Jetstar details Boeing 787 config: 335 seats, USB power, touchscreens
By David Flynn, June 5 2013
As the debut of Australia’s first Jetstar Boeing 787 inches closer, with first flights in November, the airline is revealing more details of what passengers will experience when travelleling on the next-gen jet.
Australian Business Traveller sat down with Jetstar to dive into the details.
Jetstar’s Boeing 787 fleet will pack 335 travellers from tip to tail, with 21 business class seats and 314 in economy.
The Recaro business class seats will be arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, with the slimline Pinnacle economy seats ranked in a 3-3-3 layout.
The seat pitch will be comparable to Jetstar’s current A330 fleet – around 38 inches in business class and 31 inches in economy – says Jetstar’s 787 director Mark Dal Pra.
Read: Understanding seat pitch, legroom and your ‘personal space’ on an airplane
Jetstar has also opted to continue using a recliner in business class rather than an angled lie-flat seat.
“When you’re only flying five to ten hours, the amount the customers need to pay for a lie-flat seat, for the space it takes up, just doesn’t work out” Dal Pra told Australian Business Traveller.
Dal Pra says the airline has slightly reduced the number of business class seats to boost the size of the economy cabin, compared to its first plans.
Every seat will be equipped with a touchscreen video panel linked to a central Panasonic eX2 inflight entertainment system providing video on demand along with games and seat-to-seat chat.
Business class passengers will get a 10.6 inch display, with 9 inches in economy, and the system will allow ‘gate to gate’ use rather than having to switch off the screen during take-off and landing.
Every seat will have a USB socket for charging smartphones and tablets, with an AC power supply in each business class seat and shared between every two seats in economy.
Jetstar will launch its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on domestic routes within Australia, before ramping up to international routes in December, with popular domestic routes from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to the Gold Coast and Cairns on the cards.
Read: Jetstar to begin Boeing 787 flights in November
Australian Business Traveller is visiting Boeing’s 787 factory at Everett, Washington as a guest of Boeing, Qantas and Jetstar
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we’re @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - QFF Platinum
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 212
Well that settles that, no need to try the Jetstar 787 then
I wouldn't call it a missed oppurtunity from Qantas/Jetstar but probably more of a case of a sound business decision
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 783
True. However I might try one of those domestic flights to try the plane out. Kudos to JQ (never thought I'd say that) for putting in IFE for all seats.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
01 Mar 2012
Total posts 178
The layout seems to be within their business model really. JQ is not renowned for being comfortable, it is just a flying bus really and they are providing that. It makes perfect business sense.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 363
I think it sounds great
04 Jun 2013
Total posts 1
dreamliner sufferes from battery issues. Boeing has been tryin to cover it up. airliners are more concern with the money they can save from servcing Dreamliner. looks like nobody cares about the safety anymore. JAL has found another bettery issue just a day after ban was lifted on Dreamliner. Airliners are ordering dreamliner like crazy bcos it can accomodate more ppl, covers extra 555km and saves on Fuel even though its battery issues are known to everyone. what if u r flyin and battery heats up and catches on fire.. as it did in Japan??? im quite shocked they are letting it fly even after knowing all the facts. just goes to show how much corporates control governments and regulatory bodies. not flying on Dreamliner unless they fix the battery issue fully. I have a fear that we are inching towards a disaster with this plane.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Aug 2012
Total posts 171
Vixx, you need to be very careful posting like that as you are wrong.
The latest issue with JAL was a sensor issue, not a major problem. The Dreamliner is very safe especially as the FAA have been all over it.
It's because they know the facts due to extensive testing that they are flying again. They couldn't pinpoint the exact starting point of the issue so they completely re engineered the battery compartment and made it fool proof.
This aircraft wil be a success and scaremongering like you are is totally irresponsible.
If your a nerd like me and read up on this and get informed you would think differently.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Nov 2012
Total posts 42
Just to add more detail as to what happened with the JAL "battery issue" the other day, it was caused by a piece of tape left over a sensor. There was no battery problem whatsoever.
vixxx, sorry but you have no idea what you are talking about.
