Lufthansa and British Airways have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, while United, ANA, JAL, and Ethiopian have moved ahead with their 787 cabin upgrades. So why have BA and Lufthansa been left behind, and what’s really slowing things down? The answer, as it turns out, is at the heart of the 787 cabin upgrade delays story.
Seat Selection: Playing It Safe Pays Off
United, ANA, JAL, and Ethiopian all chose business class seats that are already well established, or at least closely related to proven designs. United’s Polaris, ANA’s The Room, JAL’s Sky Suite, and Ethiopian’s staggered seats have all passed regulatory checks on the 787, with no need for a lengthy new certification process. Their suppliers (Zodiac/Safran, Jamco, Thompson Aero) are experienced in large-scale production and haven’t hit the same snags as others.
These airlines also took a phased approach to upgrades, using MRO partners who know the 787 inside out and spreading out the retrofits. No drama, no major delays.
BA and Lufthansa: Trouble by Design
Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class, custom-built by Collins Aerospace, hadn’t previously been certified for use on the 787. In late 2024, the FAA refused to certify the seat after it failed crash testing, grounding several new aircraft and freezing delivery of more jets. This became a focal point in the 787 cabin upgrade delays that have frustrated both airlines and passengers.
British Airways is retrofitting its 787s with the Collins Aerospace Club Suite. While this seat is already in service on BA’s A350s and some 777s, the 787 retrofit includes integration challenges, particularly with privacy doors and certification for all variants. Add to that ongoing supply chain issues at Collins, and the process has been anything but smooth.
Regulation: No Shortcuts
Both airlines are facing a much tougher regulatory environment in the wake of the 737 MAX crisis. The FAA and EASA now require full crash testing and certification for every new seat model on every aircraft type, even if a nearly identical seat is flying elsewhere. For Lufthansa, this has resulted in an indefinite hold on Allegris certification, blocking aircraft from entering service and pushing back upgrade timelines.
Supply Chain: One Supplier, Many Delays
Collins Aerospace is the common thread here, and they’ve struggled to keep up with demand. Parts shortages, production delays, and the complexity of these premium seats have left BA and Lufthansa with little room to manoeuvre.
Engine Troubles: Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Woes
One major complication shared by both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic has been the well-documented Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine saga. Both airlines’ Boeing 787 fleets rely exclusively on these engines, and from 2017 onwards, the Trent 1000’s premature blade wear and ongoing reliability problems led to urgent inspections, repeated groundings, and severe operational disruption. At the height of the crisis, both BA and Virgin had to ground significant numbers of their Dreamliners – sometimes more than half their fleets – while waiting for repairs or replacement engines. Both airlines resorted to short-term aircraft leases and creative scheduling just to keep long-haul routes operating.
Unsurprisingly, with such a high percentage of aircraft parked and maintenance teams stretched thin, large-scale cabin upgrades and retrofit programmes dropped down the list of priorities. Planning and executing cabin refits was nearly impossible when aircraft were constantly cycling in and out of service for unplanned engine work. As a result, 787 cabin upgrade delays became inevitable for both carriers.
While the Trent 1000 crisis has gradually eased with the rollout of permanent fixes and new parts, the knock-on effects on fleet availability and operational planning have lingered. For both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, this engine saga has been a major – if often overlooked – reason behind the slow pace of 787 cabin upgrades, alongside the challenges of seat certification, supply chain disruption, and regulatory hurdles.
It’s not just the 787s – British Airways has faced similar challenges with its A380s, where recurring maintenance problems and parts shortages have delayed planned cabin refits. The story is playing out on both of BA’s flagship long-haul types: ongoing reliability headaches mean it’s nearly impossible to schedule aircraft downtime for major interior upgrades.
See also: British Airways A380 Maintenance Problems Are Slowing Cabin Refits
Virgin Atlantic: Playing It Smart with a Proven Seat
Virgin Atlantic’s 787‑9 upgrade plan takes a far more pragmatic approach. Instead of commissioning a custom product, Virgin has chosen the Thompson VantageXL seat for its Upper Class Suite – a platform that’s already certified and in service not just on their A330‑900neo, but also on the 787 with other airlines. This seat has already passed the required crash testing and regulatory checks for the Dreamliner, avoiding the “new-to-type” pitfalls that caught out Lufthansa and British Airways.
Because the Thompson VantageXL isn’t new to the 787, Virgin sidesteps the time-consuming and costly certification process from scratch. The seat’s core design and safety record are already proven, letting Virgin focus on the customer-facing details rather than regulatory hurdles.
Virgin is also rolling out these upgrades over a longer timeline (2028–2030), which gives both seat suppliers and the airline breathing space, and so far, there’s no sign of the regulatory or supply chain snags that have plagued other carriers. By sticking with a proven platform and clear implementation plan, Virgin is largely steering clear of the 787 cabin upgrade delays that have bogged down other airlines.
For more detail on Virgin’s strategy, see our article:
Virgin Atlantic 787 Suite Upgrade: A Much-Needed Step to Stay in the Game
Are Airlines Actually Better Off Choosing Standard Seat Designs?
This all raises a key question: Is any innovative edge gained through a bespoke seat design actually worth it, when it causes years of delays? And do standard, second- or third-generation seat platforms – like the VantageXL – end up offering just as much in comfort, privacy, and tech, but reach the market far quicker?
Looking at recent 787 upgrade programmes, the evidence suggests that established, modular seat designs now come loaded with all the “wow-factor” features airlines want: direct aisle access, privacy doors, wireless charging, 4K IFE screens, and clever storage. Suppliers have refined these platforms over multiple iterations, so by the time an airline like Virgin Atlantic selects a proven product, it’s often at the cutting edge anyway.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa and BA’s gamble on new seats brought the potential for differentiation – but at the cost of major delays, grounded jets, and a growing gap with competitors who kept it simple. The choice of an off-the-shelf seat has proven, in the case of the 787 cabin upgrade delays, to be the quicker route to market.
For most airlines, the real competitive edge might come less from having a unique seat shell and more from being first to offer the latest, reliably-delivered features – and getting them in front of passengers years ahead of the bespoke seats.
The Real Causes of Delay: Aircraft Issues and Ambitious Seats
In summary, the sluggish pace of 787 (and A380) cabin upgrades at airlines like British Airways and Lufthansa isn’t just down to bad luck or the pandemic. The real culprits are twofold:
- Mechanical and reliability faults unique to the aircraft themselves – especially ongoing engine woes and maintenance challenges with the 787 and A380 – which make it nearly impossible to take these jets out of service for upgrades.
- Ambitious decisions to develop bespoke business class seats that require lengthy and often unpredictable certification, instead of sticking with off-the-shelf products that reach passengers faster.
Until these twin challenges are solved, expect to keep seeing “classic” cabins hanging around far longer than airlines or their premium passengers would like.
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