What are the best seats on a British Airways Boeing 787-9?
This is our guide to picking the best seat on the British Airways Boeing 787-9 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 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 787-9
British Airways has 18 Boeing 787-9 aircraft in its fleet. It also has a fleet of 12 x 787-8s, the smaller variant, and 12 of the larger 787-10, with more on order.
You might recognise the 787 from its large windows with electronic dimming rather than traditional window shades.
Like the A350, it is one of the latest aircraft types featuring carbon-fibre structures. This makes it lighter and more fuel efficient and allows for a lower cabin pressurisation altitude which helps to reduce the effects of jet lag.
The Boeing 787-9 fleet is one of the last at Heathrow to be refurbished with the 2019-era Club Suites. Only the A380 fleet remains, although the Gatwick 777 fleet will not be upgraded until replaced.
So far – as of April 2026 – just two Boeing 787-9 have been refurbished with the remaining aircraft featuring the older yin-yang style seating (but not for long). What makes the 787-9 refurbishment special is that it is the first aircraft to receive the new-look World Traveller Plus (premium economy) seat.
We have only shown the new Club Suite seat map here as the old layout will soon be gone.
British Airways Boeing 787-9 seat map
Here is the full seat plan for a British Airways Boeing 787-9.
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 787-9.
What are the best First Class seats on the British Airways 787-9?
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 uses the newest generation of its First seat on these aircraft, originally launched in 2015.
There are eight seats in the First Class cabin on BA’s 787-9s, in a 1-2-1 layout across two rows. This makes it a very private and intimate cabin.
The lack of doors in First mean that Club Suite – business class – is superior in this way. However, First Class remains very private with an enclosed shell. Seats along the outside are angled towards the window whilst the aisle seats are angled towards each other.
(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 will also be introducing a new First Class seat as part of its much delayed A380 refurbishment.)
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, seat 2K is an excellent option as it is on the quieter side of the aircraft. 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.
However, 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 787-9
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 such as the 787-9 fleet.
As of April 2026, Club Suite has been rolled out across the majority of BA’s long haul Heathrow fleet (sorry Gatwick) with the Boeing 787-9 fleet in progress and the A380 fleet to follow.
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 38 business class seats on BA’s 787-9s in a 1-2-1 configuration. 12 are in a smaller, forward cabin, whilst the remaining 26 are separated by a galley in a second, larger cabin.
The best seats on BA’s Boeing 787-9 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 20.
Rows 6 and 7 are also good
In terms of peace and quiet, rows 6 and 7 are 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 787-9 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 8, 20 and 21 as these are closest to the central galleys and toilets (and baby bassinets).
The last rows of Business Class – row 25 – 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 British Aiwrays 787-9
There are 39 World Traveller Plus seats on a British Airways 787-9. Which one is the best?
The premium economy seats are situated in a single cabin behind Club World in rows 45 to 50. There are seven seats per row in a 2-3-2 layout.
These are BA’s latest premium economy seat – you can tell from the winged headrests in the image above.
Each seat is 18.7″ wide with a 38″ seat pitch (the gap between the back of the seat in front and yours) and comes with a 12″ screen in the seatback in front of you and USB charging.
Couples are likely to enjoy the window seats where you can have two seats together. It makes no sense to take two seats in the middle block. You might be tempted to pay for a seat reservation in order to guarantee a window pair.
The best row is row 45 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.
The snag is that some of these seats are likely to be 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 16. Note that your in flight entertainment screen and tray table will be stored in your armrest.
The further back in the cabin you are, the closer you are to the economy toilets which are likely to be busy throughout the flight. Row 50 is particularly exposed, being almost directly next to the bathroom doors.
Best World Traveller (economy) seats on a BA 787-9
There are 127 economy seats on BA’s 787-9 in a 3-3-3 configuration, between rows 60 and 75.
World Traveller (economy) features 130 seats and is contained in one large cabin at the back of the plane, behind World Traveller Plus, between rows 60 to 75.
Each seat has a 17.1″ width, 31″ seat pitch, a 10″ screen in the seat-back in front.
The best seats are likely to be at the front or the middle of the cabin. These are closest to the exit, meaning you would be the first economy passengers to disembark.
Seats in row 60 should have additional leg room as there are no seats in front, but be aware that your tray table and inflight entertainment screen are stored in the armrest. You are also likely to get your first choice of food.
On the other hand, the first row is also closer to the bathrooms and baby bassinet seats, so you may prefer to sit a few rows back.
The further back down the cabin you go, the worse the seats get. You are closer to the lavatories and galley which may be noisy with cabin crew preparing meals and other passengers frequenting the toilet. You will also be the very last to disembark the plane.
You should avoid row 75, a set of three seats sandwiched in between the lavatories and right in front of the galley. This area is likely to be especially busy throughout the flight.
Conclusion
BA’s Boeing 787-9 is one of the last aircraft to be refurbished with its new Club Suite cabins. It is also the first type to receive an updated premium economy World Traveller Plus cabin featuring winged headrests.
By April 2026 just two of 18 aircraft have been refurbished, so it will take some time until the old-style yin-yang seating is eliminated entirely. Make sure to check that the seat maps above correspond with what is available on your flight.
Enjoy your flight!