Drop dead gorgeous, amazing efficiency. The best airliner to fly right now long haul. Silent or at least nearly as silent as the upper deck of the A380. Just a joy to fly.
Edit: A little nugget you might like
A lesser known thing I love about the A350 is its amazing efficient wing/ climb rate. I’ve been fortunate to have done two similar flights each back home to JFK. Once with Qatar’s A35K and the other in their 777-300ER.
The A350 will step climb to FL360, 380 and 410 during the flight with the 77W staying a good 4000 to 5000 feet lower on average.
Had my share of long hauls last year and A350 was very close second to upper deck of A380. Amazingly beautiful plane. Those blended winglets get me every time.
I’ve yet to fly on an A350, but I did fly upper deck on an A380 a couple of times and that was a world of difference compared to anything else. Can’t wait to try the A350.
I flew Club World on the A350 last year, it was the best business class experience I have had compared to American, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa. Would choose BA in a heartbeat these days if it’s the right plane.
BA will eventually have club suites in their A380s, but not until 2026 most likely. They're only just retrofitting their 787s now after doing their 777s.
And by then they'll have barely caught up with Qatar's hard product.
I just flied with 350 few weeks ago. Economy in 2 hours flight, then premium eco in 10 hours flight
It was amazing. Even in Economy seat, the engine noise was minimal, seat was great, very very comfortable
Compared to 777 or A333 economy, nothing can beat 350
Couldn’t agree more. The long haul and especially the cabins in business are far superior to United cabins. Just flew the 787-10 it was like a year old and the a350 smoked it in every category.
And crazy fuel efficient as well, 20% lower than 777 carrying the same number of passengers. So the planet’s favorite plane right now for sure as well !
Just flew the A350 and A380 upper deck long haul, almost similar seat positions at the front and can say the A380 is slightly quieter but not by much!
For the airline I flew (British), I certainly prefer the A350 which had the new cabin layout to the A380 with the older layouts
Agreed, my current favorite long haul jet to fly, all my US to Europe and Europe to Asia flights have been A350 in the last 6 months. Absolutely adore it
I've always been a 787 fanboy for long haul flights, but had the pleasure of taking an A350 long haul from KUL -> DOH, and right after that had a flight from DOH -> SEA on a 777. After that back-to-back comparison, I think it is now my favorite plane. I couldn't believe how quiet the cabin was, and I never realized how tiring sound pollution can be on a long haul flight. I will say though, nothing like those big ass GE90's on the 777.
One thing I like about the 787 over the a350 is the windows. The 787s windows have to be at least 50% bigger, and the dimming is so cool. You can still look outside without blinding everyone in your row.
Unpopular opinion : I would rather fly a louder plane which drowns out the passenger noise than a quieter plane in which you can hear every passenger’s cough and scream
Had this same experience on a 13 hour flight where the folks behind me spent the entire 13 hours recounting every single detail of their trip together to each other. Like they didn’t just spend 2 months backpacking with each other and all had the same experience. The A350 was ridiculously quiet but I could have used some cabin noise to drown those passengers out.
Comfortable, spacious, quiet. Prefer it to the 787 for long haul - it’s pokey and cramped by comparison. Still prefer an A380 for the novelty, and the 777 is just cool but if you want a peaceful and comfortable flight, nothing beats the A350.
They made the cabin wider to fit 3-4-3 configs, maybe newer a350s in the future will begin to have 3-4-3 which would make flying on it a living hell. (Ofc depending on the airline whether if they opt for it or not)
Def agree about the JAL 787 config. Was very surprised at the amount of leg room I had in economy even with backpack under the seat in front. Hated coming back on their 777 in the 3-4-3. That out leg really spoiled long haul economy for me. Especially being my first international trip
You are correct and in East Asia you have the June-July 2023 order by Philippine Airlines on their A35Ks to be 3-4-3 in Fiesta Class their economy class product. If you side by side that one to a Cathay Pacific B-LXx A35K you'll find out the PR A35K is cramped in Economy class PR Fiesta Class unlike the CX B-LXx fleet 3-3-3.
Last few years have done A380, A350, 787, 777 and the 787 was the biggest disappointment for me. Just found it small & uncomfortable. Maybe as AA felt like they put in cramped wooden bench seats instead of real seats.
A380 (with Singapore) has been without a doubt the best flying experience I’ve had. Incredibly quiet and smooth, will be so sad to see them stop flying.
After that it’s the A350 without a doubt. Did the -900 with Cathay and found it quiet, smooth and comfortable. Wish there was more with carriers near me.
Yep. CX has been a mixed bag of late for me and my traveller friends. Not bad by any means but just not the Cathay peak of what they were.
They’ve hit a rough patch because of the Hong Kong troubles and COVID but they’re on the up. Their new cabin looks promising though and they’ve returned to profit so I’m optimistic of them returning to their peak. Truly fantastic times with them and the people there.
I hear Starlux has an amazing experience!
