Air India Boeing 787-8 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

The version lottery: three cabins, one aircraft type

Air India’s 787-8 fleet is in the middle of a transition, and at the moment that means three genuinely different aeroplanes flying under one name. This is not a matter of a few seats either way.

How to tell which one you are on

The business cabin is the tell, and it is visible the moment the seat map loads.

Six seats across in business (A B D F H J) over three rows means one of the 24 older aircraft. Four seats across (A E G K) over five rows means the retrofit.

If it is one of the older pair, the next tell separates the 259 from the 256: look at row 28 and row 29. On the 259-seat aircraft row 28 has only A, B, C and G, H, J — no centre block — and there is a three-seat row 29 (D, E, F). On the 256-seat aircraft row 28 is a full nine seats and there is no row 29 at all.

And the simplest tell of all: if the seat map shows a Premium Economy cabin, you are on the retrofit. It is the only one of the three that has one, and there is exactly one such aircraft.

The trap: an extra-legroom bulkhead with no window and a door in it

All three configurations put an extra-legroom bulkhead row immediately behind the mid-cabin L3/R3 doors, and on all three the two window seats in that row are among the worst on the aircraft.

On the 259- and 256-seat aircraft this is row 30. 30A and 30J carry extra legroom and no seat in front — and they have no usable window view at all, because the window sits well behind the seat, and the L3 exit door curves into the legroom starting 25cm ahead, so legs extend at a diagonal. You are paying attention to a seat that looks like the best free seat in economy, and it is a windowless seat with a door in the footwell.

On the retrofit this is row 37, and it is worse. 37A and 37K have no usable window, and the L3 door does not merely curve in — it extends into about 80% of the seat width, 20cm ahead. They also pick up lavatory traffic.

In both cases there is a genuine compensation for a tall solo traveller: no seat reclines into you. But if you chose the seat for the window, there is no window.

The clean seats in those rows are the ones away from the doors: 30B, 30C, 30G and 30H on the 259-seat aircraft, and 37B, 37C, 37H and 37J on the retrofit.

Business Class

On the 24 older aircraft: 18 seats, 2-2-2

Eighteen seats across rows 1 to 3, lettered A B | D F | H J. Twelve of the eighteen have direct aisle access — 67% — and the six centre seats (1D, 1F, 2D, 2F, 3D, 3F) are the ones to book: each has its own aisle with nobody to climb over. The A and H seats are window-side and require climbing over your neighbour to get out.

For two people travelling together, the centre pair D/F on any row gives you a pair where both of you can get out independently — the best combination in this cabin.

On the retrofit: 20 seats, 1-2-1, all aisle access

Twenty seats across rows 1 to 5, lettered A E G K. Every seat has direct aisle access. A and K face the windows; E and G are the centre pair.

3A and 3K carry the best-rated window view. 5A and 5K have no window beside the pod at all — the last row of the cabin sits against a blank stretch of wall. For a couple, the E/G pair on any row is the only side-by-side option.

This is a step change rather than an improvement: a 2-2-2 where a third of the cabin climbs over somebody, replaced by a cabin where nobody does.

Premium Economy — retrofit only

Twenty-five seats in a 2-3-2 across rows 15 to 18. Row 15 has only four seats — A, C, H and K.

Economy

On the 259- and 256-seat aircraft: rows 11 to 40

A 3-3-3 in A B C | D E F | G H J. There is no row 13. Row 11 is the front bulkhead: extra legroom, no underseat storage, tray table in the armrest — and, unusually for a bulkhead, a limited recline, with 11C and 11G also beside the galley. Row 11 has no centre block; it is A, B, C and G, H, J only.

Rows 14 to 26 are the clean stretch. Avoid 14A, 14J, 22A, 22J, 25A and 25J, which have a window set behind the seat.

Rows 27 and 28 are the mid-cabin problem. On both aircraft row 27 is against the lavatory doors across almost the whole row, and row 28 adds a limited recline to the same. On the 259-seat aircraft, row 29 is a three-seat centre bulkhead (D, E, F) with extra-generous legroom — 77cm to the wall — but all three sit against a lavatory door and 29D is a bassinet position.

37A and 37J have no usable window on both aircraft. 36A and 36J have a window set behind the seat.

The last rows go wrong in the usual way: row 38 picks up lavatory traffic, row 39 has solo positions at A, B, H and J with no seat beside them and lavatory doors against them, and row 40 is a three-seat centre row against the lavatories. On the 256-seat aircraft, 40D, 40E and 40F are a crew rest area and are not available for booking at all.

On the retrofit: rows 25 to 47

A 3-3-3 in A B C | D E G | H J K — note the different lettering from the older aircraft. Row 25 is the front bulkhead: extra legroom, no underseat storage, tray in the armrest, with bassinet positions at 25D and 25G.

26D, 26E and 26G carry roughly 33 inches of pitch, two inches more than the cabin standard.

Rows 27 to 34 are the clean stretch, with only 31A and 31K flagged for a window set behind the seat.

Rows 35 and 36 are the mid-cabin problem — lavatory doors throughout, and row 36 adds a limited recline. Row 37 is covered above. 45A and 45K have no usable window. Rows 46 and 47 sit against the rear lavatories, with 47A and 47K having no seat beside them.

Quick picks by traveller type

Entertainment and Wi-Fi

The two older configurations carry the Thales i8000 system with audio and video at every seat, and no Wi-Fi at all — that covers 24 of the 25 aircraft, so it is by far the more likely outcome. Plan on downloading before you fly.

The retrofit carries the Thales Avant system with content on demand, and Hughes JUPITER Ka-band Wi-Fi across the aircraft at speeds that support streaming.

Frequently asked questions

Does Air India’s 787-8 have Wi-Fi?

Almost certainly not. Twenty-four of the twenty-five aircraft have no Wi-Fi recorded at all. Only the single 2026 retrofit aircraft carries it, using Hughes JUPITER Ka-band.

How do I tell which 787-8 I am booked on?

Look at the business cabin on the seat map. Six seats across (A B D F H J) over three rows means one of the 24 older aircraft. Four seats across (A E G K) over five rows means the retrofit. If there is a Premium Economy cabin at all, it is the retrofit.

Which seats have no window?

On the 259- and 256-seat aircraft: 30A, 30J, 37A and 37J. On the retrofit: 37A, 37K, 45A and 45K. In every case at least one pair is sold as an extra-legroom bulkhead seat.

Is row 30 worth booking for the legroom?

30B, 30C, 30G and 30H are. 30A and 30J have no window and the exit door curving into the legroom; 30D, 30E and 30F on the 259-seat aircraft sit against a lavatory.

Does the 787-8 have Premium Economy?

Only on one aircraft — the 2026 retrofit, which carries 25 Premium Economy seats in rows 15 to 18. The other 24 aircraft have business and economy only.

Which business seats have aisle access?

On the 2-2-2 aircraft, twelve of eighteen — the centre seats D and F on every row have their own aisle, the window-side A and H seats do not. On the retrofit, all twenty seats do.

How many 787-8s does Air India fly?

Twenty-five: 22 in the 259-seat layout, two in the 256-seat layout, and one retrofitted to the 2026 cabin. The retrofit layout is published as preliminary.