What are the best seats on a British Airways Boeing 787-10?

This is our guide to picking the best seat on the British Airways Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

With BA nearing the end of its Club Suite refurbishment program at Heathrow we thought we should update our guides to the best seats on British Airways long haul aircraft.

We are now using more detailed seat plans from Aerolopa which show not just cabin layouts but also where you’ll find the toilets, galleys and even how many windows each seat has.

We will run a new article in this series every week until we have covered the entire long haul fleet. So far, we have published the British Airways A350 seat map which you can find here. The remainder of the long haul fleet will follow.

You can find out what aircraft is operating your British Airways flight by following the steps in this guide.

We consider these articles to be ‘works in progress’ and we are keen to hear your personal opinions in the comments.

Introducing the Boeing 787-10

The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner is a crucial part of BA’s long haul fleet. At almost 70 metres, it is the longest Dreamliner variant, although it can’t quite fly as far as its mid-size sibling, the 787-9. However, this makes it exceptionally well suited for high capacity flights to the Eastern US, such as New York.

British Airways currently has 12 Boeing 787-10s in its fleet with a further 38 on order, arriving between late 2026 and 2033.

You might recognise the 787 from its large windows with electronic dimming rather than traditional window shades.

Like the A350, it features carbon-fibre structures. These make it lighter and more fuel efficient and allow for a lower cabin pressurisation altitude which helps to reduce the effects of jet lag.

British Airways Boeing 787-10 seat map

Here is the full seat plan for a British Airways Boeing 787-10.

We will look at each cabin in detail as we go on.

Click on any image to enlarge on desktop. If you are reading on a mobile you may prefer the vertical version on Aerolopa here.

How do you select a seat on British Airways?

Before we go on, let’s recap the BA rules on seat selection.

British Airways permits seat selection from the time of booking.

British Airways Club members get free seat selection if they have Silver or Gold status (or oneworld equivalent).  Bronze members get free seat selection from seven days before departure.  However, for everyone else, you have to pay a fee.

This includes passengers in Club World or Club Suite business class, which is very unusual.  Most airlines which charge for seat selection only charge in their Economy cabins, but not British Airways.  The only cabin where seat selection is free for all is First Class.

You can read the British Airways seat selection rules in our article here. This guide will help you choose the best seats on BA’s Boeing 787-10.

Best First Class seats on the British Airways 787-10

The Boeing 787-8 fleet was ordered without a First Class cabin, so it was a relief to see British Airways add it back to the 787-9 and 787-10 orders.

British Airways has installed the 2015 era ‘Prime’ First Class seat on the Boeing 787s.

There are eight seats in the First class cabin on the 787-10, in a 1-2-1 layout across two rows. This makes it a very private and intimate cabin.

Ironically these First Class seats do not feature a closing door, unlike the business class cabin further back. It was one of the oddities created when British Airways rolled out Club Suite without upgrading its First Class seat.

(Strangely, a handful of Boeing 777-300ERs did get a new First Class seat with door, but this never made it onto the Dreamliners, perhaps due to the overall cabin width. British Airways is also introducing a new First Class seat as part of its much delayed A380 refurbishment.)

Despite not having a closing door, these seats remain very private with an enclosed shell. Seats along the outside are angled towards the window whilst the aisle seats are angled towards each other.

Let’s be honest – there are no ‘bad’ seats in the First Class cabin, with all seats virtually identical. However, you may prefer to select the following based upon your personal preferences.

If you are travelling alone, seats 2A and 2K are an excellent option as you are sat by yourself. You sacrifice the ‘prestige’ of being in the first row for being a few feet further from the galley where cabin crew prepare meals.  Failing this, any of the window seats will get you a window (obviously) and a solo seat with no neighbour.

For people travelling in pairs, the middle seats are the obvious choice. These have a retractable divider which you can keep lowered if you want to have a chat or raise if you are fed up of each other! 1E and 1F are a good choice here although Row 1 is only bookable in advance by Gold card holders.

For those couples who can cope with being a few feet apart for a few hours, you may still prefer two window seats, one behind the other.  Rob says that he and his wife always did this before the kids came along!

Best Club World / Club Suite (business class) seats on a British Airways 787-10

In 2019, British Airways revealed a new business class seat called Club Suite.

New aircraft arriving from 2019 such as BA’s A350 and 787-10 fleets had Club Suite installed at delivery, whilst a fleet-wide refurbishment program has – slowly – brought it onto other aircraft.

As of April 2026, Club Suite has been rolled out across the majority of BA’s long haul Heathrow fleet (sorry Gatwick) with just the Boeing 787-9s and A380s to be completed.

You can read more about British Airways Club Suite here in our comprehensive guide.  Our review of Club Suite is here.

Should you pay to select a Club Suite seat?

The good news is that there are no truly bad seats in Club Suite.  We do not recommend that you pay for seat selection because it isn’t worth it.

In the window seats, it is difficult to speak to people sat directly in front or behind you so if your partner ends up elsewhere it doesn’t make much difference. It is certainly not enough to justify paying what can be £100+ per person, each way.

