Flight review: Bamboo Airways B787-9 business class – Business Traveller

The seat

Bamboo has two different business class seats on its long-haul B787 aircraft. I had been on one type on the flight over – a Saffran Cirrus seat (see the video link, above).

The configuration on this return flight was three classes – economy, premium economy and business, and with a different type of business class on board – the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond, the same seat as used by British Airways in its new Club Suite, and also Etihad Airways.

The cabin in this configuration starts at row 11 and goes back to row 19 in a 1-2-1 (A D-G-K) configuration of a total of 26 seats. In the front row there are only 19A and 19K but thereafter towards the back of the cabin it is 1-2-1 with all seats having direct aisle access.

The seat has plenty of storage space, from the large arm rest on the aisle side which can be raised or lowered and which has room for items in it to theside table with a flap which can be opened to reveal the AC power, USB and the handheld control for the Inflight Entertainment (IFE) as well as more storage.  There is more storage for, say, a water bottle in the compartment by your feet, and then more room under the foot rest. Finally there is room for some magazines, though this is already pretty full with Bamboo’s own thick magazine and some sick bags and a safety card.

The seat has a panel set into the side of the plastic surround which has various pre-sets on it and it works well. It’s also not in the way so you accidentally touch the controls.

The IFE screen is a good size (18 inches) and needs to be large because it is fixed and facing you directly as you sit in the seat. As with the flight over, the choice of IFE was poor. The table is tucked away under the IFE screen and has several positions which can be manipulated using a lever underneath which releases it and also brings it closer or keeps it further away, according to preference. It is also bifold, so you can use it in several different ways.

Note that there is a shoulder strap which should be used for both take off and landing. This is the same as all the Super Diamond seats I have flown (Etihad and British Airways Club Suite). It is necessary because you are facing forward but in an angled way and the surround of the seat in front is close enough for you to hit your head on it in the event of, well, let’s say sudden deceleration. You can watch me demonstrating it in this video of the BA Club Suite.

Despite this, the flight attendants seemed unaware of it, we were not told to use them, and very few people did, either for take off or landing at Heathrow.