Review: American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner

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On of my flights in a recent trip was a mileage run to Dallas that I had nested into a Europe-USA-Europe trip at a cost of $74.60. It was one of the best bargains I’ve had for a while.

Initially the aircraft I was scheduled to fly was one of American Airlines’ old 3-class 777-200 aircraft and, thanks to my status, that had meant that I could select a seat in an old-fashioned Business Class cabin for free.

An ultra-cheap mileage run in a near lie-flat Business Class seat is almost as good as it gets in the Miles and Points game…but things got even better. A few weeks after booking the mileage run American Airlines swapped the old 777-200 for a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (an aircraft I had never tried) and, shortly after that, processed my complimentary upgrades so that I was now booked into Dreamliner Business Class in both directions!

I’m not going to do a traditional review of the flights on the Dreamliner as, apart from the fact that it was a wide-body aircraft and a 787, this was a perfectly normal domestic flight with all the usual food and beverage offerings. Instead, as I sat in both a rear facing and front facing seat on this mileage run, I’m going to focus mainly on the Business Class seats in the American Airlines 787 and take a brief look at the connectivity and entertainment selection on offer.

American Airlines 787 Dreamliner at LAX

American Airlines 787 – Business Class Cabin/Seats

The Business Class cabin on the American Airlines 787 has both forward and backward facing seats, all of which have direct aisle access.

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seat Map

On my outbound flight I was seated in 1H and facing towards the back of the aircraft while on the return flight I was seated in 6H facing towards the front.

The first thing to note is that, regardless of which way you’re facing, everything has to be stowed in the overhead compartments for take off and landing – there’s no space for storage (at least none that’s acceptable to the crew during take off and landing).

Best seats for solo travelers – window seats

Best seats for couples – seats in center section

Window Seats:

Odd numbered rows – seats face to the front

Even numbered rows – seats face to the rear

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Rear facing window seat

The front facing window seats appeared to be marginally more private but the rear facing seats appeared to have better views….although that was very dependent on exactly which row they were in.

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Front facing window seat

Center Section Seats:

Odd numbered rows – seats face to the rear

Even numbered rows – seats face to the front

Note that this is the opposite to the window seat layout.

These seats are definitely better for couples traveling together then for solo travelers but, thanks to the divider that can be raised between them, they’re not bad if you’re traveling on your own.

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Cabin

As you should be able to see from the image above, the front facing seats in the center section face in towards each other while the rear facing seats face away from each other.

It’s not easy to tell which would be preferable if you’re traveling as a couple but, if I was to hazard a guess, I’d say that the proximity of the passengers’ heads in the rear facing seats may make it easier to communicate without too much movement.

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

The seat itself is reminiscent of the Business Class seat on the larger 777-300 aircraft although its definitely narrower and shorter.

I know there are those who prefer either front of rear facing seats on this aircraft but I can’t say I noticed much difference in the amount of space either gave me……although most people from whom I’ve heard a preference were in window seats and I didn’t get to try one of those out.

The seats all come with a funky-looking controller that’s within easy reach….

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

….and there seemed to be no end of ways you could adjust the seat…which is no bad thing.

When fully reclined I found the seats to be quite confining. ….

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

…and there is a bit of a “coffin effect” going on when you’re lying down.

When you’re in recline mode things aren’t so bad and the seat is pretty comfortable….

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

Irrespective of which way you’re facing there is an ottoman at the foot of the seat which is what completes the “bed” and I found that the rear facing seat appeared to have a bit more room:

The rear facing ottoman is on the left

One of the major differences I found between the front and rear facing seats was the storage that’s available. In the front facing seats the little amount of storage you have available to you is half-way to the ottoman and not within easy reach….

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

….while in the rear facing seats the storage was larger and much closer to hand:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

In the front facing seats the power outlets and the other small storage area that is provided is actually facing away from the passenger and isn’t particularly accessible….

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

….while in the rear facing seats the same area is facing the passenger and very accessible:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

I found that one benefit of the better storage and more accessible power sockets in the rear facing seats was that I could both stow and charge my MacBook Air at the same time and it was completely out of the way while also being right next to me:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

A disadvantage to the rear facing seats (in the center section) is that you’re at the mercy of whomever is in the window seat across the aisle from you. As the center section rear facing seats point towards the windows, you’ll get a lot of glare on a sunny day if the passenger in the window seat decides that he/she wants a bit more light:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

One last difference between the front and rear facing seats is that the front facing seat has an extra harness that attaches across the passenger’s body like a seat belt – you can see the extra clip at shoulder level in the image below:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Seats

Connectivity/Entertainment

The American Airlines 787 Dreamliner has a very similar entertainment system to that seen in the larger 777-300 aircraft:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Entertainment

I tend to bring my own movies and TV shows with me on my portable devices so I tend not to pay too much attention to what’s on offer onboard…..but this seemed pretty close to (if not identical to) what the 777-3000 offers.

The remote control is a bit more high-tech than on the larger aircraft and is similar to what’s found on the 767 aircraft that have been refurbished:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Entertainment

The screen is a good size and, lie on the 777-300, pop out from a sideways-on storage compartment:

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Entertainment

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Entertainment

The 787 comes fully equipped with over water WiFi which means that it’s the T-Mobile service that’s on offer and not GoGo. This isn’t an issue on international flights but, if you happen to catch a Dreamliner on a domestic flight, those with GoGo in-flight passes will find that they’re not covered by their plan.

All the Business Class seats on the 787 come with two power ports and two USB ports so passengers are well covered when it comes to charging their electronic devices. The power ports are of the variety that accept devices from the US, Europe and the UK (and possibly a few other countries/regions too).

American Airlines Business Class 787 Dreamliner – Power

Bottom Line

The aircraft is definitely quieter than most other aircraft I’ve flown on and I was very lucky to get to try it out on a domestic flight and at such a low price.

I preferred the storage, the easy access to power ports and the slightly less confining ottoman that I got with the rear facing seat so that’s what I would go with on any future flights…..and I’d definitely choose a window seat if traveling solo.

If you’re used to the great Business Class seats on the American Airlines 777-300 aircraft then the seats on the Dreamliner may come as a little bit of a disappointment – they feel more confining and I suspect that, on long haul flights, wouldn’t be as comfortable for sleeping. They’re clearly a huge step up on the Business Class seats that I was expecting to get on the 777-200 but they’re not as great as I’d hoped they would be.