Originally Posted by
Anti Skid On
Something that has been lost in this discussion (other than someone mentioning the 2-4-2 seating in the 787) is the 777, once upon a time was a 3-3-3 config in Y (even saw 2-5-2 in early MH birds). Most operators have gone to the horrid 3-4-3 that was once standard on the 747. I will always book according to comfort rather than price.
The airframer has little say on how each airline configures their interiors - not much more than some max numbers. Operators could easily put showers and private bedrooms in even narrow bodies such as the A320 and 737 - in fact there are 737 BBJs configured that way right now. But few people would be willing or able to pay the resultant ticket prices. The race to the bottom that we were witnessing prior to Covid was because most people shop by price, not by value - it's not just the airline business, there are many retailers whose very existence is dependent on shoppers who buy based on the lowest price - not the best value (not to mention the manufacturers who make the crap they sell).
The 767 was designed for seven across seating but was provisioned for eight across - thankfully very few airlines went with the eight across (many years ago I did a flight test on 767 configured for eight across - I barely fit in the seats and I'm not a large person, not to mention over 60 lbs. lighter back then). The 777 was designed for nine across, provisioned for ten - and for a long time most 777s were configured for nine across until the race to the bottom dictated ten across. Similarly the 787 was designed for eight across, provisioned for nine - but because of the race to the bottom few 787s were ever configured with eight across.
The A380 got the showers, lounges, and suites because the operators couldn't routinely fill the aircraft if they packed them in like sardines - so instead they treated the A380 as a premium product with lots of room and amenities. If anyone had ever operated the A380 with it's advertised 800+ passengers, the passenger experience would have been at least as miserable as any 777 and 787.