Thanks FlightDetective!

Reading your Qantas article linked me through to the TAA/Australian airlines page.

I can perhaps shed some light on the DC-9 seat maps.

The ones pictured are a little strange. Having flown them a couple times, rows 1 and 2 were fixed first class seats 2+2. The rest of the cabin was 2+3. Same type of seating arrangement as US DC-9s, MD80s, etc. The seats weren’t variable as the seat map might suggest (larger on one side and smaller on the other).

Biz class was just standard economy seating, but with a higher level of service over the main cabin. And therefore of course the size of business could be altered… subject to the pax/crew ratio and the need to serve meals on short flights.

I vaguely seem to recall one of the DC-9s I flew on for TAA had extra high seat backs on row 2 in first class. This served as the demarcation between first and the rest of the cabin. Cabin views of TAA’s DC-9 are hard to find. I found one, many years ago, of First class… if I can ever locate it again I’ll get back to you with a link.