The angry inch

Will 2.54cm more legroom make up for Qantas’s narrow 787 economy?

For the world’s longest flight between Perth and London, Qantas’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner economy seat brings mixed news for passengers. Qantas’s seat designers have done the very best possible given the restrictions of the 3-3-3 configuration the airline chose for its 787, with an inch more legroom than Jetstar’s 787, but the seat is still narrower than anything Qantas has offered in economy class before.

Overall, the ultra long-haul experience is likely to be similar to Emirates’ Boeing 777 or United’s 787, all of which are pitched at 32in, since the 10-across seats on the wider 777 are very similar in personal space to nine-abreast on the narrower 787. For passengers whose knees are not in contact with the seat in front of them on Qantas’s A380 seat, it may feel more spacious in terms of knee room, but for anyone whose pain point is at the elbow, the 787 will be markedly more cramped.