Boeing's Dreamliner Could Make Flying Better
On Wednesday the "revolutionary" Boeing Dreamliner will fly its very first commercial flight. After two years in delays almost two years after its first test run, the latest update to the Boeing series will cart 264 passengers from Tokyo to Hong Kong, reports USA Today's Charisse Jones. "The flight is a coming-out party for a jet that reflects the biggest change in aircraft construction since metal replaced wooden biplanes," she writes. The jet will supposedly revolutionize the flying experience with comfier interiors, recycled plane parts, and a lighter, more fuel efficient body. But how can all this radness positively affect your flying life?
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Lower prices: First off, the Dreamliner claims a 20 percent jump in fuel efficiency over other similar planes. It's built with General Electric and Rolls-Royce engines, which are just more efficient, claims Boeing on its site. "Advances in engine technology are the biggest contributor to overall fuel efficiency improvements," explains Boeing. "The new engines represent nearly a two-generation jump in technology for the middle of the market." Here's that pretty Rolls-Royce engine:
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The plans is also apparently 30 percent cheaper to maintain, reports Jones. "The Dreamliner's unique makeup also won't corrode as easily as other jets," she writes. "The payoff for airlines is the ability to fly long-distance trips without burning as much increasingly costly jet fuel as other similar-size planes." Sadly, the airlines might not share that wealth with passengers, though. Yet, there is another way you could save money. A midsize plane, The Dreamliner might open up new routes that otherwise would've been hard and expensive to get to. "It could pave the way for airlines to have new, direct flights between far-away cities on routes that otherwise wouldn't have profitably supported non-stop trips on a bigger jet burning more fuel with so few passengers," continues Jones.
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Comfy insides: After ponying up big bucks, perks like nice seats and in-flight entertainment matter. The Dreamliner is at least trying to up its game. The interior looks comfortable, if a bit futuristic.
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There's also an actual bar in the main cabin and the in-flight entertainment, which each set has, is all Android operated touch screens, as CNET reported.
Greener body: For the environmentally conscious: Its body is made of 50 percent composites, which should quell guilt about burning massive amounts of fuel whilst jet-setting. Literally, greener:
