Michael R passes along that The Economist added coverage of the Star MegaDO (without even going on the charter!).

For them, it was an opportunity to summarize Stephanie Rosenbloom’s New York Times coverage.

THE New York Times’s review of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is in—and it’s mixed. The paper sent a reporter to join a group of frequent flyers on a MegaDo, a sort of air-travel hobbyist event organised for people who really love planes. Part of the event was an alcohol-soaked joyride on a Dreamliner flying from San Francisco to Houston and then Chicago. As Gulliver and our sister blogs have documented, the new, all-composite Dreamliner has had a troubled early history plagued by delays, frustrated airlines, and cancelled orders. So the first North American charter flight for the plane is a big deal.

Upshot: the 787 has drawbacks — nine seats across in United’s coach configuration, and some teething problems that seem to pop up in most new aircraft models — while the potential benefit of a quieter cabin with better air circulation are likely to be felt on long haul routes (which is how the plane will predominantly be used).