Couples may prefer the middle pairs which have a removable partition so that you can see and talk to each other.

If you want a middle pair, these are usually the last seats to be booked – and so available for free at check-in – because solo travellers and those who want a window seat avoid them.

5A, 5E, 5F, 5K are the best

There are 48 business class suites on BA’s 787-10s in a 1-2-1 configuration. 26 are in a larger forward cabin, whilst the remaining 22 are separated by a galley in a second smaller cabin. Three lavatories and a crew galley for meal preparation sit between them.

The best seats on BA’s Boeing 787-10 are undoubtedly the first row, row five. These sit just behind the First Class cabin and – crucially – there are no toilets or galleys nearby. You are also likely to get your first meal choice.

They are also further away from the majority of baby bassinets, with the nearest being seat 2F in First. The business class bassinets are all in row 12.

Rows 6, 7, 8, 9 are also good

In terms of peace and quiet, rows 6, 7, 8 and 9 are all likely to be better as you are further away from the galleys and toilets between the two cabins.

What seats should you avoid?

Whilst most Club Suites on BA’s 787-10 have two windows, seats 6A and 6K have just one, with the other being covered up. If you like to take in the view it is best to avoid these.

You may also wish to avoid rows 10, 11, 12 and 13 as these are closest to the central galleys and toilets (and baby bassinets).

The last rows of Business Class – rows 16 and 17 – are also best avoided given their proximity to the Premium Economy baby bassinets. You are also likely to be served food last.

Best World Traveller Plus (premium economy) seats on a BA 787-10

There are 35 World Traveller Plus seats on a British Airways 787-10.  Which one is the best?

The Premium Economy seats are situated in a single cabin behind Club World in rows 20 to 24. There are seven seats per row in a 2-3-2 layout.

Each seat is 18.5″ wide with a 38″ seat pitch (the gap between the back of the seat in front and yours) and comes with a 12″ HD screen in the seatback in front of you and USB charging.

The best seats for couples are the window pairs where you can have two seats together.  It makes no sense to take two seats in the middle block of three.  You might be tempted to pay for a seat reservation in order to guarantee a window pair.

The best row is row 20 which is the first row of the World Traveller Plus cabin.  This row has the most legroom as there is nobody sitting in front of you. There are also no lavatories or galleys between the Club World and World Traveller Plus cabin to be concerned about.

Interestingly, the central triple (20D, 20E and 20F) have slightly more leg room than their window counterparts (20A, 20B, 20J and 20K).

The snag is that three seats in row 20 are bassinet seats and may feature a baby!  (Babies sleep a lot though and are generally less disruptive than you might imagine, except during take off and landing when the change in pressure can distress them.)

You will also be the first to receive food if you are in row 20.  Note that your in flight entertainment screen and tray table will be stored in your armrest.

If at all possible, avoid row 24 at the back of the cabin which is close to the toilets. This is likely to be a noisy and congested area.

Best World Traveller (economy) seats on a BA 787-10

There are 165 economy seats on BA’s 787-10 in a 3-3-3 configuration, between rows 30 and 48. The final three rows are 2-3-2.

World Traveller (economy) is contained in one large cabin at the back of the plane, behind World Traveller Plus.

Each seat has a 17.1″ width, 31″ seat pitch, a 10″ screen in the seat-back in front. This is BA’s tightest economy cabin, owing to the comparatively narrow cabin width.

The best seats are likely to be at the front of the cabin. These are closest to the exit, meaning you would be the first economy passengers to disembark. 

There is a trade-off for seats in the front row (row 30). These come with additional legroom where you can stretch out fully, but are also closest to the toilets and likely to be busy with passengers waiting to use the bathroom.

Note that 30A and 30K have more limited legroom as the emergency exit sticks out a bit.

You should also be aware that your tray table and inflight entertainment screen are stored in the armrest. You are likely to get your first choice of food.

The middle section (rows ~33 to ~44) are not a bad place to be, as you are relatively far from the toilets. Obviously those seated further back will also disembark last, which may be a consideration for you.

The window seats in rows 46, 47 and 48 are much more spacious owing to narrowing of the fuselage: instead of 3-3-3 the seating configuration moves to 2-3-2 with a sizeable gap between the window seat and the side of the aircraft. This gives you extra space but means you can’t lean comfortably against the wall. As a pair these seats are clearly attractive to couples, at least those who don’t mind being near the loos.

Beware of seats in the last row (row 48) which appear to have very limited recline.

Conclusion

The Boeing 787-10 has become a core part of BA’s fleet. These are some of BA’s youngest aircraft and benefit from large windows and improved pressurisation, helping you feel more refreshed and less jet-lagged when you arrive.

Strangely, the First cabin does not feature doors whilst the Business Class cabin does. The Premium Economy and Economy cabins are pretty standard, although buyer beware: the Boeing 787s feature BA’s narrowest economy seat, at just 17.1″ wide.

Enjoy your flight!