Qantas
22 Oct 2012
Total posts 318
vixxx, you're right. I'm not going to fly in a 787 until they find the cause of the battery fires from early this year. I'm not interested in flying in a plane that has an unstable battery system that has a steel casing around it and will vent the smoke and fumes to outside the aircraft, especially if the fire starts mid-ocean.
The current FAA regulations are that only small lithium batteries may be carried on aircraft, and only in cabin luggage, due to the risk of fire. Yet, they let Boeing conduct tests so that they could use large lithium batteries that could power the plane. Well, we've now seen what happens. Even the airport fire brigade took 90 mins to extinguish the onboard lithium battery fire.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
It's not in Boeing's interests for its aircraft either to crash or suffer potentially catastrophic events...
...IF you doubt the integrity of the manufacturer to provide a "safe" product AND/OR the efficacy of the various national regulatory bodies (FAA, CASA, etc) to monitor and enact reasonable levels of safety regulation surely you woudn't fly at all?
...I would imagine there are far more immediate perils in travel on which to expend real concern...poor maintenance (Chalks Grunman Mallard)...inexperienced pilots (Air France A330), the taxi ride to the airport, etc...
...how will you ever make an informed decision on this issue if do not trust Boeing, the FAA or the government?
22 Mar 2012
Total posts 200
WTF?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1379
Didn't expect much more...
So AirAsia remains the only LCC with lie flats.
Scoot and Jetstar with recliners.
Good to see they will be using domestic routes to train.
20 May 2013
Total posts 14
But jetstar is the only one to put IFE in every seat
22 May 2011
Total posts 84
surprising to see IFE in all classes - the weight and ongoing cost of those systems makes the wifi stream to tablet solution (like on QF B767 refit) sound like a more appropriate fit for a low cost carrier.
Good to see at least 1 option though, up from the current zero.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 654
i've read that boeing offers a 'catalogue' of seat types that can be installed on its 787...maybe ALL the Y/C options offered come with integrated IFE (its part of the 'off the rack package' and anything 'taylormade' is done at considerable cost to the airline)... just a thought!!
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2554
The 'catalogue' approach is exactly right - they have a selection of pre-approved seats (economy, premium economy, business and first) which airlines can choose from, to be installed on the line, which is cheaper and faster then the alternative.
Economy seats MUST be chosen from the catalogue - for anything else airlines have the choice of 'off the rack' or BYO.
As for IFE in the economy seats, not all of them offer inbuilt screens, by memory at least three are seat-only (for airlines which will use wifi and tablets for their 787 IFE, such as Scoot may do).
22 Mar 2012
Total posts 200
When are the 787 fares expected to go on sale? Thanks
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
IFE makes eminent sense if my pet theory eventuates - JQ will gradually replace QF on the Australia-Asian routes...they'll probably even market the JQ pointy end cradles as QF biz as is their custom to sell biz and first onto JQ as QF codeshares...all they need is those pesky battery bubbling 787s for their dastardly plan....
22 Mar 2012
Total posts 200
That makes close to no sense...
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
...what makes no sense? Do you think the little fella wouldn't hesitate to replace QF services with JQ with some shiny new 787s at his disposal?
...or are you agreeing it makes no sense to dilute your premium brand by selling business/first class QF tickets which include JQ sectors which fool the uninformed?
...does it make no sense to give the 787s to JQ rather than QF?
...does it make no sense to continue to run a 767 on SYD-HNL on the premium QF brand and give the new aircraft to the low cost cousin?
...does it make no sense to sell JQ tickets side by side with QF tickets thus encouraging cost sensitive pax to favour JQ and avoid QF on the QF web site booking engine?
...Joyce is primarily concerned with the success of JQ at the expense of QF and obviously prepared to continue diminsh QF international in an ever shrinking "boutique" product...the economics of a JQ 787 are likely to be very appealing...so what does make sense...continue the dissolution of QF international...
05 Jun 2013
Total posts 1
Regarding the IFEs, is Jetstar providing them without a fee or customers have to pay in order to activate them?
12 Oct 2013
Total posts 4
Can anyone advise the number and locations of lavatories on the Jetstar 787?
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