&quot;Unless you are an airplane nerd, you would be hard pressed to distinguish the 787 from its grandfather.&quot;<p>I&#x27;m not sure how many airplanes the author has ridden on in the last 50 years, but there have been major improvements in noise reduction and fuel efficiency and reliability, and all those little changes add up.<p>(Also it&#x27;s really easy to tell a new plane from an old one once you step inside; the old ones were a lot more cramped)