As Boeing’s B787 Dreamliner transitions from development and certification to airline operation, airlines are so far proving the type to be more utilitarian, replacing less-efficient predecessors, than network changing. Even if the B787 does not come close to opening the 450 new long and thin routes Boeing estimated early on would be possible, the aircraft will dominate in the Asia-Pacific region, which claims ownership of 43% of announced airline orders. The aircraft’s practicality is also reflected in cabin layouts, which so far have not come close to trumpeting the Airbus A380’s headline-grabbing features, but do not need to since the B787 is less designed for competitive hub-to-hub flying. Regardless of where and how airlines deploy their new B787s, their orders for it - even if delayed - are of exceptional value, with Boeing undercutting its earnings.