Jetstar's Boeing 787 gets its international groove On

Over five years since Qantas expected to commence Boeing 787 flights, its low-cost offshoot Jetstar this week launched the Dreamliner onto its first international flight between Melbourne and Bali.
Jetstar's first Boeing 787 will spend the summer plying on this popular holiday route as flight JQ35, following a month-long series of domestic flights between its Melbourne base and the Gold Coast and Cairns.
Additional Boeing 787 routes are being rolled out as more Dreamliners join the Jetstar fleet – including Sydney-Bali from January 15th 2014, Sydney-Phuket from February 3rd and Brisbane-Bali from April 16th.

There's also a month-long trans-Tasman 787 service between Melbourne and Auckland, from February 26th to March 28th.
Jetstar says its has no doubt that the Dreamliner will be a major drawcard for international travellers, just as it has been on the recent domestic flights.
A Jetstar spokesman told Australian Business Traveller that the airline saw "strong demand for its domestic Boeing 787 Dreamliner services between Melbourne-Cairns and Melbourne-Gold Coast throughout the last month."
"Fares moved particularly fast when we first put domestic services on sale in early October with more than 500 seats sold in the first 48 hours."

Why travellers love the Boeing 787

Along with greater fuel efficiency and a reduced noise footprint compared to conventional aircraft, the Boeing 787 packs with a bevy of passenger-friendly features including a larger and more spacious cabin with more room for carry-on luggage, a quieter smoother ride, plus an effective lower cabin altitude and increased humidity to reduce the effects of jetlag.
Feedback from passengers cited the larger tinted windows, low noise and overall sense of space in the cabin as highlights of the domestic Dreamliner flights.
The 787's cabin altitude – which is set to 6,000 feet above sea level, instead of the usual 7,500 to 8,000 feet on conventional jets – also made for a more comfortable ride, with one passenger noting "no sore eardrums going up or coming down."
Aaron Bradford, who travelled on Jetstar's inaugural Melbourne-Gold Coast service, says the Boeing 787 will shine on Jetstar's long-distance international flights.