Air Canada 787-8 & 787-9 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Air Canada's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 both show up on the booking page as "787 Dreamliner", but they are not the same aircraft. One seats 255, the other 298. One has 20 Signature Class suites across five rows, the other 30 across eight. And on the 787-8, two business class seats — 5A and 5K — have no window at all.
This guide covers both variants row by row, with an interactive map for each. Use the tabs above the map to switch between the 787-8 and the 787-9.
✈️ Quick Verdict
- 787-9 business: book 1A or 1K — row 1 is a private two-seat row with no centre pair.
- 787-8 business: book 2A, 2K, 3A or 3K, and never 5A or 5K (no window aperture at all).
- Premium economy (identical on both): rows 13 and 14, A/C or H/K. Skip all of row 12 — it backs onto the forward lavatories.
- 787-9 economy: 18D/18E/18G — 29in / 73cm of clear floor at the centre bulkhead. Best window rows: 33A/K, 37A/K, 41A/K.
- 787-8 economy: 18C and 18H for stretch room plus aisle access; 36A for the one clean window.
- Avoid on both: rows 29 and 30 (mid-cabin lavatory bank), 31A/31K in the exit row, and the last three rows.
The Version Lottery: Three Different 787s
Air Canada will soon be one of a handful of airlines operating all three Dreamliner variants. Today that means two very different aircraft under the same booking-page label, with a third arriving from late 2026. Both current types use identical seat products in all three cabins — what changes is the size of the business cabin, the row layout at the front, and where the lavatories fall in economy.
| 787-8 | 787-9 | Why it matters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet size | ~8 aircraft | ~32 aircraft | You are roughly four times more likely to fly a -9 |
| Total seats | 255 (20J · 21W · 214M) | 298 (30J · 21W · 247M) | Fastest way to tell them apart on the booking page |
| Signature rows | 1–5 | 1–8 | The -9's good-window rows sit further from the nose taper |
| Row 1 layout | Full row: 1A, 1D, 1G, 1K | 1A and 1K only | On the -9 that is a private two-seat row — the standout seats on the aircraft |
| Windowless business seats | 5A, 5K — zero windows | None | A genuine miss on the -8; no view at all from these two seats |
| Economy rows | 18–42 | 18–46 | Four extra rows on the -9 |
| Row 30 | 6 seats (A/B/C + H/J/K) | 3 seats (A/B/C only) | The mid-cabin lavatory block sits in a different place |
| Economy bulkhead | Standard | 29in / 73cm at 18D/E/G | The -9's centre bulkhead row is exceptionally generous |
| Clean window rows | 29A, 29K, 36A | 33A/K, 37A/K, 41A/K | Three clean window rows on the -9 versus effectively one on the -8 |
Which is better? The 787-9, comfortably — bigger business cabin, the private row 1 pair, a genuinely excellent economy bulkhead row and three clean window rows. The -8's only real advantage is quicker boarding and deplaning.
Coming from late 2026: the 787-10 "Glowing Hearted" cabin
⚠️ Refit alert
Air Canada has 14 Boeing 787-10s on order, with first deliveries expected from late 2026: 332 seats in a 42J · 28W · 262M layout, four "Signature Plus" suites with a two-metre bed and a guest seat, 38 further Adient Ascent business seats with privacy doors, a 28-seat premium economy cabin and Panasonic Astrova entertainment. The existing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet is not expected to be retrofitted to this standard until around 2029, so the layouts in this guide are what you will get between now and then.
Signature Class
Seat: Collins Aerospace Super Diamond reverse herringbone, 1-2-1 · letters A · D–G · K. 21" between armrests, 180° lie-flat 79" bed, 18" HD touchscreen, 110V AC plus USB-A and USB-C. No privacy doors, no Bluetooth audio, no wireless charging; the armrest adjusts on the aisle side only.
Every seat has direct aisle access on both aircraft. Because the seats angle away from the aisle, A and K function as solo pods while D and G form a centre pair for couples.
Boeing 787-9 — rows 1 to 8 (30 seats)
✅ Best seats
- 1A and 1K — row 1 has only these two seats. No centre pair beside you, nobody walking past to a seat in front, and the best window alignment in the cabin.
- 8A and 8K — the other pair with excellent alignment, at the back of the cabin away from forward-galley traffic.
- 2D/2G and 3D/3G — the best centre pairs for couples, well clear of both galleys.
