The alarm went off at 4 AM. “Have fun, baby,” Sarah eeked out, still mostly asleep.
That’s how I woke up this morning. Yes, an early start. But this was no ordinary day.
Today, Zach -- my Rabbinic mentor, friend, and enabler of my aviation hobby (I call it that, others may call it an obsession) -- were flying to Houston, just to fly right back to LAX. Why would we do such a ridiculous thing? Because our return flight would be the first passenger service on United Airlines into Los Angeles on their brand-new plane, the Boeing 787. How new is this plane? It was delivered to United from the Boeing factory less than a month ago. And our afternoon flight would be the third passenger flight this plane had taken. Ever. And not just this airframe, this plane. The third US domestic 787 passenger flight. Ever. (Yes, there are testing flights, but I don’t count those)
The 787 is a really special plane. Boeing has basically bet the bank on the success of this plane. It is made of carbon fiber, making it much lighter, fuel efficient, and overall, it is just an improved aircraft. Because it only holds 280ish people, though, it is really meant to supplement airline routes that would otherwise be impractical. For example, Japan Airlines will begin 787 service from San Diego to Tokyo, Japan in December. Now, because of the markets in these cities, and the runway limitations in San Diego, JAL cannot sustain a larger plane to serve these cities. This is where the 787 will shine. Smaller demand routes that are further apart. United will eventually have the 787 fly Houston-Auckland. Another route that does not demand a larger plane. Perfect for the 787, though.
Beyond the business advancements, the 787 represents a huge improvement in the passenger experience from nose to tail. I’ll explain more later.
Zach and I met up close to the airport and carpooled to the parking garage. Once we were inside the terminal, Zach was able to bypass the normal security line because he is TSA pre-checked. This means that he does not have to take his shoes off, take his liquids out, take his laptop out of his bag, or even take off his jacket. I, however, had to take my shoes off, take my laptop out, and take off my sweater. I was jealous. We went the lounge, had a quick bite to eat, saw the frequent flyer poster (people come to the business center in the lounge and write on a sheet their routings - think of it as a chain letter, but without the postage required) then made our way to the gate to board our plane.
For our flight to Houston, we sat in the exit row, which was pretty great. The climb out of LAX was much quieter than I was expecting. One nice touch that United provides is free-headsets for all passengers. Although, this became a pretty moot point, as the only reason I wanted to listen to the channels was for the beloved United Channel 9, which provides the aircraft’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) radio feed. Unfortunately, that channel was not enabled on that kind of aircraft (757-3). Oh well. Zach also taught me about the “tradition” amongst frequent flyers where people sign the “voices” page in the Hemispheres magazine. I’m learning that a lot of these traditions are kind of like that whole “Where have I been?” fad where people would track dollar bills. Except it’s people traveling.
The layover in Houston was like Comicon. All of the nerds noticed us. Zach got us 787 hats. And, well, when you’re walking around in 787 hats with cameras strapped around you, it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing in Houston on this day. People came up to us, asked us if we worked for Boeing, asked us what our usernames on flyertalk.com are...it was like we were a big deal. Except we really weren’t. We were just two guys with a passion for aviation. Okay, we’re nerds. But here, in this environment, we were amongst our kin.
We got some great plane-spotting in, although we missed the 787 landing in Houston as it returned from its first round-trip to Chicago. Houston has a lot of runways. Since Zach has status, we made our way to the United lounge. I can now say, having been in a number of American lounges and now a United lounge, the “normal” United lounge is better than the “normal” American lounge. Of course, I only say this because the United lounges had more snacks.
About an hour before the flight, we made our way back to the gate. The gate area was quite a scene. Plane nerds were there. Boeing representatives were there. United representatives were there. Pilots from other airlines were there, including some international pilots who seemed to come to this gate immediately after their flight landed. The excitement was palpable. The nerdiness overflowed.
