1. It was probably thought that squeezing an extra six seats into the cabin would not detrimentally effect product demand, and QF would be able to maintain price levels for transcontinental J (i.e. effectively increasing return per square metre from the business cabin (or any other metric like A.S.K. that one might care to use) - this was made possible due to the lack of domestic premium market segment competition when the tactic was initiated)... so given lead times, JB may have helped instigate the strategic weak point, which he has later targeted so aggressively.
2. And presumably having product commonality between Jetstar international and Qantas domestic would enable faster realignment of capital in response to cyclical changes in demand across the Group's target market segments/brands. (Noting JQi's business model was built around Millennium seats for Star Class, so commonality around Silverwing would mean a loss of 5 seats from JQi's premium cabin, and JQi's target market is by definition "price sensitive" so the loss would be significant, thus commonality around Recaro, at one extra seat in the cabin, is a "no brainer"?)
...JUST MY OPINION..enjoying my SUNday in syd now 