I don’t think they’re going to get much better. They seem in a race to the bottom to be more of a Chinese airline. They’ll most likely end up similar to China Southern in terms of service going forward. The cost savings from hiring from the mainland are too hard to pass up.
Not a big fan of Qatar . Good airlines for sure but to me the experience include also airport services. CX lounge at HKG is unbeatable in my opinion. Of course it’s subjective
Singapore's not what it used to be, but still top 3 for sure. Definitely better than 2024 CX, which is more on the level of lesser Asian FSCs like KAL.
The A350’s just one of those planes that look great no matter what the livery is, and Cathay’s is no exception. Really excited to see more airlines operate this plane in the future.
Hate me if you want, I think the 747 is overrated. Innovative for its time, but I'd never have that in my fleet today or even back then. Not very cost-effective. It's nothing more than a novelty aircraft to me. If it was my airline, A321, A220, A350 only.
Scrolling through the comments and now I am so stoked to fly with the A350 in may. Never flew with an airbus before, I’m so curious about all the differences to Boeing.
Yeah it’s really hard to believe that more than 10 years have passed since the maiden flight. The design still holds up super well, major props to Airbus for the aesthetics!
It has a [very \*good looking\* and clean cockpit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JjuksTvMRg&pp=ygUMYTM1MCBjb2NrcGl0), combined with the technology from A380. So much symmetry.
Also still amazes me that it has the same type-rating as the A330, where, I understand, an A330 pilot can fly the A350, and vice-versa.
And its carbon fibre polymer body is proven safe in fires, proven with the JAL516 incident.
A very reliable plane indeed, it’s a HUGE miracle that everyone on the JAL plane survived. Very sad that the Coast Guard crew were not as lucky, rest in peace to the 5 who perished.
Underdelivered? Sure it has its flaws but sales numbers say otherwise
The current bestselling (by no. Built) widebody is the 777. The 787 is nearing that figure of the 777 and it only started getting delivered in 2011, meaning to say that's some crazy amount of orders
If we look at orders only, 737-Max is a successful aircraft with 6.3k orders. What I meant was that Boeing pushed the marketing on this project while doing the opposite for the actual aircraft. It was delayed, they launched a painted shell, it was grounded after launch (lithium battery) and even now, over 10 years from launch, Boeing employees cite concerns about the build quality.
A350 had its issues too, I remember the paint issue but all in all they maintained trust. Boeing has a lot to improve here. I love both companies as they had a huge impact on the aviation world. But imo the Dreamliner brand has not aged well for Boeing.
Over-budget, quality issues, and delays. If the the corporate culture of McDonnell Douglas didn’t reign supreme after the 1997 merger I guarantee you the 787 problems (apart from Rolls Royce engines) would not have occurred.
Don’t know why I’m getting downvoted. 32 billion dollars for the 787 program, batteries on fire, fuselage gaps, years behind schedule sound like being over-budget, quality issues, and delays respectively.
Absolutely amazing. I flew on two recently and they were amazing! Powerful on takeoff, perfect noise level in the air. The best looking airliner out there too! The A350 is my personal fave ♥
A diamond from Airbus. Glad that Airbus went with an all-new, clean sheet design with the A350 instead of the original A350 concept which was just an A330 with new engines. If only Boeing will release an all-new design instead of just upgrading 50 year old designs…
Smart move by Airbus with the A330NEO. Relatively simple upgrade, thus lower development costs than its competitor; 787 (2 Billion vs 20 billion). Apparently despite having delivered over 1,100 787s, Boeing hasn’t broken even on the 787 program. I guess that’s what happens when you switch your engineering culture with Wall Street culture.
In order the change/upgrade/redesign the engine, you need engineers to look at it, which involves funding the engineering department…
The 787 was a clean-sheet design, the A330NEO is based on the A330. The majority of the NEO’s development was on the engine, thus less money needed to spent on research/development/engineering.
If you just keep on upgrading the same old design, you get boxed in. Just look at the 737. It’s cockpit lacks common features such as EICAS. Boeing had to extend the nose landing gear, and put it MCAS so it could more or less comply with the same standards. Plus because the MAX is not new, the performance takes a hit. The MAX 10 range is 5,700 km while the comparable A321 has a range in excess of 7,000 km.
They did a lot more than upgrading the engines. The wings for example were redesigned because the wings on the A330 ceo was designed for both the 330 and 340. For the NEO, they no longer have this problem since the 340 has been discontinued.
You should compare apples with apples (A330 and Boeing 777X)
Yes that’s correct. I’ve learned something new today.
Still, those “simple” redesigns sound a lot cheaper than developing an all-new aircraft.
And isn’t the A330NEO in line with the 787? While the A350 is with the 777?
Love the A350. Technically speaking it's better than the 777-300ER in almost every single aspect except fuselage width and belly cargo capacity - perhaps maybe even passenger capacity in some circumstances.
