Avoiding the Qantas 787

[serfty]

@get me outta here ,7A is as good as you'd get currently. You'd need to wait until T-80 (3 days, 8 hours before the flight) to select from what may be left.

Qantas block seats off based on status.

I as WP cannot select rows 1 or 2 until T-80. P1/CL can.

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks serfty, date and time for poss seat change noted. Actually, seatguru says 7A is pretty good.

@get me outta here ,7A is as good as you'd get currently. You'd need to wait until T-80 (3 days, 8 hours before the flight) to select from what may be left.

Qantas block seats off based on status.

I as WP cannot select rows 1 or 2 until T-80. P1/CL can.

 

[pauly7]

Just booked QF 128 on the 787, reward seat. Rows 1 to 5 are unavailable to me, I don’t normally do QF rewards why are they blocked off and would they open up later? in the meantime is 7A a good solo seat?

What level QFF are you?

 

[get me outta here]

I am gold. I only just noticed that it doesn’t say any more on our profile.

What level QFF are you?

 

[lymt2006]

Does anyone know if the bulkhead rows of economy have armrests that go up?

 

[serfty]

Does anyone know if the bulkhead rows of economy have armrests that go up?

Those armrests that hold a tray table/video screen do not go up, which is generally the case in bulkhead seats and exit row seat.

 

[Berlin]

@get me outta here ,7A is as good as you'd get currently. You'd need to wait until T-80 (3 days, 8 hours before the flight) to select from what may be left.

If I had to put down a clear decision on what had been the most valuable information on this forum ever, T-80 would be the clear winner. Was one of the first things I learnt on here and remains my favorite little trick because it works magic!

 

[jsoprano]

Thanks serfty, date and time for poss seat change noted. Actually, seatguru says 7A is pretty good.

Not sure about 7A, but just came back on QF128 from HKG yesterday and was in 10K (first row of the 2nd cabin), and the larger footwell in the first row was great. Noise from the galley (as noted on Seatguru) was not really an issue on this flight.

 

[serfty]

Not sure about 7A, but just came back on QF128 from HKG yesterday and was in 10K (first row of the 2nd cabin), and the larger footwell in the first row was great. Noise from the galley (as noted on Seatguru) was not really an issue on this flight.

For A330's Even numbered A/K seats have more privacy as they are against the window wheras the Odd numbered A/K seats are against the aisle.

This is reversed with the 789's.

 

[get me outta here]

Out of the 350, the 330 and the 787, which are generally good for an overnight flight?

 

[straitman]

Out of the 350, the 330 and the 787, which are generally good for an overnight flight?

It varies with airlines.

 

[jsoprano]

For A330's Even numbered A/K seats have more privacy as they are against the window wheras the Odd numbered A/K seats are against the aisle.

This is reversed with the 789's.

I had to doublecheck your statement because 10K and 12K on the 789 are both definitely against the window and 11K is on the aisle. Tourns out what you said is true EXCEPT for K seats in the second (mini-) cabin on the 789 where it is reversed.

 

[serfty]

Tourns out what you said is true EXCEPT for K seats in the second (mini-) cabin on the 789 where it is reversed.

There's a mini cabin?

I'm still trying to come to terms with the 787 being a Faraday Cage, making telephone calls before pushback and on landing almost impossible.

 

[coriander]

Untill I watched the construction of the shell of a 787 I was puzzled as to why I couldn't make a phone call from 787 whereas I could in an A380. There's a fine meshwork of wire in the shell of a 787 to dissipate any electrical activity from a lightning strike, and as serfty says, creating a perfect Faraday cage.

 

[JohnK]

I had my first flight on QF 787 just on 3 weeks ago on daytime BNE-HKG. Awful.

I won't say never again but I will be trying to avoid this aircraft at any cost and may even demand reroute/refund if substituted in advance.

Stupidly chose 44HJK for this flight and the row behind bulkhead may have been better choice.

- Seats are too narrow and it is very noticeable. I was constantly bumping into my wifes shoulder and she wouldn't have been comfortable throughout the flight
- Limited leg room is very noticeable and I struggled to stretch my legs under seat in front and I am only 5'9"
- Recline of seat in front is too much to cope if stuck with serial recliner. The couple in front of us chose to fully recline for the majority of the daytime flight and looking around the cabin there were only a handful that did recline. During the 2nd meal service the guy in front of my wife slammed his seat back when he was finished but didn't bother checking that my wife still had tray table down and hurt her. No apology, nothing just slammed seat back. No reaction from him when I smashed his seat so I think he's done this before.
- from memory seat belt was a little too tight

Flew QF A330 HKG-SYD a couple of days ago in 45D, 46DE and the difference is noticeable.

- seat wider even with tray table in fixed armrest

Sorry Qantas but you got the 787 economy config totally wrong. Also with smaller economy cabins suited to longer routes so not sure why they are been scheduled to/from Asia.

 

[moa999]

Sorry Qantas but you got the 787 economy config totally wrong.

They were never going to go anything different given every airline (LCC and full service) has ordered the 787 in 3x3x3 configuration.
(Other than the first deliveries to ANA and JAL, and ANA has subsequently switched to 3x3x3).

You also definitely don't want to fly AirAsiaX or Cebu Pacific who pack 3x3x3 inside the even smaller 333

 

[amaroo]

We’ve got our first 787 flight coming up, actually 3 of them LAX-JFK-LAX-BNE.

Haven’t paid too much attention to the seating, but we’re in J with a mix of window and couple seats.

 

[JohnK]

They were never going to go anything different given every airline (LCC and full service) has ordered the 787 in 3x3x3 configuration.
(Other than the first deliveries to ANA and JAL, and ANA has subsequently switched to 3x3x3).

You also definitely don't want to fly AirAsiaX or Cebu Pacific who pack 3x3x3 inside the even smaller 333

Increase recline in a cramped space where even my 155cm tall wife cannot get out of her seat without yanking seat in front?

Limited legroom where even a 170cm tall person cannot stretch legs under seat?

I'd like to try 787 in bulkhead again but I'm not paying extra for that privilege and I'm not sure it's available free of charge. The CSM offered me exit row aisle on that flight but I chose to stay with family.

I have done the Air Asia flight KUL-SYD on the A333 in exit row aisle and it was a little cramped but not as cramped as the 787 from a premium carrier felt.

I forgot to mention the armrests are wafer thin to try and compensate for less width. Not such a brilliant idea.

It will be a challenge for future trips to Thailand and I may end up trying AK on the BNE-DMK route if that remains in operation.

 

[Ade]

Was on a 787-9 this Monday from HKG-SYD. Contrary to some of the comments above, the seats were comfortable and the recline was good.

I'm plump and short. But somehow the economy seats were comfy for me. The point to note is I was seated on 45J exit row with massive leg room to stretch

 

[docjames]

VS 787 HKG-LHR. I found the shoulder width a much bigger issue than the seat in front which i expected to be near my nose at recline. I reclined my seat and it went to a “normal” Y pitch (ie. terrible).

The things described in much of this thread are Y issues and 787 width issues, none of which are QF specific although i agree it’s a shame given they are using them on such (ultra) long haul flights they couldn’t either increase pitch or (preferably) make them 8 abreast. But consumers in Y shop on price, not on product (the airlines realise this and the 787 Y thus kills the older A330s on CASM but only with 9 abreast.