ABOARD THE BOEING 787 DREAMLINER – Boeing's much-ballyhooed but long-delayed 787 Dreamliner finally entered commercial service this week, flying paying passengers for the first time on an All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong on Wednesday.
ANA Airlines takes delivery and maiden flight of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The ultramodern 787 is being hailed in the aviation industry for its technological innovations, including the carbon fiber construction that makes it the first jetliner not made of traditional aluminum and steel.But while the 787 is drawing acclaim from industry observers, how will it go over with ordinary passengers?
Boeing delivery ceremony of its first 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airlines
The Dreamliner — which Boeing designed with passenger comfort as a priority — drew nearly unanimous positive reviews from the roughly 240 passengers lucky enough to secure a seat on its inaugural flight.
Those passengers, however, might not be a good barometer for how the jet is received by the average traveler. Nearly all of them were on board because they enthusiastically sought it out.
Inside the International Long-Haul Flights Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Only 100 seats on the 264-seat jet were made available to the general public, and ANA received more than 25,000 applications for those. The other 140 on board were a mix of journalists, airline officials and other industry workers.
Inside the International Short-Haul Flights Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Also among those 140: six business-class fliers who bid for their seats on Flight 7871 via auction. One passenger — Gino Bertuccio of Miami — paid more than $33,000 via that auction to get his spot on the inaugural flight. He also flew on the inaugural flight of the Airbus A380 in 2007.
Inside the Boeing Special Domestic 787 Dreamliner
So will the glowing reviews of the 787 hold up as the Dreamliner's passenger counts soar and as more airlines begin to fly the jet — possibly in less customer-friendly configurations than Boeing had envisioned?
Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of San Francisco-based travel research firm Atmosphere Research Group says.
"I think the 787's benefits will be appreciated mostly by frequent travelers and aviation enthusiasts. Passengers may have a better flight but may not know why, since some of these benefits are somewhat subtle."
ANA Airlines first Boeing 787 Dreamliner #JA801A ZA101
ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner cockpit interior
Among the potentially "subtle" passenger-experience upgrades that were put before fliers on the 787 inaugural:
Bigger windows. In what was hands-down the top new feature cited by passengers on the inaugural flight, the Boeing 787's windows are now the biggest of any commercial passenger airliner. Boeing says the 787's windows are 30% bigger than those on aBoeing 767. The windows also are now positioned closer to eye level for most passengers, meaning fewer strained necks from looking out the window.
The windows of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be 30% larger than those on the Boeing 767
Flight 787 passenger Stephanie Wood of Davie, Fla., when asked about her favorite feature on the 787 said.
"The windows. You really notice it and it makes the plane feel so bright and like you're not shut in."
Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows can be adjusted from clear to dark
Stephanie Wood who also joined the flight via the charity auction after she and her husband, Dean, successfully bid on a pair of business-class tickets. The couple would not divulge the price they paid.
In addition to the well-received larger size, the windows on the 787 do not have manual shades. Instead, they are darkened by a button control that can electronically dim the light partially or entirely
Storage bins. Boeing says they were designed to accommodate the wheeled roller bags that have become ubiquitous. The bins on ANA's 787 — which are about 30% bigger than on Boeing 777 aircraft — easily accommodated even large roller bags, though irregularly sized luggage could mean a less-than-optimal fit.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner overhead luggage storage bins are much deeper allowing storage of larger carry-ons
In addition to making it easier for customers to fit their bags into the bins, Boeing thinks that will help more flights take off on time, because — in theory — passengers won't need as long to hoist their bags into the overhead bins.
Cabin environment. Thanks to new technology on the Dreamliner, flights are pressured to the equivalent of 6,000 feet in elevation, lower than the 8,000-foot mark that's typical for commercial passenger aircraft. Boeing says that — coupled with the higher humidity levels possible on the 787 — should alleviate headaches, fatigue and reduce the general wear and tear travelers often feel from flying.
