Even I would have to concede that I think the accountants had too much say in that decision :) 302 seats in a 787-9 when the manufacturer designed the plane for 280 means that effectively AIR has traded off much of the benefit of the Dreamliner from a customers perspective for seat mile cost savings. This looks like a strategy to match some of the lower cost airlines especially when viewed in the context of seat choice, i.e. seat only, seat plus bag, the works e.t.c. Most people won't mind as the pitch is okay but large people looking for comfortable long haul economy travel are probably better off on Singapore Airlines with their 19 inch width seats on A380's.
www.seatguru.com is definitely a good place to visit for anyone contemplating long haul travel.
Is Air's premium economy with 19 inch width seats with 42 inch pitch effectively the new business class ?