Aeromexico 787-8 & 787-9 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Aeromexico's 787 fleet is one of the sharpest version lotteries in the Americas. Ten 787-9s carry 36 Collins Super Diamond seats in 1-2-1 — every passenger gets direct aisle access, plus a self-service Sky Bar between the cabins. Five 787-8s carry 32 older Collins Diamond seats in 2-2-2, where window passengers have to climb over a stranger to reach the aisle, and there is no bar.
Both aircraft are sold as Clase Premier at the same fare. Check the aircraft type before you book.
⚠️ Version lottery: The 787-9 (1-2-1, 36 seats) is materially better than the 787-8 (2-2-2, 32 seats). Aeromexico has announced no retrofit programme for the 787-8, so the gap is not closing.
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Quick Verdict
| Feature | 787-9 ✓ Preferred | 787-8 ✗ Avoid if possible |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet size | 10 aircraft | 5 aircraft |
| Total seats | 274 (36J / 238Y) | 243 (32J / 211Y) |
| Clase Premier | 36 seats, rows 1–10 | 32 seats, rows 1–6 |
| Business layout | 1-2-1 | 2-2-2 |
| Business seat | Collins Super Diamond | Collins Diamond Parallel |
| Direct aisle access | All 36 seats | 16 of 32 (windows blocked) |
| Business pitch / width | 59" / 20.6" | 59" / 20.6" |
| Business screen | 18" | 16" |
| Sky Bar | Yes | No |
| AM Plus | 27 seats, rows 12/14/15 @ 34" | 27 seats, rows 8–10 @ 36" |
| Economy | 238 seats, rows 12–40, 3-3-3 @ 32" | 211 seats, rows 8–33, 3-3-3 @ 32" |
| Economy screen | 11" | 9" |
| WiFi | Panasonic eXConnect Ku-band | Panasonic eXConnect Ku-band |
Neither aircraft has privacy doors, Bluetooth audio, or wireless charging in any cabin.
How to Identify Your Configuration
At booking:
- Aircraft code 789 = 787-9. Aircraft code 788 = 787-8.
- On the airline seat map, count the Business rows. Rows 1–10 with single seats at the window = 787-9. Rows 1–6 with paired seats at the window = 787-8.
- Total seat count is the fastest tell: 274 = 787-9, 243 = 787-8.
Route clues:
- The 787-9 handles most long-haul Europe and Asia flying — Madrid, Paris CDG, London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Tokyo Narita, Seoul Incheon, São Paulo, Buenos Aires.
- Barcelona and the Tokyo Narita rotation are worked by a mix of both types, so the route alone is not a guarantee.
- The 787-8 fills in across Europe, South America and premium North American routes.
Warning: Aeromexico swaps between the two types on the same route. Re-check your aircraft 24–48 hours before departure and again at check-in.
Clase Premier — 787-9 (the good one)
36 Collins Super Diamond seats in 1-2-1 across rows 1–10. Every seat touches an aisle. The cabin is split by a galley: rows 1–8 forward, then rows 9–10 in a small aft section. Row 8 has window seats only (8A, 8J); row 9 has centre seats only (9D, 9F).
The Sky Bar — a self-service snack and drinks counter with standing room — sits behind the Premier cabin.
✅ Best seats — 787-9
- 3A, 3J — best in the cabin. Great window alignment, mid-cabin, well clear of both galleys.
- 2J — same great window alignment on the starboard side.
- 2A, 4A, 4J, 5A, 5J — solid forward-cabin window seats, full privacy console.
- 7A, 7J — two windows each, last full row before the cabin break.
- 1A, 1J — quiet front row, but closest to the forward galley.
- 1D/1F, 2D/2F, 3D/3F — best for couples: centre pairs with a lowerable divider.
🚫 Seats to avoid — 787-9
- 9D, 9F — lavatory immediately ahead: noise, odour and queuing traffic.
- 10A, 10J — same lavatory problem, plus the aft cabin is the last served.
- 6A, 6J — poor window alignment; the windows sit awkwardly against the seat shell.
- 8A, 8J — isolated pair at the cabin break, adjacent to galley traffic.
