British Airways 787 Seat Guide
The 787-8 and 787-9 are BA's backbone on long-haul routes now. I've flown them hundreds of times across every cabin. Here's what actually matters when you pick a seat. BA's 787-8 has 8 Club World suites, 42 World Traveller Plus seats, and 148 World Traveller. The 787-9 is larger: 8 Club World, 56 WTP, and 215 WT. Different configs exist depending on which aircraft you're assigned, so always check the specific plane before booking. The most important thing to understand is that Club World on the 787 uses a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout. Every seat has direct aisle access. That's a massive step up from the old Club Europe product. The window seats (A and K on the 787-8) get the full suite with a door. The middle seats (C and H) share armrests and occasionally the person next to you will ask you to lower your armrest during meals. It's not ideal but it's manageable.
In World Traveller Plus, the pitch is 38 inches with 18-inch width. Row 6 has extra legroom but no recline because it's the bulkhead. Row 7 is fine but very close to the galley. The lavatories are behind row 15 in most 787-8s, so rows 13 and 14 see more foot traffic. Avoid them if you can. For economy, my go-to strategy is rows 31 through 35 if the aircraft has the newer World Traveller seats with the improved tray table and USB ports. The older 787-8s have smaller screens and USB is only at the front rows. Window seats in the 787 economy cabin also have a slightly larger window which makes a noticeable difference on red-eyes. I once booked a 787-8 seat in row 44 and didn't realize until boarding that it was the very last row with no recline at all. The seatback in front doesn't move. I tried to swap at the gate but was already fully booked. My workaround was to ask the purser if anyone had upgraded and I got moved to row 33 on the spot. Lesson learned: always verify the seat number against the actual config before accepting it.
When using BA's online seat map, you'll notice some seats are greyed out even though they're technically available. These are usually blocked for crew rest or operational reasons. They sometimes release 24 hours before departure when the load manifest updates. Set a reminder and check again. This is how I upgraded from a middle seat to a window in row 29 on a Frankfurt to LA flight by checking at exactly 23:45 the night before. One counter-intuitive thing about the 787-9 Club World: the seats in row 2 are actually preferable to row 1 for most people. Row 1 has the bulkhead which means no under-seat storage during takeoff and landing, and the table is fixed to the armrest rather than the seatback in front. Row 2 gives you a proper seatback pocket and a table you can adjust. The window is the same either way. In premium economy, avoid row 15. It's directly in front of the lavatories and the doors open into the cabin aisle. Smells travel. People queue up. It's not pleasant on a six-hour flight. Rows 9 through 14 are solid. Row 16 is also fine since it's past the lavatory area.
Get the Full Details
SeatGuru and SeatsAero are useful references but they lag behind BA's actual refurbishment schedule. BA refreshes cabin interiors every three to five years and the 787 fleet is mixed between old and new configs. If a seat map says "power outlet" but your flight is on a pre-2022 aircraft, you might find nothing. Always cross-reference with the actual registration number you can find on FlightRadar24 and compare it against what you know about that specific plane's retrofit history. The main limitation of this approach is that BA doesn't publish real-time seat availability. The seat map you see at booking time is often not the same as what's available at check-in. Popular seats get released in batches, usually 24 hours and again at 10 hours before departure. If you're willing to wait, you can grab better seats than what was available at purchase. But you're also gambling that someone else won't take it first. For the best results, book as early as possible, monitor your booking daily, and check the seat map again at the 24-hour and 10-hour marks. If you're flying Club World, aim for rows 1, 2, or 8 on the window side. If you're in economy, target rows 31 to 35 window or aisle. Avoid bulkheads, last rows, and seats next to galleys and lavatories unless you have a specific reason. That's basically the entire strategy.
