Here’s where Qantas pilots sleep on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
By David Flynn, December 15 2017
With Qantas' Boeing 787 now flying on international routes – first to Los Angeles, and then from March 2018 to London – there'll be plenty of business travellers snoozing away in their lie-flat beds.
Little known to them, directly overhead there's another set of beds – inside a hidden upstairs compartment – with arguably the best beds on the plane, and this is where the pilots will be napping between shifts.
Welcome to the Boeing 787's secret bedrooms.
There are two crew rest areas on the Dreamliner: one at the front of the plane, directly above the first three rows of business class; and a second larger space for the flight attendants, located at the rear of the plane above the last rows of economy.
You can spot their exact location because the central overhead luggage bins are missing from those parts of each cabin – they've been replaced by flat panels without a latch to open and close the bin.
The pilots grab their shut-eye above rows 2 and 3...
... with the flight attendants snoozing upstairs of economy rows 57 through 59.
The door to each crew rest area is protected by a combination lock set into an innocuous-looking galley panel, which swings open to reveal a steep winding staircase leading upstairs.
This is the pilot's rest area, which has a well-padded seat tucked away next to the stairwell...
... and two wide flat beds.
There's a bolster and curtain between them, to provide a little privacy and a sense of your own space.
Next to each bed are recesses for water bottles and oddments such as an amenity kit, reading glasses, a phone and other bits of personal kit...
... a wide rack for books, magazines, tablets and what-not...
... an AC socket to recharge that smatphone or tablet...
... and an intercom handset for communicating with other areas of the aircraft, such as the crew stations and the flight deck.
The flight attendant rest area at the rear of the Boeing 787 is pretty much the same, only larger – it has beds for six cabin crew, and you can bet they'll all be used during that 17+ hour non-stop trek between Perth and London.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
05 May 2016
Total posts 619
So does this mean the front three rows of Business could be undesirable with limited overhead luggage space to keep your belongings near you?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 108
No, due to the fact that only ~ 3-4 people share the one overhead locker, it shouldn’t be a problem. Economy, might be a different story.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2204
The enormous bins over the aisle seats ensure that there is still plenty of space to go around the first three rows of Business.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 462
There are still overhead bins on the window sides; it's only the central bins that are not present over those first few rows. It just means those in those centre seats use the bins over the other side of the aisle. And there's PLENTY of room in those bins.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 702
Interesting there is no IFE up there.
02 Dec 2016
Total posts 32
Will make sure to avoid those rows of economy!
03 Nov 2013
Total posts 6
I am just curious. On these ultra long haul flights e.g Perth Melbourne...how does QANTAS handle the aircrew requirements? I am aware some airlines carry two separate crews (two Captains etc)...I am not aware that QANTAS has ever done it that way. On recent flight on the upper deck of 747 it appeared me that there is a 'cast of thousands' on the flightdeck. Well at least 4.
03 Nov 2013
Total posts 6
Actually meant Perth - London
27 Mar 2014
Total posts 39
Think on the A380s Qantas does one Captain, one first officer and two second officers don't they??
05 May 2016
Total posts 619
Presumably all the pilots would be on flight deck for take off and landing and whilst cruising would take turns to rest.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Apr 2011
Total posts 106
"Welcome to the Boeing 787's (now not so) secret bedrooms." ;-)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Apr 2015
Total posts 2
Interesting topic, well done David.
23 May 2012
Total posts 35
All long haul 787 have this. Philhrrll, it is a flight crew of four for flights as long or longer than Australia - LAX.
03 Nov 2013
Total posts 6
thanks for the comments
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Nov 2017
Total posts 3
Whats an IFE please?
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 388
'IFE' = 'in flight entertainment' such as monitors fixed to the seat in front of a passenger, or that sometimes swivel out from under the armrest where there is no seatback in front of a traveller.
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