The Boeing 777
The headline of this entry is about the chaos in the U.S. commercial aviation arena, but that’s only because it’s a part of a series of entries I have been writing about my latest trip to the U.S., in December. In this post I’d like to talk about the plane I flew in for both my trans-Atlantic flights, the Boeing 777.
I did not discover the 777 suddenly in that latest journey. First of all, I flew on board the 777 back in ‘04, LHR-EWR. Secondly, last July, when all of the attention was focused on the new 787, I dedicated a special post to the 777, saying basically that although this plane wasn’t announced “revolutionary” at birth, it is in fact not less important than its younger brother, and maybe even more.
The 777 is the best plane for long haul flights of our time. Period. It can deliver some 300 passengers, non-stop, in 12, 15 and even 17 hours flights, using only two engines. The 777-300 can deliver as much as 350 passengers in such long routes. From the airline point of view there is no better plane for those long haul routes, which explains why carriers like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, British Airways and Air France establish their fleets on this plane. It also explains why airlines with Airbus A340-based long haul fleets, like Air Canada and Qatar Airways have decided to switch to a 777-based long haul fleet.
But what about the passenger point of view? Of course, the cramped economy seat is the same in any wide body, be it the 767, the 777, the A330 or the A340. I flew on board all of those planes, and there is not much different when you sit in your place. Despite that I would like to point out that the 777 has quite a room next to the lavatories, which enable you to stand comfortably for several periods of the flight (an important thing on long haul). In general, the 777 is relatively roomy and stable at flight, considering that the airlines do as much as they can to load it with the highest number of passengers possible.
Just like the 777 practically eliminated the 747, the biggest threat it faces in the next few years comes from the 787. If the 787 could fly some 300 passengers in long routes, burning less fuel (as promised by Boeing), it can make the 777 obsolete. It will be interesting to watch.
