It was January 2012, outbound around the 6th ,IIRC. So we may both be right, things have changed since my last flight. So were the older aircraft fitted with a shorter seat pitch, or was I, indeed, having a bad day?:O

The first handful of 73H's that were delivered with AA seats had an 8/150 config and were changed within six months to the current 12/156 in all aircraft. The newer ones (delivered after VZE) have different seats in both cabins and PTVs but the same physical pitch. The first few Jetconnect 73Hs have (had?) slightly different J seats that also feature on two of the domestic 332s.

The seat pitch is 37" in J and 30-31" in Y.

Whether you fly on a flight operated by Qantas or Jetconnect the product offered is the same.

And Joe public don't care if it is operated by jitconnect, eastern, nat jet mainline. the only time that the vast majority distinguish between QF groups is whether there is a rat or a star on the tail, and whilst the rat normally wins out the last few J* flights the FA's have been a lot friendler than the past few QF FA's