sky Interior was first designed for the 787, delays in the Dreamliner program meant that the 737NG was the first aircraft to enter service with the Boeing Sky Interior. It was later made standard on the 737NG and the 737 MAX, while also being ported over to the 747-8. An evolution of the Boeing Sky Interior is also expected on the Boeing 777X.

Higher Ceilings And A Wider Cabin Than The Airbus A330

Courtesy of the Boeing 787’s fuselage shape

Most Airbus widebodies (except for the A350 XWB and A380) share the same circular fuselage cross-section, designed to accommodate eight passengers per row in economy. The drawback of this is that the ceilings can be low, and the sidewalls taper significantly inwards. This is especially problematic if an airline attempts to install nine-abreast in economy, as not only are the seats extremely tight, but the taper can make window seats extremely claustrophobic. The Boeing 777 also has a circular fuselage, but the aircraft is wide enough that this is not a concern.

The Boeing 787 is narrower than the 777, but it still features largely vertical sidewalls because the Dreamliner is designed with an ovoid fuselage. It features a « double-bubble » design with a larger circle to form the cargo hold, while the smaller circle features the passenger cabin. The fuselage is taller than it is wide, and the sidewalls do not intrude into the window-seat passengers the same way that it does on an Airbus A330 or A340. Not only does this give the appearance of space, but gives more head and shoulder space as well.

In addition to this, it creates more vertical space, giving the 787 ceilings a comparable height to the larger 777. For airlines, meanwhile, the added vertical space means that Boeing can install crew rest areas above the passenger cabin just like with the 777, despite the plane’s overall modest size. Rest facilities on the Airbus A330 have to be installed underneath the cabin in the cargo hold, which takes up valuable space, or carriers have to block seats, which could otherwise be used for paying customers.

Seat Sizes On The Boeing 787

The 787 doesn’t come with the widest seats in the skies

The Dreamliner was originally marketed with eight-abreast seating in economy, which would give it the widest economy seats in the industry, matched only by a nine-abreast Boeing 777. However, airlines began installing 10-abreast economy seats in the 777 in the 2000s and early 2010s, and carriers did the same with the 787. Today, only one airline ( Japan Airlines) installs eight-abreast economy seats, while all other operators install nine seats per row in economy, each of which is only 17 inches (43.18 centimeters) wide.

This is the same seat width as on 10-abreast Boeing 777s, although the aisles are slightly wider. However, the competing Airbus A330neo and A350 XWB typically come with seats that are 18 inches (45.72 centimeters) wide and feature wider aisles. While some carriers do install 10-abreast economy on the A350 and nine-abreast on the A330 (which come with even narrower seats), this is far rarer. These layouts are only installed by some low-cost carriers, whereas nine-abreast on the 787 is the standard.

In 2023, Airbus announced a new production standard for the A350 XWB, which includes resculpted sidewalls to add more interior width. Although Airbus advertises that this will enable a more comfortable ten-abreast layout, most airlines are using the space to add more shoulder space and increase the width of the aisles instead. The Boeing 777X is also coming with resculpted sidewalls to add interior width compared to its predecessors, but Boeing has yet to perform a similar project for the 787.

The Passenger Windows Of The Boeing 787

Enormous, but with some complications

The 787 was the first majority carbon-composite airliner, and as such, Boeing could design larger windows with less reinforcement. The Boeing 777 already came with the largest windows of any airliner in production at the time, at 10 inches by 15 inches (25.4 centimeters by 38.1 centimeters). This is larger than even the Airbus A350 (12% to be precise), and only slightly smaller than the even more recent Airbus A220. With the 787, however, Boeing decided to increase the window size even more.

At 10.7 inches by 18.4 inches (27.2 centimeters by 46.7 centimeters), the 787 Dreamliner has the largest windows of any airliner in production. They’re bigger than most laptops, and they dwarf the windows of the Boeing 777 or Airbus A350, let alone the older Airbus A330. The windows are also positioned relatively high for a better viewing angle, and as a whole, they let in more natural light than any other aircraft. However, while the 787’s windows are giant, they lack one familiar feature: window shades.

The Dreamliner’s windows come with an electric dimming function, which is also being introduced to the Boeing 777X, new Airbus A350s, and new Airbus A330neos (albeit only in premium cabins). However, the 787 was first, and these came with some issues. Namely, passengers found that the windows were slow to dim, and even at their darkest setting, still let in significant light. This led Boeing to redesign the dimming function to address both issues. Additionally, the electric dimming function can also be locked by cabin crews, typically to darken the cabin, and in such situations, they cannot be undimmed until they are unlocked again.

A Quieter, More Pleasant Ride On The Dreamliner

Courtesy of the Boeing 787’s engines and construction

Because the Boeing 787 is constructed primarily out of carbon composite materials, Boeing could lower the interior pressure altitude. During cruising altitude, most airlines have an ambient altitude of roughly 8,000 ft, but the 787’s cabin altitude is only 6,000 ft. This is also the case on the Airbus A350 and Airbus A220, both of which feature heavy use of composites. The air inside the 787 is also more humid, meaning that flights are less physically taxing on passengers.

The Boeing 787 is equipped with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 or General Electric GEnx, two of the most modern and technologically advanced turbofans ever made. In addition, they’re also far quieter than older jet engines. While the 787 might be slightly noisier than the Airbus A380 or Airbus A350 (which are considered by many to be the quietest airliners in service), it’s still less noisy than prior-generation widebodies. Combined with the lower cabin altitude and moister air, you have a far more pleasant flight.

While the engines are fairly quiet, the 787 does have loud and distinctive hydraulic pumps. These can be heard in seats behind the engines and are loudest in front of the third set of exit doors. They’re active whenever the engines are running, but are loudest during takeoffs and landings, occasionally being louder than the engines themselves. Some passengers may find the high-pitched whine grating, while others (primarily enthusiasts) may enjoy the unique sound. However, it is a distinctive and loud sound that may catch first-time Dreamliner passengers off guard.