As we looked at the plane from the gate, there were a few things that immediately struck me: 1) the wings are really unique. This is a theme that will come back in flight. 2) The engines are huge. And the fan blades are curved. And there is a chevron pattern on the backs of the engines. All of these features make the plane more efficient and quiet. 3) It’s a wide-body plane, about as wide as a 777, yet it’s not as long. From nose to tail, I think our plane from LAX to Houston may have been longer. But this is a wholly different plane, to be sure.
When boarding time finally came, we were giddy as school kids. I’ve never understood that phrase, as many children are, in fact, not giddy when they arrive at school. So, maybe we were giddy as...aw hell, we were just excited!
As we walked down the jet bridge, the feeling of wonder, delight, amazement hit us. It also became clear very quickly that this experience would be like no other in-flight experience we had ever been a part of. (Sorry, Nana, sometimes a sentence just needs to end with a preposition) The overhead lighting is all colored LEDs, so instead of walking into a sterile, white environment, we were met with lovely blue tones and, as we were landing, an orange and red display that, no kidding, matched the colors outside. The architecture onboard involves many more curves than your average plane, giving the appearance of a much more spacious cabin. As this was the first day of flight, there were also a ton of people taking pictures as soon as they boarded. Since we were seated in the seats closest to the door, we saw this happening with nearly every fifth person.
And yes, we learned that there is such a thing as “new plane smell.”
The reality is that I could write about how wonderful the on-plane experience is using generic terms, but as you may have picked up already, the individual elements of the plane make up the whole. Indeed, the 787 is only as great as the sum of its parts. To give you a sense of this, allow me to describe the various experience elements.
The overhead bins have a combination handle/lever style latch. This means that you can push either side, or pull from either side, and the bin will open. Plus, there’s a mirror inside the bin so you can see whether the bin is full, or if something is going to fall out and hit you in the head. Additionally, the 787 improves on the 747 and 777 experience. All three of these planes are wide-body, meaning they have two aisles. Yet the 747 and 777 have a universal AC system without the benefit of individual air vents, presumably because the ceiling is just too high to reach. Yet, the 787 has individual air vents. Yes, you do have to stand up to adjust them, but at least they’re there.
We were sitting in first-class, so we, admittedly, had a much better seat than what was available in coach. Right by the head of the seat is a little ledge with a cup-holder (although it’s positioned so awkwardly, I can’t imagine anyone using the cup holder for its intended purpose), a headphone jack, a world-universal power port (no adaptor needed!), and a USB plug. In theory, you can use the USB port to put the content from your smartphone or tablet onto the main screen in front of you, but I could not get it to work. However, USB charging? Yes, please!
In the center console is a two-teired magazine pouch, perfect for keeping the smartphone or tablet close by. The remote for the entertainment system is found there, as well as the tray table, which can be used in half or full size. Also, the arm rest on the non-middle side is adjustable (up and down), which was great for finding the perfect lounging position.
The seat itself was very comfortable. The seat controls were not totally intuitive, beyond the two buttons that moved the seat towards fully up and full-bed. And yes, the seat can be positioned into a lie-flat bed. Add the space in the ottoman in front, and I could have been sleeping very comfortably. When you do move the seat into a more reclined position, though, a reading light is revealed. Great design. There’s also a small ottoman and shelf for storage.
As an aside, a real sign of the times is the fact that there is no “No Smoking” sign. Fascinating. Yet, the lavatory sign is an LCD screen that changes color. Why that needed to be a screen and not a light is beyond me, but maybe other airlines use the screen for different purposes.
The entertainment system was fantastic. A great, big screen that can be controlled via touch or the remote. The moving map was gorgeous with tons of great information and city locations. The quantity and quality of content in the entertainment system, however, was outstanding. First-rate movies from all eras, a huge television selection, a huge music collection. We could have been on the plane for an around-the-world flight (not offered yet) and would have never watched the same thing twice! Okay, that’s an exaggeration. We probably would have re-watched The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family. The only two downsides to the system are that Channel 9, the Air Traffic Control channel unique to United, is not on the system. Also, the screen was a little difficult to see when the seat is fully reclined. Although, if you’re fully reclined, as my mother in law will tell you, you probably shouldn’t be watching TV anyway. One other highlight, though, was that when a passenger’s system needed to be rebooted, the Attendants were able to reboot just his system, without needing to shut everyone’s down. Awesome.
