The new long-haul jet aims to change with the way passengers think about flying with larger windows, improved lighting and air pressure and humidity that closer resembles that on the ground.
It's not the fastest jet or the largest jet but the plane, nicknamed The Dreamliner by Boeing Corp, is built of lightweight materials that promise to dramatically improve fuel efficiency.
The first flight, from Tokyo to Hong Kong, was filled with 240 aviation reporters and enthusiasts some of whom paid thousands of dollars for the privilege.
"It's silly, but it's a little piece of history. New cars come out all the time but how often do new planes come out?" said Stephanie Wood. She and her husband Dean, of Davie, Fla., won a charity auction, paying nearly USD 18,700 for two business-class seats. Another passenger paid USD 32,000.
The most noticeable feature of the plane is its windows, which are 30 per cent larger than older jets.
Passengers no longer need to hunch forward to see the ground.
Those in the middle of the plane can even glance out part of the windows.
The shades are replaced with a glare-reducing, electrical dimming system that adds tint to the window within 30 seconds.
"The windows are absolutely amazing. You're not confined. You've got the outside inside," Wood said.
The USD 193.5 million plane's debut was more than three years delayed because of manufacturing problems.
But that didn't bother the fans who broke out in applause at every opportunity.
The highlight for many was a rainbow-colored light show that transformed the sedate white interior into something closer to the Las Vegas strip.
Many of the 106 enthusiasts on board the flight by Japan's All Nippon Airways were carrying memorabilia from past inaugural flights and snapping photos of everything from the overhead bins to the bathroom with a window and bidet. Thomas Lee, of Los Angeles, handed out his own press release and biography.
There was his first inaugural flight the Boeing 747 as a 17-year-old boy in 1970 and then the Airbus A380 four years ago.
