One of my fondest memories with aviation is an 8-hour layover at Schiphol when I was 14, spent watching KLM and Northwest flights take off and land. You start to notice things when you have that much time and nothing else to do.
About 90% of the large jet market is split between Airbus and Boeing, so most of the planes you fly on are one or the other. These are the tells I use, in the order I check them.
1. The nose
Pointy usually means Boeing, and rounded usually means Airbus. The 777 and 787 both have pointy noses. Be careful with the A330 and A350, which are more pointed than a typical Airbus, so don’t rely on the nose alone.
2. The cockpit windows
Look at the last cockpit window. If it sits at about 90° to the body of the plane, it’s likely an Airbus. If the last two windows are at an angle, it’s likely a Boeing.
3. The tail
An Airbus tail fin is boxier and ends abruptly where it meets the fuselage. A Boeing tail fin sweeps back and ends more gradually.
The full deck
I put together a short deck on planes in 2023, covering why I love them, a timeline of the makers, how the two giants compete, and where fuels and materials are heading. Click through it below.
One caveat
These are rules of thumb from my own plane-spotting notes, and not guarantees. If two of the three agree, I’d bet on it.