Protected lap space. Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and Salon.com columnist, wasn't on the inaugural flight but was intrigued by ANA's economy class seats. She says.
"ANA's shell-style economy-class seats. They have double-wide armrests and recline by sliding forward, not by hinging backward, meaning you never impinge on the legroom of the person behind you, even in the full recline position."
ANA has selected fixed back shell seats increased the seat pitch to 34-inches from 31-incheswith a sliding headrest and footrest for its new economy cabin. Each seat will have a 10.6-inch LCD touch screen, universal power port, iPod connector, USB port and a special cup holder. For premium economy, ANA has increased the seat pitch from 38-inches to 42-inches. Each seat back will have a 12-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port.
Economy seats on board each ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner economy seats are equipped with a video screen and phone
ANA's new business class will feature fully a lay-flat seat in a staggered arrangement with a large side table, shoe storage and small in-seat baggage area. Each seat back will have a 17-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port.
Re-branded as the ANA First Square, the new first class suite features fully lie-flat beds and a baggage compartment and mini-closet to hang your coat. Each Square will have a 23-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port.
ANA' s business class lighting, reclining, electrical ports and other controls
Cabin aesthetics. Vaulted ceilings between luggage bins and over galley areas help play off the larger windows to make the cabin feel more spacious. Despite that, the aisles on the 787's inaugural flight still felt clogged when passengers got up in bunches.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner's vaulted ceilings and large overhead storage bins
The bar area onboard ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner
ANA flight attendant stands inside the huge back galley
Lavoratories onboard ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner's are quite roomy with window view
Gadget friendliness. ANA's configuration offered USB ports and electric outlets at every seat, allowing customers to charge a cellphone or access music or movie files via the in-flight entertainment console. Power outlets mean laptops now can stay charged for an entire flight.
Quieter cabin. Boeing has said cabin noise on the Dreamliner will be lower than on other jets that typically fly on long-haul routes. While that was hard to quantify on the inaugural 787 flight to Hong Kong, most passenger conversations seemed to flow easily.
Another advantage for airlines (and environmentally concerned passengers): The Dreamliner's reduced weight and aerodynamic profile will increase fuel efficiency up to 20%.
Still, Smith of Salon.com warns that even with all of those perks, not all Dreamliners will be created equal.
Smith says.
"In the end, though, how the plane is received will mostly come down to the way its operators tailor and customize the experience."
Chris Sloan, another inaugural flight passenger, suggests the Dreamliner has been subject to overhyped expectations lingering from the 2007 debut of the Airbus A380 — now the world's biggest passenger jet. During that rollout, the A380's selling point was obvious: size. Sloan says the 787's significance is just as important, albeit more subtle.
Sloan says of the 787's possibly inflated expectations.
"Superficially, the windows are great. The high ceilings are great. And the bins. Do people really think all of a sudden economy class is going to become first class? No, it's not."
Sloan and others say the 787's strengths will get a chance to shine once the carrier begins flying the ultra-long-haul flights it was designed for — flights of more than 10 hours that will be significantly longer than the Dreamliner's four-hour debut flight between Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Sloan says.
"We'll really see those advantages on a 14-hour flight. A lot of these features will be much more apparent on ultra-long-haul flights. When you're exposed to those sort of conditions for 13 or 14 hours, that's when the Dreamliner will be at its best."
The first such service for the Dreamliner will start in January, when ANA will deploy the aircraft on a route between Tokyo and Frankfurt. Starting next year, United hopes to put its first Dreamliner on a long route of its own: Houston to Auckland, New Zealand.
Until then, however, that leaves the question of whether ordinary travelers will be savvy enough to notice the 787's differences — such as the double armrests that will keep middle-seat customers from fighting over a single armrest.
Stephanie Wood says she isn't sure.
"Will people notice those things? I don't know. "They're nice features, but — for some — they may not."
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is revolutionizing how jetliners are being built, takes to the skies October 26 for the first time with passengers on board. The jet was from Tokyo to Hong Kong by All Nippon Airways.
