With the Boeing 787 dominating long-haul flying, airlines are increasingly investing in the onboard experience offered on these planes. While the Airbus A350-1000, A380-800, or Boeing 777-300ER is the official flagship for most airlines’ fleets, the 787 is increasingly becoming a workhorse for airlines, and many carriers promote it as the pride of their fleets. With some airlines now also refreshing their cabins as a whole, new 787s are often the first choice for operators to debut updated business class seats.

Increasingly, new business class products aren’t getting larger or innovating on designs. Rather, the focus has been on making seats more space-efficient, improving ergonomics, adding privacy doors, and updating technology. The Collins Aerospace Elements, for instance, is largely similar to the reverse-herringbone Collins Elevation and Super Diamond, but supports larger screens and features a larger footwell. However, these small improvements add up, and it remains an exciting time for premium cabins in the industry.

The Seats That You Can Already Fly

Credit: United Airlines

United Airlines has now taken delivery of four Boeing 787-9s with its new ‘Elevated’ interiors. These planes, featuring the Elevate Ascent for Polaris, along with a new front-row Polaris Studio, as well as updated Premium Plus and economy products, are now operating revenue flights from San Francisco to Washington-Dulles and Houston. They will make their international debut on April 22, operating United’s evening departure from San Francisco to Singapore, and will also begin operating United’s noon departure from San Francisco to London on April 30.

Air India took delivery of its first purpose-built 787-9, VT-AWA, in January, and the plane entered service in February. All of Air India’s other 787-9s were formerly operated by Vistara, and still retain their original interiors. VT-AWA, however, features the Elevate Ascent for business class, which is notably different from the Collins Horizon suites found on Air India’s ex-Aeroflot Airbus A350s, the Recaro R7s that will be found on future A350s, or the Collins Elevation that will be installed on retrofitted Boeing 777s. VT-AWA has primarily been flying from Mumbai to Frankfurt, as well as between Mumbai and Delhi.

On April 7, 2026, Jetstar placed VH-VKK, its first refurbished 787-8, into service from Melbourne to Phuket, and it’s since been flying from Melbourne to Singapore as well as from Brisbane to Bangkok. This aircraft features new business class and economy seats, but as Jetstar is a low-cost carrier, it has selected the Recaro PL3530 recliner seat, a popular model for premium economy. The business class cabin has been enlarged from 21 seats to 44, and notably, this aircraft no longer features seatback screens.

Alaska Airlines: April 28, 2026

Credit: Alaska Airlines

On April 28, 2026, Alaska Airlines will commence its first long-haul 787-9 route from Seattle to Rome. While the carrier sells tickets on routes from Seattle to Tokyo-Narita and Seoul, these flights are technically branded as Hawaiian Airlines flights even if the carrier’s 787s are being repainted into the Alaska livery. The route from Seattle to Rome, however, will be branded specifically as Alaska Airlines and will launch the carrier’s new long-haul onboard experience, which will also be rolled out to the Tokyo-Narita and Seoul routes.

Flight attendants on this route will be wearing Alaska Airlines uniforms and will serve new catering options meant to represent the Pacific Northwest. In addition, business class passengers will receive amenity kits with Salt & Stone products, as well as updated bedding designed with Seattle-based brand Filson. One omission, however, is Wi-Fi, as Alaska’s Boeing 787-9s lack any onboard Wi-Fi system. Instead, that will come by 2027, and the carrier will offer complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi.

However, while the soft product will be new, the route will be operated by the same former Hawaiian 787-9s already in service. These seats feature the Elevate Ascent for business class, and the planes are not being retrofitted for this route. The Ascent is becoming increasingly popular for 787 operators, selected by Qatar Airways and American Airlines in addition to Air India, Alaska/Hawaiian, and United. It’s a highly customizable reverse herringbone seat that’s also space-efficient, and it was designed specifically for the 787, as Elevate Aircraft Seating is a joint venture partially owned by Boeing.