The bathrooms are very spacious, with mirrors and LEDs that really make the space feel much less like you’re sitting in a crapper at 41,000 feet (and yes, the 787 cruises at a higher altitude than most planes). When you flush, the seat cover automatically comes down, and then it flushes. And there are two tabs: one for the seat cover and one to bring the seat up. Little touches. Also, the faucet has a digital temperature control and a hand-sensing sensor, so you don’t have to press down and hope the water stays on long enough for you to finish washing up. Although there was not a window in the lavatory, unlike the ANA version, there are SEVEN lavatories onboard. Oh, and the door opens into itself, so that you don’t slam the door into oncoming passengers or flight attendants as they walk by. Again, little touches.
The best feature, though, are the windows. These are not your average windows. They are so much more than your average windows. In fact, they are 50% bigger than your average window. I didn’t think this was as cool as it was until I was back on a 737. Having those large windows really makes a difference. The other really cool part about the windows is that they do not have shades. Yes, you read that correctly. The windows don’t have shades. And that’s awesome. Instead, the windows have an adjustable tint with five levels of darkness. Sure, it takes about two-three minutes to go from clear to near total blackout, but it’s pretty remarkable. Just look at the pictures to see it in action. And yes, it is still comfortable when the sun comes directly through the windows at full black. And yes, you can still see out of them.
At 4:03 PM, we pushed back from the gate. As we taxied out, just like in the terminal, we were being watched. Luggage handlers were taking pictures with their phones and there just seemed to be more crew outside than usual.
As the Purser came on to make the pre-flight announcements, one thing became abundantly clear: his voice. These were the best inflight speakers I had ever heard. His voice sounded completely normal. It was great. Of course, he ended his announcement by saying, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the aircraft.” This guy knew his audience.
Other than the windows, one of the biggest differences between this plane and others is the noise level. Takeoff was nearly silent. Seriously. It was so quiet that Zach and I were able to have a conversation at a very normal speaking level. It was, without a doubt, the quietest takeoff roll I had ever experienced. And that includes the time I flew a glider! I’m just kidding. I’ve never flown a glider.
But the real show was outside. The wingtips. Oh, the wingtips. The wingtips bend and sway in the air, flexing as we took off and continued to flex even higher as we moved between altitudes. Yet, their movement absorbs much of the turbulence. It’s surprising to see them dance in the breeze, while we felt nothing inside. I did not expect to get so much joy watching a long strip of metal and carbon fiber. But, there it was, captivating as anything else in the cabin.
One of the selling points for the 787 is the atmosphere inside the cabin. In normal planes, the cabin is pressurized to approximately 8,000 feet. In the 787, it is pressurized to 6,000 feet. While not perfect, you could feel a difference. It didn’t feel exactly like we were on the ground, it felt like we were at a better altitude than on other planes. Same goes for dryness. United claims to include more humidity onboard to actively fight against jetlag and dryness. I felt it a bit, but it wasn’t perfect. An improvement, no doubt, but still room to go.
As our trip came to an end, it was clear that there were three things I would take away:
All three of these things, including all of the others I’ve already mentioned, are marginal improvements to the current aircraft. Yet, all of them are in one vessel: the 787. It is the sum of these parts that make the 787 the incredible travel experience it is.
Would I fly one airline versus another, just to fly on the 787? Probably not. Would I be willing to drastically change my flight times so that I could fly on the 787 on a similar route? Maybe. Will all other planes now have to live up to this one? You bet.
That’s how I woke up this morning. Yes, an early start. But this was no ordinary day.
