XiamenAir Boeing 787-9 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

The catch: the exit-row window seats have no view

XiamenAir is a SkyTeam airline based in Xiamen, and the 787-9 is its main long-haul aircraft. It typically flies from Xiamen to Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles, Vancouver, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo, and from Fuzhou to New York and Amsterdam. It also works some busy domestic routes to Beijing. Schedules change, and the 787-8 often takes over a flight for a few weeks, so check the aircraft type on your booking.

The obvious economy upgrade is the exit row at door 3, row 56. It has open floor ahead, so you can stand up without climbing over anyone. The window seats are where it goes wrong. 56A and 56L have no usable window because the glass sits well behind the seat. The door also curves into the legroom, so your legs end up at an angle. The middle three, 56D, 56E and 56H, sit right behind the mid-cabin lavatories. That leaves 56B, 56C, 56J and 56K, which get the legroom without either problem.

The economy bulkhead, row 41, has the same kind of catch. 41J, 41K and 41L have about 29in to the wall, which is generous. But two lavatories sit directly ahead of the row, there are bassinet positions at 41B, 41E and 41K, and the trays fold out of the armrests. Expect a queue beside you for most of the night.

Business class (rows 11–18)

Thirty Collins Super Diamond seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone, lettered A | D H | L. Every seat has its own aisle and folds into a fully flat bed, about 78in long and 26in wide. Rows 11 to 17 have four seats each. Row 18 has only 18A and 18L, with no centre pair.

The seat angle decides who it suits. The window seats, A and L, are angled toward the windows and away from the aisle. They are the most private seats in the cabin. The centre pair, D and H, are angled toward each other. That is ideal if you are travelling with someone, and close quarters if you are not.

Not every window seat has a good view. 14A, 14L, 16A and 16L have glass that sits poorly against the seat. 18A and 18L have the best-aligned windows in the cabin, and 13A and 13L have two windows each. The galley at door 2 is just behind row 18, so expect some light and noise there during meal service. The business cabin has one lavatory, at the front ahead of row 11. Row 11 is nearest to it, and row 18 is the furthest away.

Economy (rows 41–70)

257 seats in a 3-3-3, lettered A B C | D E H | J K L. There is no F or G seat. Each seat is about 17in wide, the usual nine-abreast 787 width. The cabin is split by lavatories and door 3 into a forward section, rows 41–55, and a rear section, rows 56–70. The wing sits beside rows 42 to 55, so those window seats look down onto it.

There are eight economy lavatories: two ahead of row 41, four ahead of row 56 (one is accessible), and two at the very back behind row 70. The rows next to each group are the ones to avoid. The tail narrows at the back: row 55 has no J, K or L seats, row 69 is D E H J K only, and row 70 is just D E H.

787-9 or 787-8? How to tell which XiamenAir 787 you are on

XiamenAir flies two versions of the 787, and on several long-haul routes the 787-8 regularly stands in for the 787-9. The 787-8 is the one with First Class: four suites in row 1. Its business cabin is only three rows, 11–13, in a 2-2-2 lettered A C | D H | J L, so the window seats do not have their own aisle. The 787-9 has no First and no row 1. Its business cabin runs from row 11 to row 18 in a 1-2-1, and every seat has its own aisle. If the seat map shows a row 1, or business stops at row 13, you are on the 787-8. That matters most in business, where the 787-9’s aisle access is the main reason to pick the flight. Economy is 3-3-3 on both. See our XiamenAir 787-8 guide for that aircraft.

Quick-pick summary

Frequently asked questions

Does XiamenAir 787-9 business class have direct aisle access?

Yes. All 30 seats are Collins Super Diamond reverse-herringbone seats in a 1-2-1, so every seat has its own aisle and becomes a fully flat bed. The 787-8 is different: its business cabin is a 2-2-2, so window passengers step past a neighbour.

Which is the best business class seat on the XiamenAir 787-9?

18A or 18L. They have the best-aligned windows in the cabin and no centre pair beside them, though the door 2 galley is behind. 13A and 13L, with two windows each, are the best choice away from the galleys. Avoid 14A, 14L, 16A and 16L if you want a view.

Is exit row 56 worth booking on the XiamenAir 787-9?

Yes, but only 56B, 56C, 56J and 56K. 56A and 56L have no usable window and the door curves into the legroom. 56D, 56E and 56H sit right behind the lavatories, and 56D is a bassinet position.

Which XiamenAir 787-9 economy seats have no window?

67A and 67L have no window at all. 56A and 56L have no usable window because the glass is well behind the seat. 41L, 44L, 47L, 50L, 53L, 63A, 63L, 66A and 66L have a window that is out of line with the seat.

How do I know if my XiamenAir flight is a 787-9 or a 787-8?

Look at the seat map. A row 1 with four First suites means the 787-8. Business in rows 11 to 18, all 1-2-1, means the 787-9. XiamenAir often swaps the two on routes such as Sydney, Melbourne, Amsterdam and Paris, so check again a few days before you fly.

Comparable guides

• XiamenAir 787-8 — the smaller 787 with First Class, often swapped onto the same routes
• China Southern 787-9 — the 787-9 at XiamenAir’s largest shareholder
• China Eastern 787-9 — another Chinese 787-9 on long-haul routes
• Air China 787-9 — the Beijing-based 787-9
• Hainan Airlines 787-9 — a Chinese 787-9 flying to Europe and North America
• KLM 787 — XiamenAir’s SkyTeam partner from Amsterdam

See all aircraft seat guides →