What amazes me is that some 777s weren't squeezed out of Boeing as comp for the 787 delays.
My thoughts also!
Something tells me though it 'aint as simple as grabbing a couple and sticking them on the pacific. You need ground support, tech support, spares, flight crew, AOC approval, ops manuals, fleet manager, trolley dollies and much more. A company like Qantas probably needs a few years to prepare to introduce a new type into its fleet.