COMMENTARY: The Dreamliner may well deliver on the flight improvements. But as more than 800 orders for the $185+ million plane piled up from airlines, the ambitious high-tech advances and far-flung manufacturing process caused world-class headaches. The delays gave Airbus time to develop its A350, a carbon-composite plane the Europeans claim will carry more passengers, fly farther and burn less fuel than the Dreamliner.
Analyst Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo says.
"The A350 is going to be a whale of a competitor. If Boeing could have brought out the 787 three years ago like they were supposed to, it really could have hurt Airbus."
Even Boeing managers, whose predecessors were cavalier about the Dreamliner's challenges, say the company will reevaluate offshoring strategies for future planes. Yet Boeing's bacon may be saved by massive overall demand for jetliners.
Boeing expects a $4 trillion world market for new aircraft over the next 20 years. Airlines must replace aging fleets. China and other emerging nations are expanding aviation. And most importantly, carriers need fuel-efficient planes.
So Boeing is boosting commercial aircraft production by 40 percent over the next three years.
NOTE: Boeing fucked up, pissed off a lot of customers, and many of those 800 orders could endup being cancelled due to the three year long delay. Boeing executives are in China, Australia, Southeast Asia, Latin and South America, furiously negotiating with a dozen airlines to prevent massive cancellations of orders. If those orders are cancelled, we could be seeing the end of Boeing as we know them, and lose another major manufacturer to Airbus.
Brief Description and Specifications:
The Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliner is a super-efficient airplane with new passenger-pleasing features. It will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplane of its size.
Seating:
- 787-8: 210 to 250 passengers
- 767-9: 250 to 290 passengers
Range:
- 787-8: 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers)
- 787-9: 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers)
Configuration:
- Twin aisle
Cross Section:
- 226 inches (574 centimeters)
Wing Span:
- 197 feet (60 meters)
Length:
- 186 feet (57 meters)
- 206 feet (63 meters)
Height:
- 56 feet (17 meters)
Cruise Speed:
- Mach 0.85
Total Cargo Volume:
- 787-8: 4,400 cubic feet
- 787-9: 5,400 cubic feet
Maximum Takeoff Weight:
- 787-8: 502,500 pounds (227,930 kilograms)
- 787-9: 545,000 lbs (247,208 kg)
Manufacturing Cost Savings and Efficiencies:
787 vs 777 on composites and aluminum (by weight):
- 787 - 50 percent composites, 20 percent aluminum
- 777 - 12 percent composites, 50 percent aluminum
Material breakout on 787:
- Composites - 50%
- Aluminum - 20%
- Titanium - 15%
- Steel - 10%
- Other - 5%
Fuel Efficiency:
- 20 percent more fuel efficient than similarly sized airplanes
Carbon emissions:
- 20 percent fewer than similarly sized airplanes
Cash seat mile costs than peer airlines:
- 10 percent
Anticipated maintenance cost savings:
- 30 percent
Manufacturing cost savings:
- Less than 10,000 holes due to composites.
- 1 million less holes drilled than the 747
- 1,500 less aluminum sheets
- 80% reduction in fasteners
Sales Price, Size of Market and Firm Orders:
Sales Price Per Unit:
- 787-8: US$185.2 million (2010)
- 787-9: US$218.1 million (2010
Potential Market Size for 787:
- 3,310 units over 20 years (2009-2028) or $4 trillion
Firm Orders as of October 1, 2011:
- 787-8: 555
- 787-9L 266
- Total: 821
Comparison Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner versus Airbus A380
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Cutaway View
Click Image To Enlarge
Courtesy of an article dated October 27, 2011 appearing in USA Today and Boeing
Woah! These passenger planes are incredible, especially the interiors. It's amazing how the chairs in the first class can turn into beds. The amenities are so modern, from the bathrooms to the lights and chairs. A ride in this would be so enjoyable.
Posted by: Joshua Green | 12/22/2011 at 05:55 AM