I recently flew Alaska Airlines’ new 787 Suite Class on a trip to London and was genuinely excited to try the product. Unfortunately, the seat turned out to be the most uncomfortable lie-flat seat I’ve ever experienced.
For reference, I’m 5'8" / 135 lbs, so I wouldn’t consider myself particularly large or small. Despite that, the foot cubby design created serious comfort issues in both directions of my trip.
The main problem is the curvature of the footwell, which bends slightly to the right. When fully in bed mode, this forces my left ankle into an unnatural position, making it uncomfortable to stay in one posture for long periods.
Another issue is the alignment between the seat and the foot cubby. In lie-flat mode, the seat doesn’t sit level with the footwell, which causes my legs to hyperextend slightly. This creates a sensation of pressure and reduced circulation when trying to sleep.
I flew in seat 3C on the outbound and 7C on the return, and experienced the same issues in both.
Because of this, I’m reconsidering future long-haul bookings with Alaska. I had been planning a Seoul trip with them next year, but I can’t justify paying a premium fare to sit in a seat that becomes this uncomfortable on a 12-hour flight.
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