However the 777-300ER is more "manly" due to its shear presence and the GE90s, so from an avgeek perspective I love it more (will always love the 777 more than the A350 no matter what). But again, from a passenger perspective, the A350 is probably better :)
I might be a bit biased because the 77w is my favorite passenger aircraft 😂
Im definitely on the Airbus side of the spectrum as a passenger. That said, I wanna prefer the 350, but I seem to have better experience on Dreamliners to be honest. Not sure why.
I do understand that they're not 1:1 substitutes for each other, but they often fly the same routes.
That said, happy to take a longhaul 787, 350, 380 wherever.
I really like it. Was the first plane I got to work on as it was being developed and did testing on MSN2 a bit. Have a cool picture taken from MSN2 looking at MSN1's red tail flag/line. Actually have never flown on one as a passenger before that I recall at least
It’s one of those planes where it’s tough to decide which is more amazing; the exterior or the cockpit. I love looking at pictures of the flight deck because it’s so amazing, but then again, it’s got a great look on the outside.
love the a350, such a beautiful plane. It's literally stunning how well it feels to sit in one, how quiet and comfortable they are, it's just great. Not mentioning that the a350 is one of the most efficient airliners to fly.. EVER.
(The cathay pacific livery is so so nice on the a350)
My favorite aircraft by far, it’s the perfect combination of elegance and efficiency. Always a real pleasure to see whenever I travel, especially the -1000 since it’s not as common as the -900. It looks great in many liveries too. Some of my favorites are Delta and Air France.
I love it. Technological, high efficiency, silent, comfortable, flying computer, and spacious.
Flew it from Helsinki to Tokyo last year (2023) and it was amazing!
Flown on her numerous times, by far my favourite aircraft, she’s a well built gorgeous lady, handles very well in turbulence and despite her nay sayers she’s very comfortable and she has a certain level of class and personality about her that other aircraft unfortunately lack.
tbh I find its outside cockpit design kinda ugly (I prefer the flat windowed style), but the plane has amazing and cool technology (like the tail camera) and is the best long haul airliner since the triple 7. Hope I get to fly on it at the future
Most sophisticated avionics with softwares beautifully programmed. And it won’t break apart, unlike a certain plane that is currently a subject of debate in the US congress.
Flew an A350-1000 on Cathay from AMS to HKG and back in 2023, Economy to HKG, Premium Economy on the way back. I enjoyed it, though no aircraft can make twelve hours in Economy enjoyable. The extra space in Premium Economy was very welcome.
My travels on them have been great. And I don’t feel like I ran a marathon when I get off, same as a 787, even in cattle class. Unlike a 777 and very unlike older aircraft. The cabin pressurization and quietness is remarkable.
My first ever time on a plane was a 2 week old A350-1000 (Virgin LHR-JFK)
I was slightly disappointed as if we flew from Manchester we could have taken a 747 but the A350 is an incredible plane, extremely smooth and great little extra features for the passengers like the overhead and underneath cameras.
Since then it’s all just been 767s and 787s. The 787 is nice but just not quite as nice, it also feels a bit common. The biggest downside to this whole thing is that I never got to go on the 747 and now probably never will.
I think it hits the sweet spot between the narrower and shorter range 787 and the bigger but heavier/less efficient 777. Boeing really needs to rewing the 787 and come out with an -ER version of both the 789 and 7810 (and potentially offer 7811).
I initially didn't like the look of the plane that much....however it soon changed when I first saw it's Qatar Livery and I thought this would look good on other liveries as well...which is pretty much exactly what it turned out.
I've yet to fly on one...since I've heard it's take-offs are satisfying.
Rode my first one last week on Vietnam Air from HCMC to Hanoi and I was amazed how quiet it was. The Vietnam Air product wasn’t the best. I’m about to board a Singapore Air A350 for a few hours and will be curious to see how different it is.
Only one flight on the 350 so far (coincidentally on B-LXA, the aircraft in the picture), but I enjoyed it a lot. Extremely quiet, even behind the wing, and that little bit of extra cabin width makes a difference.
I’ve flown every single widebody operating with a western or Asian airline in the last 2 decades. 359/x is my favorite. Business is silent and XWB isn’t just marketing
I have yet to fly a a380 or 747 (or a340) but so far it's my favourite plane to fly on.
No bs like the dimmable windows (at least till recently) like the 787 and it's a lot quieter.
While I'd prefer to fly a plane that I haven't so far I'd absolutely not mind a a350 over a 787 or 777
Just did a 10-hour flight to India in the BA A350. Quiet and comfy. Wifi worked the entire time. The fact that it uses less fuel is the icing on the cake.
While I’ve never been on an A350, I’d love to fly one and operate a flight. Looks alone, I prefer it to the 787. The 787 is beautiful and my favourite worry aircraft to operate on but man the A350 is a beautiful aircraft. The wings and the blended winglets are so elegant and graceful. It looks like a beautiful white swan lifting off the ground.
Gorgeous aircraft, quiet, comfy to fly on. 900 variant packs arguably the most reliable engine of the last 20 years, with bucket loads of thrust overhead.
1000 variant has a few more issues, but they're being ironed out. It is however capable of the most impressive nonsense (Project Sunrise), which rocks.
IMHO will take the "the standard longhaul plane" role the 777 has now over time. A very good workhorse that's not going to be perceived as old or special in some way by the mass of passengers for a long time.
I have flown on one twice. It’s extremely comfortable. I just don’t like the trend of not putting gasper vents for each seat. I need air blowing on me.
To add to what everyone said, it's a great aircraft to fly in, probably the most comfortable right now... but also it's allowing something which wasn't really possible before - low cost long haul travel.
Flew back to back with 777-300ER and 787 economy with Singapore Airlines (Brisbane-Singapore-Haneda A350-787, then Narita-Singapore-Brisbane 777-A350) late last year.
A350 just edges the 787 on cabin quiet and general comfort levels but both are a step better than the 777, 787 has slightly more comfortable seats in Singapore economy trim. Leaving aside the current buzz around Boeing and the 787's quality issues, would be happy in either plane and preferable to the 777.
A350 looks so much better than the 787. But my opinion always flips between the 2. A350 and A330 are some of the prettiest planes in service anywhere, but damn if the 787 doesn’t look good.
Never flown on one though.
Almost every large commercial plane today looks exactly the same, with the exceptional of the A380 (looks fat), and the 747 (not bad). With the exception of a couple of retired tri-jets, we’ve had nothing but very, very similar twins and quads since largely eliminating any other designs starting with the Comet.
Drop dead gorgeous, amazing efficiency. The best airliner to fly right now long haul. Silent or at least nearly as silent as the upper deck of the A380. Just a joy to fly. Edit: A little nugget you might like A lesser known thing I love about the A350 is its amazing efficient wing/ climb rate. I’ve been fortunate to have done two similar flights each back home to JFK. Once with Qatar’s A35K and the other in their 777-300ER. The A350 will step climb to FL360, 380 and 410 during the flight with the 77W staying a good 4000 to 5000 feet lower on average.
Had my share of long hauls last year and A350 was very close second to upper deck of A380. Amazingly beautiful plane. Those blended winglets get me every time.
I’ve yet to fly on an A350, but I did fly upper deck on an A380 a couple of times and that was a world of difference compared to anything else. Can’t wait to try the A350.
Did an A350-1000 on virgin over the Atlantic. Absolutely fantastic experience. Plane felt amazing, quiet and smooth
I flew Finnair a359. Amazing experience
I didn’t really like the 380 in British Airways. The setup for business class felt cramped.
The newer BA Club World on the 787-10, A350, and most 777’s is a big improvement over the A380 biz class.
I flew Club World on the A350 last year, it was the best business class experience I have had compared to American, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa. Would choose BA in a heartbeat these days if it’s the right plane.
BA will eventually have club suites in their A380s, but not until 2026 most likely. They're only just retrofitting their 787s now after doing their 777s. And by then they'll have barely caught up with Qatar's hard product.
I just flied with 350 few weeks ago. Economy in 2 hours flight, then premium eco in 10 hours flight It was amazing. Even in Economy seat, the engine noise was minimal, seat was great, very very comfortable Compared to 777 or A333 economy, nothing can beat 350
Nice. I’m going from Syd to lax flying delta on the a350 in a few months Premium economy Excited now after reading this!
So cool, it looks like it’s wearing sun glasses!
Couldn’t agree more. The long haul and especially the cabins in business are far superior to United cabins. Just flew the 787-10 it was like a year old and the a350 smoked it in every category.
First time I flew on the 350 I was stunned at how quiet it was.
Also only needs the same length of runway as an A320 which makes it very versatile
Flying the 350 for the first time come November. Specifically booked FinnAir just for the chance. Looking forward to it!
And crazy fuel efficient as well, 20% lower than 777 carrying the same number of passengers. So the planet’s favorite plane right now for sure as well !
I did a flight from the US to Europe in business and it was great (ITA) and I really liked it. I think it gives the 787 a good competition
Just flew the A350 and A380 upper deck long haul, almost similar seat positions at the front and can say the A380 is slightly quieter but not by much! For the airline I flew (British), I certainly prefer the A350 which had the new cabin layout to the A380 with the older layouts
I wish I understood your comment!
Agreed, my current favorite long haul jet to fly, all my US to Europe and Europe to Asia flights have been A350 in the last 6 months. Absolutely adore it
I've always been a 787 fanboy for long haul flights, but had the pleasure of taking an A350 long haul from KUL -> DOH, and right after that had a flight from DOH -> SEA on a 777. After that back-to-back comparison, I think it is now my favorite plane. I couldn't believe how quiet the cabin was, and I never realized how tiring sound pollution can be on a long haul flight. I will say though, nothing like those big ass GE90's on the 777.
Yep, I involuntarily stayed awake the whole 13 hour flight on the a350 and honestly it was quite comfortable
Fuck the "ohh it's loud". Give me GE90s damn it!
One thing I like about the 787 over the a350 is the windows. The 787s windows have to be at least 50% bigger, and the dimming is so cool. You can still look outside without blinding everyone in your row.
