The 787s are going to JQ first because:
1. They will provide a higher return on capital under the low cost model.
2. The JQ Pilots will have several years of operating experience on them before the QF guys + girls get a chance, creating a neat trojan horse to drive mainline conditions down further.
The 787 was my future in mainline. It became clear to me when the JQ widebody variation was voted in that I would never get to fly one under mainline t & c's. . . . so I left.
I had beers in Dubai this week with a few other ex-QF mates. One of them was a -400 F/O, only 80 odd numbers off a command when he left. He was told by Manning that "he was doing the right thing . . . ". We all agreed that leaving was the best thing we ever did.