Today, Zach -- my Rabbinic mentor, friend, and enabler of my aviation hobby (I call it that, others may call it an obsession) -- were flying to Houston, just to fly right back to LAX. Why would we do such a ridiculous thing? Because our return flight would be the first passenger service on United Airlines into Los Angeles on their brand-new plane, the Boeing 787. How new is this plane? It was delivered to United from the Boeing factory less than a month ago. And our afternoon flight would be the third passenger flight this plane had taken. Ever. And not just this airframe, this plane. The third US domestic 787 passenger flight. Ever. (Yes, there are testing flights, but I don’t count those)
The 787 is a really special plane. Boeing has basically bet the bank on the success of this plane. It is made of carbon fiber, making it much lighter, fuel efficient, and overall, it is just an improved aircraft. Because it only holds 280ish people, though, it is really meant to supplement airline routes that would otherwise be impractical. For example, Japan Airlines will begin 787 service from San Diego to Tokyo, Japan in December. Now, because of the markets in these cities, and the runway limitations in San Diego, JAL cannot sustain a larger plane to serve these cities. This is where the 787 will shine. Smaller demand routes that are further apart. United will eventually have the 787 fly Houston-Auckland. Another route that does not demand a larger plane. Perfect for the 787, though.
Beyond the business advancements, the 787 represents a huge improvement in the passenger experience from nose to tail. I’ll explain more later.
Zach and I met up close to the airport and carpooled to the parking garage. Once we were inside the terminal, Zach was able to bypass the normal security line because he is TSA pre-checked. This means that he does not have to take his shoes off, take his liquids out, take his laptop out of his bag, or even take off his jacket. I, however, had to take my shoes off, take my laptop out, and take off my sweater. I was jealous. We went the lounge, had a quick bite to eat, saw the frequent flyer poster (people come to the business center in the lounge and write on a sheet their routings - think of it as a chain letter, but without the postage required) then made our way to the gate to board our plane.
For our flight to Houston, we sat in the exit row, which was pretty great. The climb out of LAX was much quieter than I was expecting. One nice touch that United provides is free-headsets for all passengers. Although, this became a pretty moot point, as the only reason I wanted to listen to the channels was for the beloved United Channel 9, which provides the aircraft’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) radio feed. Unfortunately, that channel was not enabled on that kind of aircraft (757-3). Oh well. Zach also taught me about the “tradition” amongst frequent flyers where people sign the “voices” page in the Hemispheres magazine. I’m learning that a lot of these traditions are kind of like that whole “Where have I been?” fad where people would track dollar bills. Except it’s people traveling.
The layover in Houston was like Comicon. All of the nerds noticed us. Zach got us 787 hats. And, well, when you’re walking around in 787 hats with cameras strapped around you, it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing in Houston on this day. People came up to us, asked us if we worked for Boeing, asked us what our usernames on flyertalk.com are...it was like we were a big deal. Except we really weren’t. We were just two guys with a passion for aviation. Okay, we’re nerds. But here, in this environment, we were amongst our kin.
We got some great plane-spotting in, although we missed the 787 landing in Houston as it returned from its first round-trip to Chicago. Houston has a lot of runways. Since Zach has status, we made our way to the United lounge. I can now say, having been in a number of American lounges and now a United lounge, the “normal” United lounge is better than the “normal” American lounge. Of course, I only say this because the United lounges had more snacks.
About an hour before the flight, we made our way back to the gate. The gate area was quite a scene. Plane nerds were there. Boeing representatives were there. United representatives were there. Pilots from other airlines were there, including some international pilots who seemed to come to this gate immediately after their flight landed. The excitement was palpable. The nerdiness overflowed.
As we looked at the plane from the gate, there were a few things that immediately struck me: 1) the wings are really unique. This is a theme that will come back in flight. 2) The engines are huge. And the fan blades are curved. And there is a chevron pattern on the backs of the engines. All of these features make the plane more efficient and quiet. 3) It’s a wide-body plane, about as wide as a 777, yet it’s not as long. From nose to tail, I think our plane from LAX to Houston may have been longer. But this is a wholly different plane, to be sure.