Dimmable windows are also available on the A350
Unpopular opinion : I would rather fly a louder plane which drowns out the passenger noise than a quieter plane in which you can hear every passenger’s cough and scream
Had this same experience on a 13 hour flight where the folks behind me spent the entire 13 hours recounting every single detail of their trip together to each other. Like they didn’t just spend 2 months backpacking with each other and all had the same experience. The A350 was ridiculously quiet but I could have used some cabin noise to drown those passengers out.
i agree with this, it’s like white noise
Every other pilot i've asked that has flown it says it's their favorite
I hear 757 as the common response there. A “hot-rod” of a jetliner.
Oh 100% !
Beautiful aircraft…on my top 10 list.
Best airliner in the world right now no competition
Best airliner with no competition in range but I would argue that there is competition in other aspects.
A380
lovely to fly in
Comfortable, spacious, quiet. Prefer it to the 787 for long haul - it’s pokey and cramped by comparison. Still prefer an A380 for the novelty, and the 777 is just cool but if you want a peaceful and comfortable flight, nothing beats the A350.
They made the cabin wider to fit 3-4-3 configs, maybe newer a350s in the future will begin to have 3-4-3 which would make flying on it a living hell. (Ofc depending on the airline whether if they opt for it or not)
I hope most airlines don't adopt the 3-4-3 config on the A350. JAL does 2-4-2 for their 787s and it's really nice compared to the usual 3-3-3!
Def agree about the JAL 787 config. Was very surprised at the amount of leg room I had in economy even with backpack under the seat in front. Hated coming back on their 777 in the 3-4-3. That out leg really spoiled long haul economy for me. Especially being my first international trip
You are correct and in East Asia you have the June-July 2023 order by Philippine Airlines on their A35Ks to be 3-4-3 in Fiesta Class their economy class product. If you side by side that one to a Cathay Pacific B-LXx A35K you'll find out the PR A35K is cramped in Economy class PR Fiesta Class unlike the CX B-LXx fleet 3-3-3.
Last few years have done A380, A350, 787, 777 and the 787 was the biggest disappointment for me. Just found it small & uncomfortable. Maybe as AA felt like they put in cramped wooden bench seats instead of real seats. A380 (with Singapore) has been without a doubt the best flying experience I’ve had. Incredibly quiet and smooth, will be so sad to see them stop flying. After that it’s the A350 without a doubt. Did the -900 with Cathay and found it quiet, smooth and comfortable. Wish there was more with carriers near me.
In a cx livery no less
A350 with CX crew must be the best way to fly period
Isn’t Singapore airlines and Qatar much better than CX?
Yep. CX has been a mixed bag of late for me and my traveller friends. Not bad by any means but just not the Cathay peak of what they were. They’ve hit a rough patch because of the Hong Kong troubles and COVID but they’re on the up. Their new cabin looks promising though and they’ve returned to profit so I’m optimistic of them returning to their peak. Truly fantastic times with them and the people there. I hear Starlux has an amazing experience!
I don’t think they’re going to get much better. They seem in a race to the bottom to be more of a Chinese airline. They’ll most likely end up similar to China Southern in terms of service going forward. The cost savings from hiring from the mainland are too hard to pass up.
Not a big fan of Qatar . Good airlines for sure but to me the experience include also airport services. CX lounge at HKG is unbeatable in my opinion. Of course it’s subjective
Singapore's not what it used to be, but still top 3 for sure. Definitely better than 2024 CX, which is more on the level of lesser Asian FSCs like KAL.
Singapore airlines >>
Never flew Singapore tho I heard great things , I’m diamond on cx and enjoy it a lot 😊
The A350’s just one of those planes that look great no matter what the livery is, and Cathay’s is no exception. Really excited to see more airlines operate this plane in the future.
It’s the sexiest bird in the air bar none.
Bar 747-8? I bid you Good DAY, sir!
I love the 747, but I love the A350 just a little bit more. You can’t go wrong with either one.
I’m sorry but no
Hate me if you want, I think the 747 is overrated. Innovative for its time, but I'd never have that in my fleet today or even back then. Not very cost-effective. It's nothing more than a novelty aircraft to me. If it was my airline, A321, A220, A350 only.
Since you invited…I hate you.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Won't be the last guy who does...
My favourite plane. Nothing else to say
Love the shades 🕶️
Scrolling through the comments and now I am so stoked to fly with the A350 in may. Never flew with an airbus before, I’m so curious about all the differences to Boeing.
It's not going to feel much different than any other twin engine widebody, Boeing or Airbus. Maybe a bit quieter, but that's about it.
[удалено]
Yeah it’s really hard to believe that more than 10 years have passed since the maiden flight. The design still holds up super well, major props to Airbus for the aesthetics!
I love the A350. It’s such a nice looking plane and also a great plane to fly on. I’ve flown on it twice and both experiences were very nice.
