Jetstar 787s to get new business class, WiFi

A tip-to-tail makeover will set the Dreamliners up for their next decade of flying.

By David Flynn, January 22 2025
Jetstar 787s to get new business class, WiFi

Jetstar is giving its Boeing 787s a multi-million dollar makeover with new business class and economy seats plus inflight WiFi to keep passengers connected above the clouds.

However, Jetstar has confirmed the next-gen 787 seats won’t include video screens. Instead, the WiFi will be used to stream content to passenger’s own laptops, tablets and smartphones.

The jets will also be fitted with dedicated crew rest bunks, giving them the ability to take on long-range routes to India, the USA and possibly even South Africa.

A Jetstar spokesperson tells Executive Traveller that the first 787 to be upgraded will roll into the maintenance hangar in January 2026 and be back in the skies by the end of February.

All eleven of Jetstar’s Dreamliners will go under the knife during scheduled aircraft maintenance, with each refit expected to take around six weeks.

Jetstar’s mid-life 787 refit comes ten years after the budget-minded arm of Qantas took delivery of its first Dreamliner in October 2013, and is intended to lay the foundations for another decade of flying.

Jetstar’s new 787 business class 

The low-cost airline is betting on the continued popularity of premium travel by more than doubling the size of its business class cabin from 21 to 44 seats, while removing 33 economy seats – and from what we hear, cabin dividers are also for the chop.

The new-design business class seats will remain as recliners rather than lie-flat beds, and follow the current 2-3-2 layout.

Jetstar is beefing up its Boeing 787 business class.
Jetstar is beefing up its Boeing 787 business class.

The new Jetstar 787 business class layout shows six rows of seats against today’s three-row cabin, with an additional pair of window-adjacent seats tucked away in one corner.

Jetstar says its new 787 business class seats “will have device holders, a power outlet, headrests and a generous recline.”

As Jetstar’s 787 business class is more akin to premium economy, it should come as no surprise that the new seat – to be supplied by Recaro – is expected to be sourced from seat-maker’s premium economy range.

That’s not an uncommon strategy: for example, Indias Vistara initially chose Recaro’s PL3530 premium economy seat for business class on its first Boeing 787 (below), while Singaporean rival Scoot likewise opted for a premium economy seat for its 787 ScootPlus cabin.

Vistara's first-gen 787 business class also uses a premium economy seat from Recaro.
Vistara's first-gen 787 business class also uses a premium economy seat from Recaro.

From early 2026, Jetstar’s 787 economy passengers will be able to use Qantas Points to upgrade to business class.

Recaro will also supply Jetstar with thousands of new ergonomic economy class seats, which will share key features of Jetstar’s Airbus NEO seats such as USB power outlets and a built-in device holder where passengers can perch their smartphone or tablet for BYO entertainment.

Jetstar's new 787 economy seat will sport a device holder, just like its Airbus NEO counterpart.
Jetstar's new 787 economy seat will sport a device holder, just like its Airbus NEO counterpart.

Seat pitch will remain the same in both cabins, at 38" in business and 30" in economy.

Jetstar 787 WiFi

Part of the Jetstar 787’s tip-to-tail transformation will see satellite WiFi installed, which will be used to beam inflight content to passenger’s screens as well as provide direct Internet access – at a cost, of course.

While Jetstar hasn’t detailed which satellite provider it will use, this is likely to be ViaSat – and specifically the same high-speed ViaSat-3 constellation which will serve fast and free WiFi to all passengers on Qantas’ non-stop Project Sunrise Airbus A350 jets from late 2026.

Jetstar’s new long-range 787 routes

Something else that’s coming to the Jetstar Boeing 787s are lie-flat crew rest bunk beds.

The airline opted not to fit a crew rest compartment into its original Dreamliners, which meant that due to aviation safety regulations the orange-star 787s were ‘operationally limited’ in range, topping out at around 10 hours.

