Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

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Alisoncc
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Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#1 Post by Alisoncc » Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:32 pm

Interesting letter in local paper (Sydney) from SLF.
TELL EM THEY'RE DREAMIN'

I recently travelled long-haul economy, two sectors in an Airbus A330 and two in the much vaunted Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

What a contrast. The A330, with eight across seating felt as spacious as economy class can be, with decent leg room and seat width. The B787 (with nine seats across) was a more of a nightmare than a dream.

Space was so tight that making even the slightest move encroached on the personal space of one's neighbour. The cabins of the two aircraft are almost the same width.

So is the B787's lower cost per seat mile really due to the innovative use of new technology, or more crudely to simply squeezing more hapless passengers into the same space?

Read more: http://www.traveller.com.au/traveller-l ... z5IiUTlQ1C
Rev Mother Bene Gesserit.

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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#2 Post by Capetonian » Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:44 pm

Stupid article.

It's got bugger all to do with the aircraft type and everything to do with the way the airline configures it.

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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#3 Post by Woody » Sun Jun 17, 2018 11:06 pm

Don’t know about the SLF, but you don’t have to watch the arrivals and departures at LHR for very long to see that the airlines prefer the 787.
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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#4 Post by unifoxos » Mon Jun 18, 2018 6:29 am

I certainly do. We've done a handful of longhaul trips in it and love it. We did go PE, though, which might have helped, but the window size, cabin pressure, and other 787 features are the same for all pax.

Captain told us that if full it did equivalent to 120 seat-miles per gallon, which I guess is better than most and perhaps the prime reason airlines would prefer it?
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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#5 Post by Woody » Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:12 am

On the other hand BA have had to wet lease 3 Qatar A-330 to provide cover for the 787’s that are having their engine problems sorted and Virgin have taken at least one A-340 out of storage.
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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#6 Post by flynverted » Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:38 pm

Capetonian wrote:
Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:44 pm
Stupid article.

It's got bugger all to do with the aircraft type and everything to do with the way the airline configures it.
Exactly! nine abreast sucks, no matter the type.
And whoever came up with the idea of the electronic window shades in the 787 should be kicked in the nuts.

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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#7 Post by unifoxos » Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:42 am

And whoever came up with the idea of the electronic window shades in the 787 should be kicked in the nuts.

I thought that was rather a smart idea - gives the crew control over whether the blinds are open or not, and as a pax you get a full view even when dimmed instead of trying to crane your neck to look under the bottom gap when you have the standard shade partly down to get the sun out of your eyes.

Last flight, descending for BHX early morning, I couldn't get it to "un-dim". Was about to report it as u/s when I noticed it clearing - it was a film of ice on the outside melting. Captain swore blind that the 787 never suffers from icing - if he had been sitting in my seat 30 minutes earlier he would have said different.
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Re: Dreamliner 787 v. Airbus A330

#8 Post by flynverted » Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:26 am

No worries, unifox. ;)
I hate technology and wonder why the fec k they had to take something as simple as sliding a window blind up or down and turn it into a technological pain in the ass....
Open the fecking blind or close it... It ain't rocket surgery... Stop taking something simple and then over complicating it. !!!

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