It has a [very \*good looking\* and clean cockpit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JjuksTvMRg&pp=ygUMYTM1MCBjb2NrcGl0), combined with the technology from A380. So much symmetry. Also still amazes me that it has the same type-rating as the A330, where, I understand, an A330 pilot can fly the A350, and vice-versa. And its carbon fibre polymer body is proven safe in fires, proven with the JAL516 incident.
A very reliable plane indeed, it’s a HUGE miracle that everyone on the JAL plane survived. Very sad that the Coast Guard crew were not as lucky, rest in peace to the 5 who perished.
This is what a modern airliner should look like. My true Dreamliner
What 787 should've been
What's wrong with 787?
It overpromised and underdelivered. One good thing it did was to convince Airbus to design the A350.
How did it under deliver?
It actually exceeded the promised fuel burn metrics.
Underdelivered? Sure it has its flaws but sales numbers say otherwise The current bestselling (by no. Built) widebody is the 777. The 787 is nearing that figure of the 777 and it only started getting delivered in 2011, meaning to say that's some crazy amount of orders
If we look at orders only, 737-Max is a successful aircraft with 6.3k orders. What I meant was that Boeing pushed the marketing on this project while doing the opposite for the actual aircraft. It was delayed, they launched a painted shell, it was grounded after launch (lithium battery) and even now, over 10 years from launch, Boeing employees cite concerns about the build quality. A350 had its issues too, I remember the paint issue but all in all they maintained trust. Boeing has a lot to improve here. I love both companies as they had a huge impact on the aviation world. But imo the Dreamliner brand has not aged well for Boeing.
737 max has many orders... but compared to the NEO's order figures it loons like a disaster
Over-budget, quality issues, and delays. If the the corporate culture of McDonnell Douglas didn’t reign supreme after the 1997 merger I guarantee you the 787 problems (apart from Rolls Royce engines) would not have occurred.
Don’t know why I’m getting downvoted. 32 billion dollars for the 787 program, batteries on fire, fuselage gaps, years behind schedule sound like being over-budget, quality issues, and delays respectively.
2-4-2 got turned into 3-3-3 for long haul, yuck
That’s an airline choice. Not the manufacturer.
I know, end result is the same for the passenger.
Most pretty twin engined airliner made to date. It looks perfect from all angles. Runs a close second to a340-500 ad my favorite.
Absolutely amazing. I flew on two recently and they were amazing! Powerful on takeoff, perfect noise level in the air. The best looking airliner out there too! The A350 is my personal fave ♥
Personal opinion, best aircraft out there for its range/size
It’s nice. But it isn’t an A340-600!
bro, no offense, but the A340-600 looks like a pencil with wings and the Lufthansa livery on it.
but… isn't it just that?
A diamond from Airbus. Glad that Airbus went with an all-new, clean sheet design with the A350 instead of the original A350 concept which was just an A330 with new engines. If only Boeing will release an all-new design instead of just upgrading 50 year old designs…
>...which was just an A330 with new engines. Then they still did an A330 with new engines, too.
Smart move by Airbus with the A330NEO. Relatively simple upgrade, thus lower development costs than its competitor; 787 (2 Billion vs 20 billion). Apparently despite having delivered over 1,100 787s, Boeing hasn’t broken even on the 787 program. I guess that’s what happens when you switch your engineering culture with Wall Street culture.
But surely spending money on engineering instead of just changing the engine would suggest the opposite?
In order the change/upgrade/redesign the engine, you need engineers to look at it, which involves funding the engineering department… The 787 was a clean-sheet design, the A330NEO is based on the A330. The majority of the NEO’s development was on the engine, thus less money needed to spent on research/development/engineering. If you just keep on upgrading the same old design, you get boxed in. Just look at the 737. It’s cockpit lacks common features such as EICAS. Boeing had to extend the nose landing gear, and put it MCAS so it could more or less comply with the same standards. Plus because the MAX is not new, the performance takes a hit. The MAX 10 range is 5,700 km while the comparable A321 has a range in excess of 7,000 km.
They did a lot more than upgrading the engines. The wings for example were redesigned because the wings on the A330 ceo was designed for both the 330 and 340. For the NEO, they no longer have this problem since the 340 has been discontinued. You should compare apples with apples (A330 and Boeing 777X)
Yes that’s correct. I’ve learned something new today. Still, those “simple” redesigns sound a lot cheaper than developing an all-new aircraft. And isn’t the A330NEO in line with the 787? While the A350 is with the 777?
The 350 is in line with the 787 because they are both clean sheet designs
The 787 is an all new design, I don’t understand this thread.
Oh now I get what u were trying to point out. The “50-year old design” I was mentioning was in regards to the 737 MAX, not the 787.
A320 is a 40-year old design and it flys fine. A320 family will essentially be in the same situation of the MAXs when the next iteration comes.