But after this mid-life refit, pilots and crew will no longer need to nap in the same seats as passengers (which can therefore not be sold, being reserved for crew use).

Jetstar will more than double the size of its Boeing 787 business class cabin.
Jetstar will more than double the size of its Boeing 787 business class cabin.

Boeing will add a dedicated 787 crew rest zone upstairs at the rear of the jet, above the last rows of economy, permitting Jetstar to fly its 787s on much longer routes and utilise the full range of the jet to open up new destinations.

While those extended-range routes are yet to be revealed, a spokesperson for Jetstar previously name-checked the likes of the mainland USA, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa as examples.

India is particularly noteworthy: not only has Qantas experimented with flightd to New Delhi and Bengaluru, but Jetstar maintains a partnership with India’s largest airline IndiGo, which holds a commanding 65% of the country’s domestic air travel market.

Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 May 2018

Total posts 25

I could never understand why Jetstar couldn’t fly to India or mainland USA. No dedicated crew rest zones were an excuse, not a reason. Flights to India could fly via Singapore and link up with Jetstar Asia. Flights to mainland USA could fly via Honolulu, a city Jetstar already flies to out of both Melbourne and Sydney. Flights to mainland USA could also operate via Papeete, a city that would fit nicely into Jetstar’s route network. And we are talking about a LCC now, so flying from point A to point C via point B shouldn’t horrify anybody.

Etihad - Etihad Guest

10 Apr 2019

Total posts 19

It's a very good reason, not an excuse. Can you imagine all the extra crewing costs associated what you're saying? It wouldn't work. Neither would flying to Papeete, it's a high end destination that QF doesn't even fly to. There is no way they could fill an LCC 787 to Tahiti just so they can fly to the USA. That doesn't make sense.

Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 May 2018

Total posts 25

I flew to Bangkok early December ‘24 and the cabin crew were Thai nationals, and Thai based. Having Singapore based crew for Australia-Singapore-India flights would therefore be relatively inexpensive. Jetstar Asia is based in Singapore, so ground crew and infrastructure is already in place. And wrt to USA, the article does mention an un named Jetstar source saying that the USA for future services. So i mention Papeete as a potential stopover route as i see it more as a leisure destination than a business destination. It might be an expensive leisure destination, but a leisure destination all the same.

14 Oct 2016

Total posts 116

Long haul international LCCs are still very niche as quite often there isn't a lot of cost difference between them and Full service airlines. If you look at all the scheduling long haul (7+ hours) flights out of Australia, I'd say at least 90% are carried out by Full service airlines. 

India and Mainland US are primarily not leisure destinations, which is the main focus of Jetstar international 

Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 May 2018

Total posts 25

India has a large VFR market and is a tourist destination in its own right. Mainland USA is a major tourist destination in its own right as well. I agree with you that both India and the USA have a business market attractive to full service airlines, but Jetstar would have a monopoly as a LCC if they entered these markets.

Air Canada - Aeroplan

28 Feb 2015

Total posts 129

A few years ago Norwegian (an ULCC carrier) introduced a route from London to Singapore, and the price was incredibly low. But all the fare bought you was a seat. If you wanted food (likely, over that distance) it was extra. If you wanted to check a bag (likely for a trip like that), that was extra. There were a few other necessary fees s well, and by the time one had put together a reasonable flight, it was much the same fare as BA's.

08 Feb 2018

Total posts 171

I think maybe because via somewhere on long haul adds a lot of cost and that doesn’t work in LCC world. 

08 Feb 2018

Total posts 171

It’s premium economy at best, stretch to call it business

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

10 Jun 2019

Total posts 7

Correct and it is a PE price you pay... Your point is? 

27 Oct 2022

Total posts 1

If airlines require you to bring your own devices for entertainment than it really shouldn’t be included in your carry on weight allowance.

Virgin Blue - Velocity Rewards

12 May 2011

Total posts 24

Pretty sure they don't count towards your weight limit. Laptop bags can be your personal item, as long as it's not stuffed to the brim and 7kgs 


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