What’s next for Qantas’ 787 business class?
What does Qantas plan for the pointy end of its next dozen Dreamliners?
By David Flynn, December 22 2025
Executive Traveller exclusive
In 2014, at the height of its battle with Virgin Australia for the hearts and wallets of business travellers, Qantas launched its Airbus A330 Business Suite.
It was, at the time, a world-class product: direct aisle access, a large touchscreen display, AC and USB power outlets, plenty of storage options and ample personal space to dine, work, relax, and even sleep on a lie-flat bed.
Qantas' original A330 Business Suite is now over ten years old...
An updated version of the seat arrived on the Boeing 787-9 in 2017, and is now also standard on the Airbus A380 superjumbo.
But Qantas has another batch of Boeing 787s on the way, with four of the familiar 787-9 model and eight of the longer 787-10 variants arriving from 2028 as the creaky old A330s move into retirement.
At this point, the Business Suite will be more than a dozen years old.
A revised Business Suite features on the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380.
Could Qantas use this opportunity to step up to a new business class design, including the very on-trend door?
The current Qantas Business Suite is a customised version of the popular Vantage XL platform from Thompson Aero Seating.
And almost a dozen years on from that first iteration, Thompson Aero now offers the Vantage XL with options such as a sliding privacy door, USB-C power and wireless charging.
Thompson Aero has updated the Vantage XL platform with sliding doors and more...
There’s even a row 1 ‘business plus’ treatment which delivers more space, a companion ‘buddy seat’ for shared dining, and up to a 32” video screen.
This 'business plus' row could be appealing for the Qantas 787-10s...
However, it’s not as easy as just signing on the dotted line for a Business Suite 2.0 and waiting for an Amazon delivery truck to roll into the hangar.
The ongoing supply chain crunch means the seat-making industry – and it’s a complex beast comprising many components and vendors – is facing its own challenges, says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace, whose broader portfolio includes aircraft seating.
“There’s also incremental regulations in terms of getting any new seats approved,” Wallace tells Executive Traveller.
“So there’s a trade-off between complexity, which would be a different product, versus having a consistent product across the fleet.”
Qantas is aiming for consistency and interoperability across the 787-9 fleet.
When Qantas pulled the trigger on this additional 787 order, Executive Traveller was told the factory-fresh Dreamliners would have the same seating and layout as their siblings – and Wallace indicates this is still the plan.
“It gives you the operational ability to switch out planes, so generally, you want as many aircraft as possible with a similar design and product definition, because customers get very used to a product.”
In addition to any new version of the Business Suite needing to be re-certified for safety, Wallace is also mindful of any increased weight – even from the sliding doors of the latest Vantage XL model – given how the Qantas 787s have been designed for maximum range.
“So the 787-9s, the next four, will come with the same product as our existing 787s,” Wallace confirms.
This means not only can we rule out an appearance by the newer A350 business class suites, but also their evolved third-gen premium economy recliners.
For now, the new A350 business class suites will remain exposure to the Airbus fleet.
But as for the eight 787-10s, “we’re kind of staring into all those things right now.”
“As the deliveries of the 10s come, that’ll give us another chance” to revisit the Dreamliner’s business class cabin.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Oct 2016
Total posts 163
I don't understand the obsession with doors. Most lack of privacy comes from people walking past your seat, which they can see over the door or wall anyway.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 488
Exactly. Unless the walls of the suite are at least 180cm tall, then any concept of privacy is just an illusion.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2017
Total posts 120
With its shorter range limiting it to more regional international services I can’t see a need for the -10 product to be too extravagant. It is Qantas afterall…….
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 607
I suspect Cam Wallace is just hedging his bets on the 787-10. It would be nice to see the newer Vantage XL suites with sliding doors, upgraded tech and even that 'business plus' seating but as he indicates, this would reduce the -10's interoperability with the -9, at least on most regional routes within Asia, while also adding cost and complexity for the certification etc. Makes more sense to stick with the current Vantage XL, just with newer options like USB-C and Bluetooth streaming and the new Astrova IFE system which is going into the A350s and A330s, so there's no need to have it re-certified and QF can easily drop a -10 onto a -9 route if the -9 goes tech or to boost capacity during peak seasons, for special events etc.
25 Jun 2018
Total posts 59
Completely agree with MKS11. The doors fad will go the way of the digital watch.