Clase Premier — 787-8 (the compromise)
32 Collins Diamond Parallel seats in 2-2-2 across rows 1–6, split into rows 1–4 forward and rows 5–6 aft with a lavatory bank between them. Row 5 has centre seats only (5D, 5F).
Seat letters run A-C | D-F | G-J. In this layout only the four aisle-adjacent positions per row have direct access: C, D, F and G. Every A and J window seat requires climbing over your neighbour.
✅ Best seats — 787-8
- 1D, 1F, 2D, 2F, 3D, 3F, 4D, 4F — the only genuinely good seats. Centre pair, each with its own aisle, no one to climb over.
- 1C, 1G, 2C, 2G, 3C, 3G — aisle seats with direct access, but you'll be climbed over by the window passenger.
- 1A/1C, 2A/2C, 3A/3C (and the G/J pairs) — fine for couples travelling together, where climbing over doesn't matter.
🚫 Seats to avoid — 787-8
- 4A, 4J — missing windows; the seat shell sits between window positions. Worst seats in the cabin.
- 5D, 5F — lavatory immediately ahead, isolated two-seat row.
- 6A, 6C, 6G, 6J — lavatory ahead and bassinet positions behind: infant noise from the front of Economy.
- All A and J seats for solo travellers — no direct aisle access on any of them.
Solo traveller rule for the 787-8: take D or F in rows 1–4. Nothing else in this cabin is worth paying for.
AM Plus (extra-legroom Economy)
Both aircraft carry 27 AM Plus seats in the first three rows of Economy — but the pitch is not the same.
| 787-9 | 787-8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rows | 12, 14, 15 (no row 13) | 8, 9, 10 |
| Pitch | 34" | 36" |
| Recline | 5" | 3" |
The 787-8's AM Plus is the better product on legroom despite being the older aircraft.
- Best on the 787-9: 12C, 12G (bulkhead, partial wall means extra side legroom); 12D, 12E, 12F (extra-generous bulkhead, ~29" to the wall).
- Best on the 787-8: 8C, 8G (partial bulkhead, extra side legroom); 8D, 8E, 8F (~29" to the wall).
- Avoid 12A, 12J (787-9) and 10A, 10J (787-8) — poor window alignment.
- Bassinet positions: 12B, 12E, 12H on the 787-9; 8B, 8E, 8H on the 787-8. Neighbouring seats get infant noise.
- All bulkhead rows: no underseat storage on takeoff and landing, and the tray table lives in the armrest, which narrows the usable seat.
Economy — where to sit
Both cabins are 3-3-3 with letters A-B-C | D-E-F | G-H-J at 32" pitch and 17.1" width.
787-9 Economy (rows 12–40)
✅ Best
- 27A, 27J — first row of the rear cabin, great window alignment, no seat in front on the window side.
- 27D, 27E, 27F — centre bulkhead with extra-generous legroom (~29" to the wall).
- 30A/30J, 33A/33J, 36A/36J — the four best window-alignment rows in the rear cabin.
- 26B, 26C, 26G, 26H — exit row, extra legroom (no D/E/F in this row).
🚫 Avoid
- Rows 24 and 25 (all seats) — lavatory bank immediately behind, plus galley.
- 23D, 23E, 23F — same lavatory bank, last centre row before the break.
- 37A, 37J — no window at all.
- 26A, 26J — exit door R3/L3 intrudes into ~80–85% of the seat width, 35–40cm ahead.
- Rows 38–40 — rear lavatories; row 40 (D/E/F only) is the last row on the aircraft.
- 16A/16J, 22A/22J, 29A/29J, 32A/32J, 35A/35J — poor window alignment.
787-8 Economy (rows 8–33)
✅ Best
- 27A, 27J — best window alignment in the aft cabin.
- 23B, 23C, 23G, 23H — exit row with extra legroom (accept lavatory traffic).
- Rows 11–19 generally — forward cabin, quicker service, quicker deplaning.
🚫 Avoid
- Rows 20 and 21 (all seats) — lavatory bank immediately behind. 21A/21J have excellent window alignment but are still a poor choice.
- 22D, 22E, 22F — centre-only bulkhead row wedged against the lavatory bank.
- 23A, 23J — exit door L3/R3 intrudes into ~85% of the seat width, 30cm ahead.
- 30A, 30J — no window at all.
