ANA's 787-9 Refit: "THE Room FX" Brings 777-Level Luxury to the Dreamliner

THE Room FX: what's new in Business Class

THE Room FX is not a minor refresh. It's a ground-up redesign developed with Safran Seats and British design agency Acumen — the same team behind the original THE Room on the 777-300ER.

Key specifications:

• Layout: 1-2-1, 48 seats (same count as the current 787-9 long-haul config)
• Configuration: Alternating forward and rear-facing seats — a space-efficient design that maximises width within the 787's narrower fuselage
• Width: 4 inches (10 cm) wider than the current ANA 787-9 Business seat
• Privacy: Sliding privacy door for every suite
• Design concept: Sofa-style, pre-reclined seating. The seat doesn't recline in the traditional sense — instead, the backrest is already angled and adjustable surfaces convert the space into a full-flat bed via an adjustable leg rest. This is similar in philosophy to Finnair's AirLounge, but with a privacy door and significantly more space.
• Tech: 24-inch HD monitor (1.4x larger than current), Bluetooth audio, USB-A, USB-C, AC power, wireless charging
• Bed: Full 180-degree lie-flat with a widened footwell for side-sleeping comfort

The "FX" stands for "Future Experience," and ANA describes it as the world's largest Business Class seat in its class on a mid-size aircraft.

The no-recline question

THE Room FX joins a growing trend of Business Class seats that abandon traditional recline mechanisms. Finnair pioneered this with the AirLounge in 2022 — a seat we cover in our Finnair A350-900 and Finnair A330-300 guides.

The approach is divisive. Some passengers love the lounge-like seating position; others miss the ability to incrementally recline during a meal or before sleep. ANA's implementation appears more enclosed and private than Finnair's — the privacy door and wider seat dimensions should help — but it will be a talking point.

Premium Economy and Economy: RECARO upgrades

The refit isn't just about the front cabin. ANA has partnered with RECARO Aircraft Seating for new Premium Economy and Economy seats across all three classes:

Premium Economy

• New RECARO seats with enhanced ergonomic support
• Larger high-performance monitors
• USB-C charging, Bluetooth audio connectivity
• Increased storage space

Economy

• An additional 1 inch (2.5 cm) of knee space — sounds small, but ANA says it's noticeably felt
• 1.5x more recline than the current seat
• Seat pitch maintained at ANA's industry-standard 33–34 inches
• Same tech upgrades: USB-C, Bluetooth audio, larger screens

The overall cabin count shifts slightly: 48 Business, 21 Premium Economy, and 137 Economy (down from the current 146 Economy). Business Class extends further back into the cabin, with Economy absorbing the nine-seat reduction.

Rollout timeline

• First aircraft delivery: Expected August 2026
• In service by end of 2026: 3 aircraft
• Total fleet to be retrofitted: At least 16 long-haul international 787-9s (out of ANA's total fleet of 44 787-9s — only the long-haul configured aircraft are affected)
• Routes: Major long-haul international services from Tokyo Haneda, likely starting with high-demand routes to North America and Europe

This is a gradual rollout. If you're flying ANA's 787-9 in late 2026, there's a real chance you'll draw either the new THE Room FX configuration or the existing staggered Business layout. This creates a version lottery on the 787-9, similar to the one that already exists on ANA's 777-300ER between THE SUITE/THE ROOM and the older staggered configuration.

How this affects our existing ANA guides

We currently cover ANA's 787-9 and 777-300ER — both of which already feature version lottery sections. The 787-9 guide will need a significant update once THE Room FX enters service, as the seat recommendations will be completely different between the two configurations:

• Current 787-9 Business: Staggered layout where odd-row windows (1A, 3A, 5A) offer the best privacy for solo travellers, and the rear mini-cabin (rows 9–11) is quietest.
• THE Room FX 787-9: Alternating forward/rear-facing 1-2-1 with doors. Best seats will depend on the specific seat map, but mid-cabin suites with true window access are likely the sweet spot, as with most 1-2-1 products.

The version lottery angle becomes even more important. Travellers booking ANA's 787-9 long-haul flights from late 2026 will need to check whether their specific aircraft has the new or old configuration — and the experience gap between the two will be massive.

The competitive picture

ANA's move fits a broader 2026 trend of airlines upgrading their 787 Business Class products:

• United is launching Polaris Studio on new 787-9 deliveries with sliding privacy doors
• Korean Air has introduced Prestige Suites 2.0 on 787-10s with doors
• El Al debuted Recaro CL6710 Business on its 787-9s
• Hawaiian/Alaska launched Leihoku Suites (Adient Ascent with doors) on 787-9s

ANA's THE Room FX is arguably the most ambitious of the lot — the sofa-style no-recline design is a genuine departure from convention, and the "world's largest seat in its class" claim sets high expectations. Whether it delivers will depend on execution, but ANA's track record with THE Room on the 777 suggests this is worth taking seriously.

We'll update our ANA 787-9 Seat Selection Guide with full THE Room FX coverage — including specific seat recommendations — once the configuration enters service and seat maps are confirmed.

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