Jaunted

Personally, we like it way more than we thought we would. Compared to ANA's blaring the "787" on the side of their first few, United's gone for a sophisticated minimalism. Your average traveler won't notice anything different, because who really pays that much attention to plane paintjobs unless we're talking about the Olympics or, even better, Hello Kitty?

In this way, the gold swoosh on United's Dreamliner winks at those who know what they're looking at. It's like spotting a rare edition of a sportscar because you recognize the tweaked headlights. You feel smart and confident for picking up on the design hints.

Next year, we envision travelers standing at airport windows, nudging each other and asking "ooh, what plane is that?" Unless they're nudging an #avgeek however, the answer will most likely be "oh, a United something-or-other."

Above: our shot of the plane on the factory floor

[Images: United; Photo: Jaunted]