When boarding time finally came, we were giddy as school kids. I’ve never understood that phrase, as many children are, in fact, not giddy when they arrive at school. So, maybe we were giddy as...aw hell, we were just excited!
As we walked down the jet bridge, the feeling of wonder, delight, amazement hit us. It also became clear very quickly that this experience would be like no other in-flight experience we had ever been a part of. (Sorry, Nana, sometimes a sentence just needs to end with a preposition) The overhead lighting is all colored LEDs, so instead of walking into a sterile, white environment, we were met with lovely blue tones and, as we were landing, an orange and red display that, no kidding, matched the colors outside. The architecture onboard involves many more curves than your average plane, giving the appearance of a much more spacious cabin. As this was the first day of flight, there were also a ton of people taking pictures as soon as they boarded. Since we were seated in the seats closest to the door, we saw this happening with nearly every fifth person.
And yes, we learned that there is such a thing as “new plane smell.”
The reality is that I could write about how wonderful the on-plane experience is using generic terms, but as you may have picked up already, the individual elements of the plane make up the whole. Indeed, the 787 is only as great as the sum of its parts. To give you a sense of this, allow me to describe the various experience elements.
The overhead bins have a combination handle/lever style latch. This means that you can push either side, or pull from either side, and the bin will open. Plus, there’s a mirror inside the bin so you can see whether the bin is full, or if something is going to fall out and hit you in the head. Additionally, the 787 improves on the 747 and 777 experience. All three of these planes are wide-body, meaning they have two aisles. Yet the 747 and 777 have a universal AC system without the benefit of individual air vents, presumably because the ceiling is just too high to reach. Yet, the 787 has individual air vents. Yes, you do have to stand up to adjust them, but at least they’re there.
We were sitting in first-class, so we, admittedly, had a much better seat than what was available in coach. Right by the head of the seat is a little ledge with a cup-holder (although it’s positioned so awkwardly, I can’t imagine anyone using the cup holder for its intended purpose), a headphone jack, a world-universal power port (no adaptor needed!), and a USB plug. In theory, you can use the USB port to put the content from your smartphone or tablet onto the main screen in front of you, but I could not get it to work. However, USB charging? Yes, please!
In the center console is a two-teired magazine pouch, perfect for keeping the smartphone or tablet close by. The remote for the entertainment system is found there, as well as the tray table, which can be used in half or full size. Also, the arm rest on the non-middle side is adjustable (up and down), which was great for finding the perfect lounging position.
The seat itself was very comfortable. The seat controls were not totally intuitive, beyond the two buttons that moved the seat towards fully up and full-bed. And yes, the seat can be positioned into a lie-flat bed. Add the space in the ottoman in front, and I could have been sleeping very comfortably. When you do move the seat into a more reclined position, though, a reading light is revealed. Great design. There’s also a small ottoman and shelf for storage.
As an aside, a real sign of the times is the fact that there is no “No Smoking” sign. Fascinating. Yet, the lavatory sign is an LCD screen that changes color. Why that needed to be a screen and not a light is beyond me, but maybe other airlines use the screen for different purposes.
The entertainment system was fantastic. A great, big screen that can be controlled via touch or the remote. The moving map was gorgeous with tons of great information and city locations. The quantity and quality of content in the entertainment system, however, was outstanding. First-rate movies from all eras, a huge television selection, a huge music collection. We could have been on the plane for an around-the-world flight (not offered yet) and would have never watched the same thing twice! Okay, that’s an exaggeration. We probably would have re-watched The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family. The only two downsides to the system are that Channel 9, the Air Traffic Control channel unique to United, is not on the system. Also, the screen was a little difficult to see when the seat is fully reclined. Although, if you’re fully reclined, as my mother in law will tell you, you probably shouldn’t be watching TV anyway. One other highlight, though, was that when a passenger’s system needed to be rebooted, the Attendants were able to reboot just his system, without needing to shut everyone’s down. Awesome.
