Article written by Dave Goodwin
Flying Qantas between Australia and New Zealand you may have noticed there is a big difference in the types of planes Qantas operates – sometimes you are on a lovely big aircraft with fancy seats, and other times you are on the same plane that operates the Sydney-Melbourne flights (not really a luxurious feel). So what is the difference between a wide body plane and narrow body plane? And does this make a difference in they types of foods served? Let’s look at Qantas 737 vs 787.
To explore this question, I decided to compare Qantas flights in business class by flying two morning flights ex Auckland, New Zealand to Australia. One flight was operated by a relatively young Boeing 787-9 (wide body) which is the newest long haul aircraft in the Qantas fleet, and one was operated by a Boeing 787-800 (narrow body), the backbone of the Qantas domestic fleet and an aircraft that in Qantas use can be coming up on a quarter century old, while tracing its design back to the first flight of its kind in April 1967! To note, the price of these flights is the same regardless of the operating aircraft, and often at similar times.
What is a wide body plane?
A wide body plane is usually one with 2 aisles on the main deck rather than 1. Wide body planes are used mainly for medium to ultra long haul flights. While they are larger they also need to cater for passengers over a longer time period than the “narrow body” aircraft that are usually used domestically or on short haul flights. This means at least in theory a wide body aircraft should be configured with more passenger comforts.
Qantas Wide Body – Boeing 787-9 Auckland to Sydney on QF4
Hard product
Qantas business class offers an international standard seat with every seat having direct aisle access and the ability to recline the seat to a fully flat bed. While a bed is likely unnecessary for a ~3 hour flight, it also does offer plenty of additional space to relax or work in, with a large side table in addition to the tray table. Privacy is another significant factor while the inflight entertainment screen is also large (and larger than on the Boeing 737). Seats even in economy are slightly more spacious with 32” of seat pitch (compared to 30” on the B737). Business class offers 42 seats and 3 toilets for a 14:1 passenger to toilet ratio. Economy has 166 and combined with 28 Premium economy seats and 4 toilets offers a 48:1 passenger to toilet ratio. The windows on the Boeing 787 are some of the largest on an airliner providing more of a view for those on the window. The B787 is also a very quiet aircraft and smooth due to its newly developed wings and modern avionics. Finally, the Boeing 787 has a modern air pressurisation system that keep the cabin both more humid and at a lower cabin altitude. This means that you feel less dry and dehydrated and tired after a flight on this aircraft.


Soft product
As the flight is a continuation of the New York flight, soft doonas and pillows were provided on the seats on boarding. Moisturiser is also supplied in the business class bathrooms. Finally due to the configuration of the plane, business class passengers boarded separately into their cabin, with economy passengers using a different door. This meant that the amount of foot traffic in the aisles on boarding was greatly reduced.
Soft product – food and drink
Champagne, orange juice or water was offered upon boarding. This was a morning flight and breakfast was served. A written menu was on the seat on boarding and offered a choice of 3 juices, fruit salad and a bakery item followed by a choice of 3 main choices. Crew came around to take orders prior to take off.


I found the main food offerings relatively uninspiring. I wanted the Egg, haloumi and spinach roll, but having had it (and similar ‘buns’/’rolls’) on past flights knew it sounded better than it would be in reality. Instead I chose the bacon, cheese and potato frittata. While the fruit salad and yoghurt and croissant were standard the frittata was on the smaller side and bland. I felt it ‘tasted a bit mass produced’ – of course I know catering is done on a large scale but I felt that this seeped through to the final product unfortunately. I did like that the breakfast was served in ‘two courses’ with the croissant and fruit salad coming out first. This had a more premium feel. The berry juice was tasty and the accompanying coffee (I take it black) was poured from a French press in front of me and of high quality. Espresso and cappuccino were also available from a dedicated coffee machine. An hour before landing the crew handed out a Choc Fudge Brownie. it tasted way too sweet for my liking, but for some passengers it might have been ok.




Qantas Narrow Body – Boeing 737-800 Auckland to Brisbane on QF120
The hard product
The venerable Boeing 737-800 traces its design back to the 1960s. In Qantas’ service many of these aircraft were purchased from 2001, and so are now approaching a quarter of a century in use. Suffice to say many of Qantas’ 737’s are tired aircraft and it is starting to show. The 737 is a loud aircraft and even noise cancelling headsets cannot drown out a lot of the wind and engine noise. There are 12 business class seats on the Qantas Boeing 737. These are all “recliner” style in a 2-2 configuration, meaning window seats have no direct aisle access. These recliners offer no meaningful privacy, and while there is more leg room than economy, they do not offer anywhere near the space of the seats on Boeing 787-9, where they are likely more comparable to the Premium Economy offering. Economy seats are in a 3-3 configuration and offer a 30 inch seat pitch, 2 inches less than on the Boeing 787-9.
In flight entertainment screens exist but are somewhat small and for those in Row 1 of 3 these are stored in the armrest where they must be stowed for take-off and landing, limiting viewing time further on a short flight. Unfortunately on my flight the crew were having considerable trouble with the entertainment system and my screen was in a “boot up” loop for the majority of the flight. The cabin manager apologised for this, made a cabin announcement regarding the issues and noted that many passengers had a similar issue. Perhaps the entertainment system, like the aircraft, has seen better days. Storage space is minimal around the seat and some overhead lockers are also not available for passenger use due to crew equipment. The single forward toilet is cramped and small due to the narrowing of the aircraft fuselage. The Boeing 737 offers 12 business class seats and 1 toilet for a 12:1 ratio (marginally better than the B787-9 however with only 1 toilet a queue is more of an issue) and 162 economy seats and 2 toilets for a huge and bladder busting 81:1 passenger to toilet ratio!

Soft product
Pillows and blankets (not doonas) were available in business. On my flight no moisturiser was offered in the toilets, only hand soap.
Soft product – food and drink
Water, juice or sparking wine was offered on boarding. No menu was provided. Crew came around with a trolley and a choice of 3 dishes including an omelette and bacon breakfast, quiche, or cold/continental breakfast with fruit salad. The food was all served on one tray and all at once. I chose the hot meal of omelette and bacon. It was served on a single tray along with a yoghurt and incredibly dry and tasteless prepackaged oat slice. Coffee was also offered from a French Press. Of note the galley on the Boeing 737 is not configured with an espresso machine, and hence unlike the Boeing 787 widebody flight this was not on offer. Midway through the flight a pre packaged “Chunky Choc Chip” cookie was served. This was very sweet and tased rather odd. I chose not to eat it. Overall I didn’t find the meal was that great, and while not materially different in quality to the comparison flight, there were subtle differences; notably no printed menu, no option of espresso coffee, a more limited range food and options. I would suggest that these limitations may all be due to a far reduced galley size given these aircraft are more commonly used on shorter domestic flights.




Final word on what’s the difference Qantas 737 vs 787 flying New Zealand to Australia?
So Qantas 737 vs 787 flying to New Zealand? Well for the same price and where timing is similar, the choice is obvious. In every aspect the Boeing 787-9 wide-body aircraft business class offers a far superior experience over the Boeing 737-800 business class:
- Better and more spacious seats in all classes of travel
- More space for belongings
- Greater comfort in better pressurisation, smoother flight, more toilets
- Improved (long haul standard) soft products
- Improved beverage (notably coffee) offering
- Marginally improved food, through slightly more premium food and menu options
- Food service was served in two courses for a more premium passenger experience
If you are interested in the food served on flights between Australia and New Zealand then check out article on Qantas vs LATAM.