Should Jetstar refit its A321LR fleet and install Business Class for Asian offerings?

[LionKing]

In today's Qantas Financial Report, we can expect there will be no A321XLR coming for JQ until at least after FY27.
Meanwhile, its A321LR fleet, which has a range of 7400km, can go for routes such as BNE/CNS-NRT/KIX (up to 7116km), SYD/BNE-HKT/SGN (up to 7259km) and MEL-SIN (6024km).
I actually wonder if Jetstar would really need A321XLRs in its current offerings, and should instead install 20 Business Class seats on its A321LR fleet and replace B787-8 on some of those routes and improve its frequency offerings.
It could mean routes are more flexible allowing Jetstar to do things like SYD-CNS-KIX and allow Business Class passengers to fly on an early morning service to Cairns instead of Economy with lack of social distancing.
B787-8 can then be freed up to do routes such as India and Northern China for new markets?

 

[wandering_fred]

PER-BLR and PER-CMB are certainly within the range of the 321neo
Would allow opening up the sub-continent without needing a 787.
convert the first six or seven rows (which are extra $ seats already) to economy plus with an extra 4-5" of leg room.
Better alternatives for cheap(er) wandering
Fred

 

[elanshin]

In today's Qantas Financial Report, we can expect there will be no A321XLR coming for JQ until at least after FY27.
Meanwhile, its A321LR fleet, which has a range of 7400km, can go for routes such as BNE/CNS-NRT/KIX (up to 7116km), SYD/BNE-HKT/SGN (up to 7259km) and MEL-SIN (6024km).
I actually wonder if Jetstar would really need A321XLRs in its current offerings, and should instead install 20 Business Class seats on its A321LR fleet and replace B787-8 on some of those routes and improve its frequency offerings.
It could mean routes are more flexible allowing Jetstar to do things like SYD-CNS-KIX and allow Business Class passengers to fly on an early morning service to Cairns instead of Economy with lack of social distancing.
B787-8 can then be freed up to do routes such as India and Northern China for new markets?

On paper, this seems like an ok idea.

But there is a lot of benefit to reducing costs and running a 1 cabin configuration. You don't have to have different catering, different service etc. If they really want to play this game I think QF's Economy+ is the way to copy not a mini "J" cabin.

Also I dont see QF group (or western airlines in general) seriously touching the Chinese market for a long while. They can't market it to the Chinese and foreign travel to China fell off a cliff post covid and isn't recovering anytime soon with geopolitics.

 

[oz_mark]

The reporting was that they (the XLRs) were going to get 12 Business Seats. I think they'll wait it out till then.

Jetstar Narrow-Body Jets Getting Business Class

Jetstar will install Business Class seats on its new Airbus A321XlR fleet. Once these new planes arrive, you'll even be able to upgrade into these seats using Qantas Points.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

(There's quite a lead time on getting seats, so even if they did decide to retrofit, it would be sometime before it happened.)