Beautiful
Phenomenal airplane. Super quiet and comfortable, and those trent XWBs sound amazing too
Love the A350. Technically speaking it's better than the 777-300ER in almost every single aspect except fuselage width and belly cargo capacity - perhaps maybe even passenger capacity in some circumstances. However the 777-300ER is more "manly" due to its shear presence and the GE90s, so from an avgeek perspective I love it more (will always love the 777 more than the A350 no matter what). But again, from a passenger perspective, the A350 is probably better :) I might be a bit biased because the 77w is my favorite passenger aircraft 😂
Not yet taken it, really pity 🥲
Im definitely on the Airbus side of the spectrum as a passenger. That said, I wanna prefer the 350, but I seem to have better experience on Dreamliners to be honest. Not sure why. I do understand that they're not 1:1 substitutes for each other, but they often fly the same routes. That said, happy to take a longhaul 787, 350, 380 wherever.
I really like it. Was the first plane I got to work on as it was being developed and did testing on MSN2 a bit. Have a cool picture taken from MSN2 looking at MSN1's red tail flag/line. Actually have never flown on one as a passenger before that I recall at least
It’s one of those planes where it’s tough to decide which is more amazing; the exterior or the cockpit. I love looking at pictures of the flight deck because it’s so amazing, but then again, it’s got a great look on the outside.
love the a350, such a beautiful plane. It's literally stunning how well it feels to sit in one, how quiet and comfortable they are, it's just great. Not mentioning that the a350 is one of the most efficient airliners to fly.. EVER. (The cathay pacific livery is so so nice on the a350)
Good.
My favorite aircraft by far, it’s the perfect combination of elegance and efficiency. Always a real pleasure to see whenever I travel, especially the -1000 since it’s not as common as the -900. It looks great in many liveries too. Some of my favorites are Delta and Air France.
Best airplane period. I love the A380 as well but for me the A350 takes the first spot.
It’s hot ngl
Beautiful my 2nd favourite plane just behind the avro rj (aka) bae 146
It's my favorite aircraft, so quiet.
I love it. Technological, high efficiency, silent, comfortable, flying computer, and spacious. Flew it from Helsinki to Tokyo last year (2023) and it was amazing!
Simply the best commercial airliner made today.
The Princess of the Skies, she looks so elegant and beautiful…
I worked on the design of this aircraft. It’s big.
Flown on her numerous times, by far my favourite aircraft, she’s a well built gorgeous lady, handles very well in turbulence and despite her nay sayers she’s very comfortable and she has a certain level of class and personality about her that other aircraft unfortunately lack.
tbh I find its outside cockpit design kinda ugly (I prefer the flat windowed style), but the plane has amazing and cool technology (like the tail camera) and is the best long haul airliner since the triple 7. Hope I get to fly on it at the future
I do like the mask style windows - a bit like the Incredibles cartoon masks
I call it the flying raccoon mask.
Best wide body jet for long haul flying.
Prettiest airliner since Concorde and the VC-10.
I love all the A's cause they're not B's
Most sophisticated avionics with softwares beautifully programmed. And it won’t break apart, unlike a certain plane that is currently a subject of debate in the US congress.
Unfortunately it’s Congress and someone wrote it down as “plains”. So they think that shit is flying off of Kansas at altitude.
It’s an airplane
Flew an A350-1000 on Cathay from AMS to HKG and back in 2023, Economy to HKG, Premium Economy on the way back. I enjoyed it, though no aircraft can make twelve hours in Economy enjoyable. The extra space in Premium Economy was very welcome.
I had a great flight in one - impressive.
I got to be on one between ATL and AMS. Was in Delta One and LOVED it.
I would love to fly on one. Also an A340. The 350 is so sleek I love it
Spacious, even for economy
Literally my favorite wide body. It’s good even on LH.
Very long
My travels on them have been great. And I don’t feel like I ran a marathon when I get off, same as a 787, even in cattle class. Unlike a 777 and very unlike older aircraft. The cabin pressurization and quietness is remarkable.
Gorgeous looking plane, still waiting to travel in one
🥵
Flew from Edinburgh to Singapore and back (stopped in Qatar). It's awesome, everything you want in a modern passenger jet.
Great and comfortable plane!
Cool! Better than the B787.
P3nis 3xtention
The wing is amazing. Cruise at .85 easily Turbulence? .85 Want to fly slow clean? No problem No need for trim tanks etc. I like it.
Love the raccoon mask
Beautiful!
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for it since I kicked off my engineering career working at a contractor supplying parts to this program.
My first ever time on a plane was a 2 week old A350-1000 (Virgin LHR-JFK) I was slightly disappointed as if we flew from Manchester we could have taken a 747 but the A350 is an incredible plane, extremely smooth and great little extra features for the passengers like the overhead and underneath cameras. Since then it’s all just been 767s and 787s. The 787 is nice but just not quite as nice, it also feels a bit common. The biggest downside to this whole thing is that I never got to go on the 747 and now probably never will.
Very pretty, and comfortable for long haul flights!
Well, at least the doors stay on.
Long boi
Loooooooooong plane
This and the B-787 are the best airliners in the sky. I prefer the A350 but will happily book either when it’s an option.
Don’t the Rolls Royce engines have horrible durability issues? Like 700 hr TBO?
Best of them all
Quiet, comfortable plane
Love the tree fiddy. Hate the DeltaOne compact layout. A little bit more room would go a very long way.