🚫 Seats to avoid
- 5A, 5K, 6A, 6K — poor window alignment. You get a window, but not at seated eye level. 6A and 6K are the worst of the four.
- 2D is the bassinet position, and 1A/1K sit immediately behind it.
Boeing 787-8 — rows 1 to 5 (20 seats)
✅ Best seats
- 2A, 2K, 3A, 3K — the best window alignment in this short cabin, far enough back to escape the forward galley.
- 1A and 1K — good alignment and the most forward position, but note that row 1 here is a full four-seat row, so there is no privacy advantage. 1D is the bassinet.
🚫 Seats to avoid
- 5A and 5K — no windows at all. The fuselage tapers here and there is no window aperture. The single most important thing to know about this aircraft.
- 5D and 5G — the centre pair in the last row, immediately in front of the galley: noise and light through meal service and again before landing.
Premium Economy
Seat: Recaro PL3510, 2-3-2, rows 12–14 on both aircraft, 21 seats. 38" pitch, 19.5" wide, 7" recline, 11" screen, 110V AC plus USB-A, four-way headrest and a legrest. Letters A–C · D–E–G · H–K.
This is the same cabin on both aircraft. The seat is strong for the category — 38 inches is genuinely usable for tall passengers, and the recline plus legrest makes a cradle you can sleep in.
✅ Best seats
- 13A/13C, 13H/13K, 14A/14C, 14H/14K — the two-abreast pairs. No middle-seat neighbour and clear of the row 12 lavatories.
- 13D/13G and 14D/14G — the centre-triple aisles, ideal for a pair who want the middle seat between them.
🚫 Seats to avoid
- 12A, 12C, 12H, 12K — immediately adjacent to the forward lavatories. Bulkhead legroom paid for with door noise, odour and a queue standing beside you.
- 12D and 12G — less exposed, still in the queue's path. 12E is the bassinet.
- All of row 12 stows the tray table and screen in the armrest, narrowing the seat, and has no underseat storage.
The honest take: unless you specifically need bulkhead legroom, rows 13 and 14 are better seats than row 12.
Economy
Seat: Collins Pinnacle, 3-3-3, 31" pitch, 17.1" wide, 5" recline, 9" screen, 110V AC (shared) plus USB-A, personal air vents at every seat. Note the lettering: Air Canada uses D-E-G in the centre block, not D-E-F.
Boeing 787-9 — rows 18 to 46 (247 seats)
✅ Best seats
- 18D, 18E, 18G — the centre bulkhead has 29 inches / 73cm of clear floor. That is not typical bulkhead legroom. 18E is the bassinet, so the trio can go to a family, but when it does not it is the best value on the aircraft.
- 18C and 18H — the bulkhead covers only about 25% of these seats, so you get stretch room and aisle access.
- Rows 19–23 — clean, well forward, no lavatory, galley or window issues.
- 33A/33K, 37A/37K, 41A/41K — the three rows with perfect window alignment in the rear cabin.
- 31B, 31C, 31H, 31J — exit-row legroom without door intrusion.
🚫 Seats to avoid
- Row 29 (B through K) and all of row 30 — the mid-cabin lavatory bank sits immediately behind. 30A has no window. 29A is the least-bad of the row.
- 28C, 28D, 28E, 28G, 28H, 28J, 28K — one row further out, still in the queue.
- 31A and 31K — the exit door intrudes into roughly 80% of the seat width, 25cm ahead, with no usable window.
- 31D, 31E, 31G — 30 inches of bulkhead legroom, but the lavatory is immediately in front. 31E is the bassinet.
- 43A and 43K — no windows at all. The -9's blind window seats.
- Rows 44, 45 and 46 — the rear lavatory bank: minimal recline and constant traffic. Row 45 has no A or K seat; row 46 is centre-only.
- 32A/K, 36A/K, 40A/K — poor alignment. The pattern runs in a four-row cycle: 33/37/41 good, 32/36/40 poor.
- 24A and 24K — poor window alignment.
Boeing 787-8 — rows 18 to 42 (214 seats)
✅ Best seats
- 18C and 18H — partial bulkhead coverage means stretch space plus aisle access. The best economy seats on the -8.
- Rows 19–23 and rows 32–34, 37–38 — the clean blocks.
- 36A — the one rear-cabin seat with genuinely good window alignment (36K is only average).
- 29A and 29K — excellent window alignment, if you will accept the lavatory traffic behind you.