The bathrooms are very spacious, with mirrors and LEDs that really make the space feel much less like you’re sitting in a crapper at 41,000 feet (and yes, the 787 cruises at a higher altitude than most planes). When you flush, the seat cover automatically comes down, and then it flushes. And there are two tabs: one for the seat cover and one to bring the seat up. Little touches. Also, the faucet has a digital temperature control and a hand-sensing sensor, so you don’t have to press down and hope the water stays on long enough for you to finish washing up. Although there was not a window in the lavatory, unlike the ANA version, there are SEVEN lavatories onboard. Oh, and the door opens into itself, so that you don’t slam the door into oncoming passengers or flight attendants as they walk by. Again, little touches.
The best feature, though, are the windows. These are not your average windows. They are so much more than your average windows. In fact, they are 50% bigger than your average window. I didn’t think this was as cool as it was until I was back on a 737. Having those large windows really makes a difference. The other really cool part about the windows is that they do not have shades. Yes, you read that correctly. The windows don’t have shades. And that’s awesome. Instead, the windows have an adjustable tint with five levels of darkness. Sure, it takes about two-three minutes to go from clear to near total blackout, but it’s pretty remarkable. Just look at the pictures to see it in action. And yes, it is still comfortable when the sun comes directly through the windows at full black. And yes, you can still see out of them.
At 4:03 PM, we pushed back from the gate. As we taxied out, just like in the terminal, we were being watched. Luggage handlers were taking pictures with their phones and there just seemed to be more crew outside than usual.
As the Purser came on to make the pre-flight announcements, one thing became abundantly clear: his voice. These were the best inflight speakers I had ever heard. His voice sounded completely normal. It was great. Of course, he ended his announcement by saying, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the aircraft.” This guy knew his audience.
Other than the windows, one of the biggest differences between this plane and others is the noise level. Takeoff was nearly silent. Seriously. It was so quiet that Zach and I were able to have a conversation at a very normal speaking level. It was, without a doubt, the quietest takeoff roll I had ever experienced. And that includes the time I flew a glider! I’m just kidding. I’ve never flown a glider.
But the real show was outside. The wingtips. Oh, the wingtips. The wingtips bend and sway in the air, flexing as we took off and continued to flex even higher as we moved between altitudes. Yet, their movement absorbs much of the turbulence. It’s surprising to see them dance in the breeze, while we felt nothing inside. I did not expect to get so much joy watching a long strip of metal and carbon fiber. But, there it was, captivating as anything else in the cabin.
One of the selling points for the 787 is the atmosphere inside the cabin. In normal planes, the cabin is pressurized to approximately 8,000 feet. In the 787, it is pressurized to 6,000 feet. While not perfect, you could feel a difference. It didn’t feel exactly like we were on the ground, it felt like we were at a better altitude than on other planes. Same goes for dryness. United claims to include more humidity onboard to actively fight against jetlag and dryness. I felt it a bit, but it wasn’t perfect. An improvement, no doubt, but still room to go.
As our trip came to an end, it was clear that there were three things I would take away:
- Bigger windows made a huge difference. They are just stunning.
- The wing on a 787 is a magnificent piece of engineering.
- The cabin is so quiet, it actually changes how one experiences the flight.
All three of these things, including all of the others I’ve already mentioned, are marginal improvements to the current aircraft. Yet, all of them are in one vessel: the 787. It is the sum of these parts that make the 787 the incredible travel experience it is.
Would I fly one airline versus another, just to fly on the 787? Probably not. Would I be willing to drastically change my flight times so that I could fly on the 787 on a similar route? Maybe. Will all other planes now have to live up to this one? You bet.
On the 787th day, God said, “Let there be flight.” And it was good. -Boeing 7:87