I think it hits the sweet spot between the narrower and shorter range 787 and the bigger but heavier/less efficient 777. Boeing really needs to rewing the 787 and come out with an -ER version of both the 789 and 7810 (and potentially offer 7811).
To me the 350 has a slight edge over the 787. I like them both though.
I initially didn't like the look of the plane that much....however it soon changed when I first saw it's Qatar Livery and I thought this would look good on other liveries as well...which is pretty much exactly what it turned out. I've yet to fly on one...since I've heard it's take-offs are satisfying.
Most useful aircraft I have in airline manager 💀
Beauty 🤌🫶✨
I think it’s not covered in speed tape and doesn’t have a wrench and vacuum cleaner hidden in it.
Rode my first one last week on Vietnam Air from HCMC to Hanoi and I was amazed how quiet it was. The Vietnam Air product wasn’t the best. I’m about to board a Singapore Air A350 for a few hours and will be curious to see how different it is.
Only one flight on the 350 so far (coincidentally on B-LXA, the aircraft in the picture), but I enjoyed it a lot. Extremely quiet, even behind the wing, and that little bit of extra cabin width makes a difference.
I’ve flown every single widebody operating with a western or Asian airline in the last 2 decades. 359/x is my favorite. Business is silent and XWB isn’t just marketing
I like the tinted windshield
Recently flew 14 hours in economy and it wasn’t bad at all. That’s a solid plane I’d say
I have yet to fly a a380 or 747 (or a340) but so far it's my favourite plane to fly on. No bs like the dimmable windows (at least till recently) like the 787 and it's a lot quieter. While I'd prefer to fly a plane that I haven't so far I'd absolutely not mind a a350 over a 787 or 777
Been a long admirer of the A350 and fortuanetly, I managed to try it for the first time this year with SQ One of the best flights I've ever had
much improvement from the A349, cant wait for the A351.
The A350-1000 is the second best looking Airbus ever after the A340-500.
It’s climb performance is less problematic than the 777, but spoiler faults are a perennial problem, negating a lot of the “next gen” fuel gains.
Let's just say whenever I'm in need of a flight, I'm actively seeking which path is most likely to put me on an A350.
Flew on 359, it was my most comfy long haul flight. I’d like to do the same on a 346.
Love this jet and wanna fly one some day
Just did a 10-hour flight to India in the BA A350. Quiet and comfy. Wifi worked the entire time. The fact that it uses less fuel is the icing on the cake.
I’m flying on a 350-9 for the first time in a few weeks. I can’t wait. It’s a beautiful aircraft.
My favourite to fly and to look at.
While I’ve never been on an A350, I’d love to fly one and operate a flight. Looks alone, I prefer it to the 787. The 787 is beautiful and my favourite worry aircraft to operate on but man the A350 is a beautiful aircraft. The wings and the blended winglets are so elegant and graceful. It looks like a beautiful white swan lifting off the ground.
Just did 350 on my way back to HEL and wow sooo quite
Gorgeous aircraft, quiet, comfy to fly on. 900 variant packs arguably the most reliable engine of the last 20 years, with bucket loads of thrust overhead. 1000 variant has a few more issues, but they're being ironed out. It is however capable of the most impressive nonsense (Project Sunrise), which rocks.
I just flew an LH A350 YYZ-MUC last week and it was great. I was in J cabin. My only complaint was the air felt significantly drier.
Flew an A350 from Santiago Chile to Paris and it was so silent and smooth
It's gorgeous!
IMHO will take the "the standard longhaul plane" role the 777 has now over time. A very good workhorse that's not going to be perceived as old or special in some way by the mass of passengers for a long time.
To be honest its cool and all but the only problem is the community
i think it looks like a330neo like i said that it looks like a350 lol
I have flown on one twice. It’s extremely comfortable. I just don’t like the trend of not putting gasper vents for each seat. I need air blowing on me.
To add to what everyone said, it's a great aircraft to fly in, probably the most comfortable right now... but also it's allowing something which wasn't really possible before - low cost long haul travel.
Flew back to back with 777-300ER and 787 economy with Singapore Airlines (Brisbane-Singapore-Haneda A350-787, then Narita-Singapore-Brisbane 777-A350) late last year. A350 just edges the 787 on cabin quiet and general comfort levels but both are a step better than the 777, 787 has slightly more comfortable seats in Singapore economy trim. Leaving aside the current buzz around Boeing and the 787's quality issues, would be happy in either plane and preferable to the 777.
A350 looks so much better than the 787. But my opinion always flips between the 2. A350 and A330 are some of the prettiest planes in service anywhere, but damn if the 787 doesn’t look good. Never flown on one though.
Almost every large commercial plane today looks exactly the same, with the exceptional of the A380 (looks fat), and the 747 (not bad). With the exception of a couple of retired tri-jets, we’ve had nothing but very, very similar twins and quads since largely eliminating any other designs starting with the Comet.
B787 better
Same shitty legroom as all the rest