What do you want in a transcontinental Boeing 737 business class?

I think people have been spoilt on the east west routes and need to adjust expectations, Darwin to Sydney and Melbourne are similar flight times with a standard domestic business class offering, people don't complain because that is all that has ever been offered.

Whilst extra leg room economy seats can be almost as good as business recliner seats to sit in, business recliner seats still offer more seat width which is handy if you're sitting next to someone with broad shoulders or have those yourself.

Lie flat seats would be great for overnight flights, for day flights recliner seats are fine.

a substitute aircraft.

I think VA should consider 2-2 lie flats over two rows, this may mean reduction of another 1-2 rows of economy seats, but they could use these aircraft for Bali/south east asia flights and also to Fiji/NZ etc where the premium sector pays well. I don't know if my maths are right regarding the length required vs width available on 737 to be able to fit 2-2 lie flats. if not 2-1? 

Ideally, if they do come up with a new layout it would be great if both the existing and the new layouts are the same. If they need to remove a couple of Economy rows they can then remove the last couple of rows or something like that.

I think people are getting too precious. The flight is equivalent to a half days work. I don't know about you, but I don't need a flatbed at my desk. To think of it, the current seats are considerably better than the chair at my desk now anyway.

People here in Oz are spoilt considering that flights across Europe can be last for a similar amount of time and have just regular economy seats with middle seat blocked.  Last year I was ecstatic to find that my overnight Aegean A320 flight from LHR-LCA (5hrs) in J had extra around 6 inches extra legroom vs economy since I was expecting the same 30 inches you get on LH and BA.  Also the armrest does fold over to give you an extra 2 inches width compared to economy.  A3 probably have the best J product available in europe.

The seating companies are working on lie-flat/direct-aisle-access products for narrowbody aircraft anyway. BE/Rockwell Collins are making a "super super diamond" seat for this purpose and Virgin obviously will be looking at that. 

I think something like AAs transcon BC would be beneficial.

I think the most frustrating thing is the inconsistency. I'm not as fussed to be honest about having a lie flat for a 4-5 hour flight during the day. It definitely is a bonus and a product like the Cathay Regional product would work well on a East/West daytime flight. The recline is sufficient for having a quick snooze too.  But having different seat types during different days and times bugs the heck out of me!  I don't want to pay for a product and get something else when I rock up

Definitely horizontal lie flats for any and all overnight flights, let's start rolling them out to DPS and Pacific island destinations, too!

Perhaps the question should be: "What would you be prepared to pay for". There is no way I would pay for the 737 J product as it stands on the east-west run, nor on the PER-SIN run. Perhaps a PE seat, at PE prices, would be OK.

Well said 'highflyer' - it seems unfair to be charged the same amount for a second-tier product. The PER-SYD red- eye, for example, can be disastrously uncomfortable even in row 1.

Who in their right mind selects angle-flat seats?  Either lie-flat or nothing.  Can't get remotely comfortable on angle-flat.   And if can't get lie-flat, then economy plus is good enough.

As many have said, all a matter of expectations. In Europe, 4 hour flights, eg from UK to Greece or Turkey or Italy to Russia are operated by aircraft with standard economy seats in business. BA, Swiss, Lufthansa, Alitalia all guilty. Nobody expects more. In Oz, the transcon J suites have set a bar so high (but perhaps no longer as feasible) that the only way is down / disappointment. 

We're definitely spoilt with the current offerings. Personally i don't see the need for a fully flat bed on a 4 hour flight. Realistically by the time you take into account take off/landing there's what 2 - 3 hours max for sleeping. Thats assuming you don't eat, and don't get woken by the food services.

As a semi regular traveller, my issue isn't with the different offerings on the 737s and the A330s but the price.If QF is going to charge me $2K for a PER - SYD flight one way, then I expect the service to be commensurate with the money I have paid. The 737 offering is not.

I just hope they don't put in those awful Cathay/Cathay Dragon regional business class seats.  It is impossible to get comfortable in those if you are tall. 

Why does Qantas fly a 737 to Sinapore from Perth (international flight 5hrs +) with those terrible sit up seats? Yet manages to fly flat bed seats across OZ (4hr flight) at the same cost? Qantas are simply ripping business customers off. If you run business class your fleet seats should be consistent. Qatar on a tiny A320 have flat bed seats for short halls, yet both airlines here give us sit up seats and expect us to pay top dollar for them. Why not offer J class sit up seats at a discounted J class because they are not truly a J class seat & keep J class flat seats at current price? Oh thats right Q & V really dont care! Oh while I am moaning British airways Club Euro class is economy seats with a blanked out middle seat. What a rip off this is, exactly same seat as coach including leg room, width and pitch. 

Here's my list, and I'm not asking for much:

As a semi regular flyer on the BNE/PER route I am horrified at the price charged for business class and also economy flex. If I fly in the other direction across the ditch I can book a QF coded Emirates business class return flight on the A380 for considerably less ($1700 vs $4500). The distance is similar and so is the time in a west-east direction.

Currently, what I do is book the economy flex on the A330 and use FF points to upgrade on the west bound leg and fly economy on the way back as it's considerably shorter.

Next trip, I'm going to try out the 737 J class on the trip back to Brissie just to see if it's a viable option. It'll only cost me $180 extra For the flex option plus 10,000 FF points.

What Qantas should really do is have a different price for J for the 737 and the A330. Economic conditions in WA might force this change anyway.

I am not interested in "Super J class" on both airlines that offer this feature. Would rather have a good nights sleep in the Hotel, and do a daylight flight home (PER-BNE) or reverse. So who needs flat seats for a four hour flight?

I am less troubled by aisle access, lie flat is what I want most 

Offer lie flat both and recliner seats and price accordingly. I bet you'll see the recliner seat generate more revenue. 

Why not keep Tigerair's 14 slightly wider A320 aircraft and turn them into a dedicated  Virgin Transcontinental fleet with:

I'm gussing VA are getting AirNZ's old SpaceSeat! haha

If Virgin is going to use 737's on 5+ hr routes, then something that's comfortable, would be nice.

It doesn't matter what we want, what matters is what is commercially and economically viable. There are very limited options to what is possible in J on 737, and that's a traditional recliner. The aircraft needs to service multiple domestic and short haul routes. 

The current wide-bodied offering is wonderful, but hardy a viable option on the Perth Mel/Syd/Bris routes at the moment, given that pax loads are so low.  If it is to be a 737 going forward, the they must improve the current offering or drop the price.  My preference is for the current Air NZ PE Space Seat or at the very least a comfy recliner with a decent padded footrest and privacy screen.  There really isn't enough time to get a decent sleep on the red-eye any way.

Again, the slightly wider Tigerair A320 fleet would be perfect for Virgin to use as a dedicated Transcontinental fleet.

I've just seen something... The A350 Club World business class story... with the perfect seat/s for these planes!