David. Nowhere to post comments on your article about 5 best business class.
2nd para. It should be 'de rigueur' - definitely no 'j'.
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 72
I actually dislike the current seats a great deal.
Once you’re in a reclined or lie-flat position, if you’re someone who uses reading glasses, it’s impossible to get the screen in a position where it’s in focus.
Another thing is, once you are in lie-flat, the ‘bed’ is very close to the floor, meaning those of us with mobility issues find it hard work to get out of bed!
03 May 2013
Total posts 711
Still think the Collins Super Diamond suites are the best J seats over all. Really wish Qantas had gone with those. Not really a fan of the staggered where it's a lottery getting an isle or window based seat. I also think QF's seats are a tad claustrophobic in comparison to the Collins(unless you nab a bulkhead seat of course)
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 607
I remember Executive Traveller covering the A330 'Business Suite' launch back in the 'AusBT' days, Qantas apparently considered the Collins Super Diamond but decided against it, I suspect because Qantas was the launch customer for the Vantage XL so Thompson no doubt gave Qantas a very attractive cost-per-seat price knowing they had all the A330s plus the 787s on the way and Qantas would be a 'big name' with marquee value for the launch, showing confidence in this new product, while Collins would have seen Qantas as just an another customer. Of course Virgin then chose the Collins Super Diamond for its A330s, still a great seat and used by a lot of airlines still, plus the doored versions of BA, MH, EY and many more.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
21 Feb 2022
Total posts 8
What is the average lifespan of a business class product for QF versus other airlines? NZ and others have certainly laboured their hard product well beyond the expiry date, it appears QF are doing the same for the 787. I also assume they want to set the A350 sunrise experience above their existing fleet of aircraft (and charge a premium for it)!
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 607
"Average lifespan of business class product" is not an easy thing to determine. I've read that as an average there is a "refresh" around every 7 years but this doesn't mean new product. And obviously when a new product is launched it won't go right across the fleet, and if it does it will take a long time, so is that period to be counted as part of the "lifespan"?
In the case of Qantas the A330 'Business Suite' was launched in 2014 and is still flying today and won't be replaced until the last A330 retires so that's maybe 15+ years? The 787 version was launched in 2017, does this count as the same Business Suite? If so then this will be flying until the 2030s easily.
Or are you counting the time between the launch of Business Class Product A and Business Class Product B? If so then the Business Suite came out in 2014 and the A350 business class will be 2026 so that's just 12 years.
Air New Zealand really hung onto that old Business Premier design for over 20 years! BA did the same, hung onto its old Club World for the longest time before the Club Suites came out. Singapore Airlines will be launching a new A350 business class in 2026 to replace the one from 2013 so that's 13 years. Cathay Pacific had its A330/B777 'FB2' business class from 2011, a good update on the A350s but still more of an "FB2.5", the only "new" product was Aria in 2024 so that's also 13 years. So I honestly don't think a lot of airlines are much different from Qantas when you measure the lifespan of a business class product from the launch of one product to the launch of the next, although this is more the interval between the launch of new products. The lifespan of a seat on a plane, well, that's a different matter, can easily be 10-15 years but again might have a "mid-life refresh".
19 Aug 2020
Total posts 17
Thanks AsiaBiz/Traveller for your extensive input to this topic and indeed, many others over the years.
Always a pleasure to scan the majority of comments on this site from frequent flyers who have loads of experience to share, dating back many decades.
29 Aug 2017
Total posts 30
I've just returned from flying QF7 & QF8 to Dallas return and had no issues with the Business Class product. It's still a pretty good Business class seat, and the two seating options give you a decent amount of privacy. Having a sliding door for added privacy is a bonus, but not a deal breaker.
22 Mar 2023
Total posts 4
It’s a 12 plus year old seat. It’s taken Qantas a decade to install it in A380s (to replace the previous banana lounge). Most Asian & ME airlines have replaced their business class product in that time at least once. Every capital expenditure for passengers is drip fed over a long time frame so 7 & 8 figure senior management bonuses are not compromised. Meantime Qantas extracts savings by outsourcing Australian jobs overseas like the disgusting decision to open a crew base in Singapore so that Qantas can use foreign cabin crew on all Singapore flights. Qantas two flagship routes QF1/2 and QF3/4 will have foreign outsourced cabin crew.
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