Jetstar Airways’ Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a new cabin configuration made its first visit to Japan on April 15.
The first deployment on a Japan route was flight JQ23 from Brisbane to Osaka/Kansai and the same-day return flight JQ24 from Osaka/Kansai to Brisbane.
The refurbishment was carried out by Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) in Hong Kong, and the aircraft was ferried to Melbourne on April 2. Its first commercial flight after refurbishment was JQ17 from Melbourne to Phuket on April 7.
Business class seating has been doubled from the previous 21 seats to 44 seats. The seat pitch is 38 inches, recline is 7 inches, and seat width is 21 inches. The seats feature a six-way adjustable headrest, footrest, tray table with a folding arm, and dual USB-C power outlets.
Economy class seating has been reduced from 314 seats to 281 seats. New seats manufactured by Recaro Aircraft Seating have been introduced. Seat pitch is 30 inches and recline is 5 inches. The seats are equipped with a six-way adjustable headrest, a mobile device holder, and dual USB-C power outlets.
A Viasat in-flight Wi-Fi service has been introduced and is available free of charge with unlimited use in business class. Seatback monitors have been removed. The number of crew rest bunks has also been increased to six, making long-haul operations possible.
In addition, the bid-for-upgrade service to business class has been revamped. Through BidCash, passengers can specify a bid amount within a set minimum and maximum range. Going forward, a bidding system using Qantas Points will be launched for Qantas Frequent Flyer members.
Jetstar Airways operates 11 Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and the remaining 10 aircraft will be refurbished by the second half of 2027.