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All Nippon Airways: August 2026

Credit: All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways launched its new business class product, branded ‘The Room’, on select Boeing 777-300ERs in 2019, and to date, it remains one of the best business class seats in the world, rivaled only by Qatar Airways’ QSuite. The Room has only been available on ten (out of 13) 777-300ERs so far, but in 2025, ANA announced that it would update its entire international 787-9 fleet with new cabins, including ‘The Room FX’ (for Future eXperience). In January 2026, The Room FX was officially revealed.

The Room FX was designed in collaboration with Acumen and will be supplied by Safran. It features the same basic design as the Safran Fusio that The Room is based on, but with multiple improvements. Naturally, this includes technological updates, such as USB-C ports and wireless charging, but it also addresses The Room’s Achilles’ Heel: its short 72-inch (183 cm) bed length. Instead, the Room FX will boast a bed length of 76.5 inches (194 centimeters).

The Room FX will naturally be narrower than The Room, on account of the 787’s smaller fuselage, and it will also lack a reclining feature. Instead, the seats will be pre-reclined, with no electric motors and a manual leg-rest flipping upwards to form the bed. This is similar to Finnair’s AirLounge business class seats, which have generally been met with positive reception. ANA expects the first 787-9 with The Room FX to enter service in August 2026, and all future deliveries in the international configuration will also feature The Room FX.

LOT Polish Airlines: Q3 2026

Credit: LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines currently operates 15 Boeing 787s, split between eight 787-8s and seven 787-9s. These planes currently feature the Safran Aura Lite, an older lie-flat seat model configured six-abreast on LOT’s Dreamliners. These interiors are ultimately uncompetitive today, where direct aisle access is largely considered a minimum expectation in many markets. Happily, however, LOT will soon begin refurbishing its 787-8 with the Recaro R7 seat for business class.

First announced in 2023, the carrier has only confirmed that the 787-8 fleet will receive the new seats and not the 787-9s, although those could be refurbished in the future for fleet consistency. The Recaro R7, formerly branded as the CL6720, is a staggered seat that offers direct aisle access and privacy doors. The configuration of the center suites means that every other row features ‘honeymoon seats’, and passengers will also enjoy upgraded technology, including USB-C ports, wireless charging, and a 17.3-inch (44 centimeter) 4K display with Bluetooth.

It’s expected that the first retrofitted 787-8 will enter service in the third quarter of 2026, although LOT has been fairly quiet about the project since the initial announcement and delays are possible. In addition to the retrofits, LOT will also install the Recaro PL3530 for premium economy, along with the Recaro R3 (formerly branded as the CL3810) for economy.

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Japan Airlines, Possibly In 2027

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In February 2026, Japan Airlines and Boeing made a joint announcement that the two would collaborate on upgrading the interiors of 11 of JAL’s 787-9s. Details are limited, but the carrier currently has 22 787-9s, split between ten featuring 44 business class seats based on the Collins Aerospace Apex Suites, and 12 featuring the Safran Aries (split between eight that offer 28 business class seats and four that offer 52 business class seats). This agreement includes updating the interiors to the carrier’s latest standards, introduced in 2024 on the Airbus A350-1000.

JAL’s A350-1000s feature the Safran Unity for business class, a staggered seat with privacy doors that’s been lauded as one of the best business class seats in the world. The Unity is designed for both the A350 and the 787; however, JAL’s version of the Unity is highly customized and would likely be too wide to fit on the 787 in its current form. JAL would either need a slightly narrower version of the Unity (which is a strong possibility) or select another model.

The two parties haven’t been clear on when the first retrofitted 787 will enter service; however, JAL also holds ten orders for new 787-9s, which will also feature the new interiors. The first of these is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2027, and so it will likely coincide with when the first retrofitted 787-9 will enter service. As such, these interiors will either debut in late 2026 or early 2027. These seats will also be specific to the 787-9, as JAL’s 787-8s will not be refurbished for now.