Austrian 787-9 Seat Map & Best Seats (2026)

Austrian took its first 787-9s to replace the 767s and 777s, and all three are fitted identically. That makes this one of the easier long-haul aircraft to plan for — there is no version lottery to lose. What there is instead is a cabin with two structural quirks that the booking map does not explain, and both of them change which seat you should pick.

The trap: row 1 of Business is a two-seat row

Business is a 1-2-1 stagger across seven rows, lettered A on the left, D and G in the centre, and K on the right. Twenty-six seats over seven rows would be twenty-eight if every row were full — and two are missing.

Row 1 has no centre pair. There is no 1D and no 1G. The bulkhead, the forward galley and the bassinet positions occupy that space, and the first centre seats on the aircraft are 2D and 2G.

This is worth knowing for two opposite reasons. If you are travelling alone, 1A and 1K are the two most private seats in the cabin: window seats in the first row, with nothing but empty floor where the centre pair would normally be. If you are travelling as a couple and want to sit together, do not aim for row 1 — you cannot. The centre pairs start at row 2.

The other side of row 1 is the usual bulkhead trade-off: the galley is immediately ahead, and the bassinet points are mounted there, so on a full flight with infants aboard it is the noisiest row in the cabin rather than the quietest.

The second trap: the forward economy cabin ends three times

This is the one that catches people, and nothing on a booking map flags it.

Economy is split into two sections by the Door 3 vestibule and its lavatory bank. The forward section does not end in a straight line. Each of the three seat blocks stops at a different row, because the lavatories are staggered across the width of the cabin:

• Right-hand block (H J K) stops at row 24.
• Centre block (D E G) stops at row 25.
• Left-hand block (A B C) stops at row 26.

So 24H, 24J and 24K have a lavatory directly behind them while 24A to 24G have two more rows of passengers. 25D, 25E and 25G have the centre lavatory pair behind them. And 26A, 26B and 26C are a true last row that does not look like one, because rows 27 onward exist — just on the far side of a door vestibule.

If you are choosing from a seat map and you see rows running to 42, you would never guess that row 24 is a last row on one side of the aisle. It is.

Business — rows 1 to 7

Twenty-six staggered 1-2-1 seats. Every seat has direct aisle access. The choice is between window privacy and the centre pairs.

Best for solo travellers: 1A and 1K, for the reason above — no centre seats beside them at all. After that, any A or K seat in rows 3 to 6.

Best for couples: the centre pairs in rows 3 to 6 — D and G. Remember that row 1 has none, so row 2 is the furthest forward a pair can sit together.

Think twice about row 1 if you are a light sleeper: galley ahead, bassinets mounted at the bulkhead.

Think twice about row 7. It is the last Business row, hard against the divider, and you are served last.

Premium Economy — rows 8 to 10

Twenty-one seats in a 2-3-2 across three rows: A and C on the left, D, E and G in the centre, H and K on the right. It is a small, self-contained cabin, which is the best thing about it.

Best: row 9. The middle row of three — a normal seat in front to stow under, nobody reclining in from a bulkhead, and one row clear of the economy divider behind.

Row 8 is the bulkhead. The most legroom in the cabin, but nothing stows under a seat in front for taxi, take-off and landing, and it sits directly behind the Business divider.

Row 10 is the last row — nobody reclines into you, but you are against the economy divider and served last.

If you are two people travelling together, A and C or H and K give you a pair with nobody else in the row. In the centre, D and E leave you next to a stranger in G.

Economy — rows 11 to 42

A 3-3-3 cabin lettered A B C | D E G | H J K. Note there is no F and no I seat — a Boeing convention that catches people who assume a 3-3-3 runs A to J continuously.

Best: row 11. The first economy row, immediately behind the Premium Economy divider, so no seat reclines into you. The bassinet positions are mounted at that bulkhead, which is a reason to book it if you are travelling with an infant and a reason to skip it if you are not.

Avoid 26A, 26B, 26C and 25D, 25E, 25G — the hidden last rows described above.

The tail narrows over the last three rows. Row 40 has no window seats — there is no 40A and no 40K, because the fuselage has closed in, so the row runs B, C, D, E, G, H, J. Rows 41 and 42 are centre block only: D, E and G, with no window or aisle-side seats at all and the rear galley and lavatories immediately behind. Row 42 is the last row on the aircraft.

Two row numbers are missing, not one. Economy runs 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and onward — there is no row 13 and no row 17. If you are counting rows forward from the front of the cabin to find a seat you were quoted, you will land two rows too far back.

Quick-pick summary

FAQ

Why is there no 1D or 1G on Austrian's 787-9?
The Business cabin is a 1-2-1 stagger and row 1 has no centre pair — the bulkhead, galley and bassinet positions take that space. The first centre seats are 2D and 2G.

Which are the most private Business seats?
1A and 1K. They are window seats with no centre seats alongside them at all.

Does Austrian have a version lottery on the 787-9?
No. All three aircraft are fitted in the same 294-seat layout.

Where are rows 13 and 17?
Neither exists. Economy runs 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and onward to 42 — two numbers are skipped, not one.

Which economy seats should I avoid?
26A/B/C, 25D/E/G and 24H/J/K — each is the last row of its block in the forward cabin, with a lavatory directly behind. In the tail, rows 41 and 42 are centre-block only, and row 40 has lost both window seats.

Is there Wi-Fi?
Yes — Panasonic eXConnect Ku-band satellite, with Panasonic eX3 seatback screens in all three cabins.