- Rows 31–33 — rear lavatories; row 33 (D/E/F only) sits behind the lavatory bank.
- 10A/10J, 14A/14J, 17A/17J, 26A/26J, 29A/29J — poor window alignment.
All middle seats (B, E, H) on both aircraft: no window, no aisle, and on a 10-hour transatlantic that matters more than on a short hop.
Quick-Pick Summary
| Traveller | 787-9 | 787-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, Business | 3A or 3J | 2D or 2F |
| Couple, Business | 2D + 2F | 2D + 2F (or a window pair) |
| Max legroom, Economy | 27D/E/F or 26C/26G | 8D/E/F (36" AM Plus) |
| Best window, Economy | 30A, 33A or 36A | 27A or 27J |
| Sleeping, Economy | 30A/30J, 33A/33J, 36A/36J | 27A/27J, rows 15–19 windows |
| Quick exit | Rows 12–15 | Rows 8–10 |
| Travelling with an infant | 12B, 12E, 12H | 8B, 8E, 8H |
| Avoid at all costs | Rows 24–25, 37A/37J, row 40 | Rows 20–21, 4A/4J, 30A/30J, row 33 |
Known Quirks & Practical Tips
| Quirk | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sky Bar | 787-9 only. Self-service drinks and snacks between Clase Premier and Economy. |
| Cabin splits | Both aircraft split Business into two sections. On the 787-9 avoid the aft section (rows 9–10); on the 787-8 it's rows 5–6. |
| Odd rows | Row 5 (787-8) and row 9 (787-9) have centre seats only. Row 8 (787-9) has window seats only. Neither aircraft has a row 13. |
| Centre block offset | On the 787-9 aft cabin the D/E/F block sits roughly half a row forward of the window blocks. |
| Free messaging | All passengers, all fares: WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger, text only. |
| WiFi voucher | Clase Premier passengers receive a voucher for two hours of full internet (streaming excluded); it can be paused and resumed. |
| AM Plus pitch | 36" on the 787-8 vs 34" on the 787-9 — the older aircraft wins this one. |
| Missing windows | 4A/4J in Business and 30A/30J in Economy on the 787-8; 37A/37J in Economy on the 787-9. |
| No retrofit | Aeromexico has not announced any programme to upgrade the 787-8's 2-2-2 Business cabin. |
| Power | 110V AC and USB-A in Business; USB-A only in Economy. No USB-C, no wireless charging, no Bluetooth audio. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I'm on the 787-9 or the 787-8?
Check the total seat count on the seat map: 274 seats is the 787-9, 243 is the 787-8. The aircraft code shows as 789 or 788. In Business, single window seats mean the 787-9; paired window seats mean the 787-8.
Is the 787-8 Business Class actually bad?
No — it's a genuine lie-flat bed at 59" pitch with the same service. The problem is access: in 2-2-2 the window passenger has to climb over the aisle passenger. Travelling solo, book 2D or 2F and it's a perfectly good seat. Get stuck in 4A and you have a bad seat with no window.
Can I switch from a 787-8 to a 787-9?
You can ask Aeromexico to rebook you onto a flight scheduled with the 787-9, but there's no guarantee and no fee waiver for equipment preference. Equipment swaps also happen close to departure in both directions.
Does Aeromexico have First Class?
No. Clase Premier is the highest cabin on every Aeromexico aircraft.
What is the Sky Bar and can Economy passengers use it?
It's a self-service counter with drinks and snacks on the 787-9 only, positioned behind the Clase Premier cabin. It's intended for Clase Premier passengers.
Is AM Plus worth paying for?
On the 787-8, yes — 36" pitch versus 32" is a real four-inch gain. On the 787-9 it's 34", a two-inch gain plus 5" of recline instead of 3". Bulkhead rows trade the legroom for lost underseat storage and a narrower seat from the armrest tray.
Comparable Guides
- ✈️ Air Canada 787 Seat Selection Guide — same Collins Super Diamond seat in 1-2-1
- ✈️ WestJet 787-9 Seat Selection Guide — same Super Diamond seat, different cabin count
- ✈️ LATAM 787-9 Seat Selection Guide — the other major Latin American 787 operator
- ✈️ American Airlines 787-8 Seat Selection Guide — a 787-8 with the newer 1-2-1 product