- 31B and 31J — exit-row legroom with no door intrusion.
🚫 Seats to avoid
- 29B–29H and all of row 30 — the mid-cabin lavatory bank is directly behind. Row 30 here has six seats and no centre block.
- 28C, 28D, 28E, 28G, 28H — still in the queue's path.
- 31A and 31K — door L3/R3 intrudes into ~80% of the seat width, 35cm ahead, with poor alignment. 31D/31E/31G face a lavatory; 31E is the bassinet.
- Row 40 — rear lavatory bank directly behind.
- All of row 41 — the outboard positions are gone (41A, 41C, 41D, 41E, 41G, 41H, 41K) and everything backs onto the lavatories.
- Row 42 — centre-only (42D, 42E, 42G) against the rear bulkhead and lavatories. The worst three seats on the aircraft.
- 24A/K, 28A/K, 35A/K, 39A/K — poor window alignment.
Cabin Features Compared
| Signature Class | Premium Economy | Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat | Collins Super Diamond | Recaro PL3510 | Collins Pinnacle |
| Layout | 1-2-1 | 2-3-2 | 3-3-3 |
| Pitch / bed | 180° flat, 79" bed | 38" | 31" |
| Width | 21" | 19.5" | 17.1" |
| Screen | 18" | 11" | 9" |
| Power | 110V + USB-A/USB-C | 110V + USB-A | 110V (shared) + USB-A |
| Bluetooth / wireless charging | No | No | No |
| Privacy doors | No | — | — |
| Direct aisle access | 100% | No | No |
Quick-Pick Summary
| Traveller | 787-9 pick | 787-8 pick |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, business | 1A or 1K | 2A or 2K (never 5A/5K) |
| Couple, business | 2D + 2G or 3D + 3G | 2D + 2G |
| Solo, premium economy | 13A, 13K, 14A or 14K | Same |
| Legroom, economy | 18D/E/G or 31B/31C/31H/31J | 18C or 18H, or 31B/31J |
| Window view, economy | 33A/K, 37A/K, 41A/K | 36A, or 29A/29K with lav traffic |
| Family of three, economy | 18D + 18E + 18G (bassinet 18E) | Rows 19–23, centre block |
| Just tell me what to avoid | Rows 29, 30, 44–46; 31A/31K; 43A/43K | Rows 29, 30, 40–42; 31A/31K/31D/E/G; 5A/5K |
How to Tell Which Version You're On
- Seat count on the booking page: 255 = 787-8, 298 = 787-9. The fastest tell.
- Business cabin rows: five = -8, eight = -9. If row 1 shows only 1A and 1K, you are on a -9.
- Last economy row: row 42 = -8, row 46 = -9.
- Row 30: six seats = -8, three seats = -9.
- Odds: Air Canada operates roughly four times as many -9s.
- From late 2026: a 332-seat 787 is the new 787-10 with Signature Plus suites — a different aircraft, and worth seeking out.
FAQ
Which seats should I avoid on the Air Canada 787?
In business, 5A and 5K on the 787-8 — no window at all. In economy, rows 29 and 30 on both aircraft (mid-cabin lavatory bank), the last three rows of either variant, and 31A/31K in the exit row where the door intrudes into most of the seat width. On the 787-9, 43A and 43K have no windows.
Is the Air Canada 787 exit row worth paying for?
Partly. Row 31 has real extra legroom on both aircraft, but only the B, C, H and J seats deliver it cleanly. The window seats lose most of the benefit to the door structure, and the centre seats sit directly in front of a lavatory.
Does every Signature Class seat have aisle access?
Yes. The Collins Super Diamond cabin is laid out 1-2-1 in reverse herringbone, so all 20 seats on the -8 and all 30 on the -9 have direct aisle access.
Do Air Canada's 787 business seats have doors?
No. The current Super Diamond seats have no privacy doors, no Bluetooth audio and no wireless charging. Doors arrive with the 787-10 from late 2026; the existing fleet is not scheduled for retrofit until around 2029.
Where are the bassinet positions?
Business: 2D on the 787-9, 1D on the 787-8. Premium economy: 12E on both. Economy: 18E forward and 31E in the rear cabin, on both aircraft.
Related Guides
- Air Canada 777-300ER Seat Selection Guide — two configurations, 400 vs 450 seats
- United Airlines 787-10 Seat Selection Guide
- KLM 787 Seat Selection Guide
- British Airways 787-9 Seat Selection Guide