Jetstar Boeing 787 refurbishment adding more Business Class seats

[moa999]

Back to bare bones from article in Australian, picture supplied by Jetstar.

 

[elanshin]

I wonder if Jetstar will order more 787-8s or even go for the 787-9 like scoot did. I'd imagine they'd be able to lower per seat costs using the -9 and seats would fill quickly on their Japan routes.

I dont think we'll see JQ get any more 787s anytime soon. We're talking prehaps mid 2030s.

If they were then expect 787-9 or 10s. Their mission profile won't need the range and even a -10 might be on the cards.

The real problem is that QF needs planes and need planes badly. So there's just no slot for QF group to give JQ dreamliners. By the time they could conceivably get slots, the market may be completely different. There may be a new plane coming onto the market etc.

 

[Lucass]

I dont think we'll see JQ get any more 787s anytime soon. We're talking prehaps mid 2030s.

If they were then expect 787-9 or 10s. Their mission profile won't need the range and even a -10 might be on the cards.

The real problem is that QF needs planes and need planes badly. So there's just no slot for QF group to give JQ dreamliners. By the time they could conceivably get slots, the market may be completely different. There may be a new plane coming onto the market etc.

Maybe Qantas should get some of Jetstar's 787-8s, when JQ starts getting the A321XLRs

 

[elanshin]

Maybe Qantas should get some of Jetstar's 787-8s, when JQ starts getting the A321XLRs

No chance. The early 787-8s were not built anywhere near as well as the latter 787s and have a bunch of problems (see JL and NH fleet). They're also about to all undergo heavy maintenance checks (coinciding with their refurbishment). The -8 are also too small for QF mainlines mission profiles and QF is getting new 787 deliveries next year.

JQ also needs these 787s planes for their plans. There are loads of JQ routes that are distance constrained for the single aisle (you may notice Jetstar no longer flies any 787 to Bali already as it can be reached on the 321LR)
Japan is still a crazy hot market that you realistically can't reach except from CNS with narrow bodies. I don't expect a single aisle to run CNS -NRT anytime soon though. ICN is also increasingly becoming more and more popular and that's not possible on any single aisle.

JQ is probably also eyeing up Indian routes once the refurbishment is finished and they can fly even further routes with proper crew rests.

So QF group is not going to be shuffling these 787s around until much later. Maybe we'll see them one day on domestic transcon duty if QF ever wants to do that in another dozen years time.

 

[moa999]

Agreed.

Seats have a 2+ yr ordering time.
The refurbs are happening and given the cost are going to be Jetstar for 10+ years.

At the end of that period who knows.. Maybe QF might be sending used 350 Sunrise aircraft to JQ as better performing 350 Neo's arrive.

 

[Saab34]

These heavy checks will get the fleet to nearly 2040. They won’t get another check so I wouldn’t expect any announcement for fleet replacement until 2033-2035, which will be a different management team and board at that time no doubt.

I’d expect the 787-9 to replace it, that would get them through to mid 2060s, Boeing will likely have the next 787 replacement by then to take them through to 2100. Most of us will be put to bed by then!

 

[Lucass]

Is it true 787s have a service life of 30-40 years?!?!?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is it true 787s have a service life of 30-40 years?!?!?

According to Boeing PR… up to 50 years!

787 Quality Information

www.boeing.com

 

[elanshin]

Is it true 787s have a service life of 30-40 years?!?!?

Probably not as passenger airliners but it wouldn't be crazy to see some P2F conversions I wouldn't be surprised to see them flying for that long.

 

[moa999]

A very small nugget in the QF results presentation.

with upgrades via points launching in 2H26 in line with 787 reconfiguration

 

[Rayesfeg]

A very small nugget in the QF results presentation.

This will be interesting, wonder if it will be a fixed price or a bid type situation.
Either way, can probably expect very full J cabins.

 

[moa999]

First refurb VH-VKK now at 7wks in HKG.

 

[Saab34]

7News ran a story on this tonight.
‘Bid Cash’ is coming for Y upgrades.

Looks like still perhaps a week or two away and yet to be repainted. Cabin looks now complete, looks like they still working underneath with parts off.

First look at the new international Jetstar cabin

Travellers will now be able to bid for an upgrade for the first time.

7news.com.au

 

[moa999]

Customers eligible for a BidCash upgrade will receive an email in the days leading up to their flight, pending the availability of business class seating. Bidding on flights to Ho Chi Minh, for example, starts at $180.

Interesting they highlight SGN in the example.
SYD-SGN 2/wk and MEL-SGN 3/wk currently.

And a link to the Jetstar website for the upgrades.

https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/flights/business-class-upgrades

Interestingly only available on fares booked on jetstar.com sites.. so presumably not Qantas or any other code shares.

Have a end of year SYD-ICN trip that's allowing A$210-800 bids in both directions using a pretty familiar Red to Green style slider

 

[Saab34]

They are moving to a higher density premium cabin which does carry some risk on the commercial side, certainly could be some opportunities to get hold of some cheap upgrades.

I was quite surprised they opted for such a high premium cabin, I’d expect a bit of trial and error on pricing/upgrades etc while the commercial teams try and work out how to maximise revenue over the older configuration.

 

[Lucass]

Looks great! excited for the future of JQ international!

 

[dajop]

They are moving to a higher density premium cabin which does carry some risk on the commercial side, certainly could be some opportunities to get hold of some cheap upgrades.

I was quite surprised they opted for such a high premium cabin, I’d expect a bit of trial and error on pricing/upgrades etc while the commercial teams try and work out how to maximise revenue over the older configuration.

In the plane overall they’re only losing 10 economy seats, so the 23 extra business seats they have to cover revenue for 33 economy seats. So that’s an extra 45% per seat. But probably also have to account for some erosion of what they can sell the exisiting 21 seats for.

But in med-long haul flying, Premium Economy seems to be very profitable for a number of airlines. Not surprised that Jetstar sees value in expanding its PE cabin (even though it markets as business).

 

[million_thanas1968]

No chance. The early 787-8s were not built anywhere near as well as the latter 787s and have a bunch of problems (see JL and NH fleet). They're also about to all undergo heavy maintenance checks (coinciding with their refurbishment). The -8 are also too small for QF mainlines mission profiles and QF is getting new 787 deliveries next year.

JQ also needs these 787s planes for their plans. There are loads of JQ routes that are distance constrained for the single aisle (you may notice Jetstar no longer flies any 787 to Bali already as it can be reached on the 321LR)
Japan is still a crazy hot market that you realistically can't reach except from CNS with narrow bodies. I don't expect a single aisle to run CNS -NRT anytime soon though. ICN is also increasingly becoming more and more popular and that's not possible on any single aisle.

JQ is probably also eyeing up Indian routes once the refurbishment is finished and they can fly even further routes with proper crew rests.

So QF group is not going to be shuffling these 787s around until much later. Maybe we'll see them one day on domestic transcon duty if QF ever wants to do that in another dozen years time.

Until the checks and refurbs finish I will be staying far far away from JQ for MEL-SIN. JQ needs more 787s but help won't be coming for a while.
Mate that works in scheduling told me they've basically been cancelling basically 2 of the 6 JQ7/8 flights every week to put them elsewhere since that's the shortest 787 route. I was literally cancelled on back to back on that route as well lol.

Been told some people have had to wait 3-5 days for a replacement flight since all the ex-SIN QF flights have been full recently.