I am available to be a seat filler if it makes things look better.
I don't think they wanted to have to pay a cabin crew. They would be required to have at least one flight attendant for each 50 passenger seats installed regardless of the number of passengers on the flight. The BA 747 with 52 business class beds seats 329 passengers, so it would require 7 flight attendants if even one passenger were carried. Often aircraft are ferried to the far east just for maintenance. I bet the caro hold was full both ways.