When Singapore Airlines first started flying the Airbus A380 in 2007, it was still a big question mark whether the aircraft would be a hit with passengers.
Early indications were that the plane was a huge success in terms of passenger comfort and after nearly three years in service, routes that have the A380 are at near capacity.
Just last month, Emirates Airlines placed a mammoth order for 32 more Airbus A380s worth more than $10 billion -- the airline will have 90 super jumbos in total.
Other airlines like Qantas, Lufthansa and Air France also fly the A380 on some of their most lucrative routes.
But, is the Airbus A380 really worth all the fuss? Are passengers really willing to switch airlines or choose different routes just to be able to fly on the super jumbo?
On a flight onboard one of Singapore Airlines' newest A380s from London to Singapore, passengers would soon find out.
Noise
There's been so much talk about the A380's quiet interior, but until you actually take a flight in one, it is nearly impossible to get a sense of the silence.
On most aircraft, including the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340, noise levels are generally one of the factors that passengers dislike most.
Even with the stock standard ear plugs, they do little to block out engine noise.
On this particular Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore, the silence was almost worrying.
Right from takeoff, the level of noise was drastically lower.
Although there were four huge Rolls Royce engines at full throttle being used to lift the 571,000 kilogram aircraft off the ground, the interior of the plane was eerily quiet.
However, the full effect of the lack of noise doesn't really take hold until you are at cruising altitude.
Instead of talking loudly to the flight attendant to order the airline's famous Singapore Sling, passengers could whisper.
Full conversations were easily heard two rows back.
It was a startling and obvious improvement for passengers used to decades of loud engine noise and ringing ear drums.
Space
With nearly 50 percent more cabin space than the Boeing 747, airlines have used this as a big selling point to passengers.
Onboard Singapore Airlines, passengers in economy experience seats with a width of 48 centimeters across -- nearly four centimeters more than a 747.
Its business class seats are the widest in the sky at a staggering 86 centimeters (2.82 feet). On this particular flight, passengers were seen sitting cross-legged or even sharing their seat with another passenger.
But perhaps the greatest luxury for in-flight comfort lies with the airline's exclusive first-class suite.
Singapore Airlines' innovative first-class cabin, complete with stand-alone beds, sliding doors and blinds for privacy, has also earned it a sometimes dubious reputation, so much so that the airline introduced a "no-sex" rule onboard for passengers sharing the double-bed suites.
Onboard this particular Singapore Airlines flight, one passenger told CNN that they would never fly on any other aircraft on a long-haul route again.
"I don't know why anyone would ever want to fly on any other aircraft other than the A380," Tomas Chilsky said.
"I traveled to London from Frankfurt just to get on this flight and could never imagine going on another loud and uncomfortable flight for more than five or six hours.
"As a passenger, this is probably the most comfortable and enjoyable aircraft I have ever flown on."
The important thing to realize is that Singapore Airline elected to install wider seats. If you seen the documentary on the A380 development, the super first class was an after thought. They only designed it after Airbus's cock-up gave the designer more time. With the 800+ pure Econ configuration, I'm sure it will be a hell of a trip on the A380.
Saw one at a gate in CPH a couple of weeks ago and it really isn't that much bigger than a 47 or 340, just a double decker 340 really. I'm sure the extra "almost 4 cm" of seat width is a big seller, not. Also, 2 people in one seat works only with little people. I'm over 6 foot and I don't find any airline seat comfortable. The 380 most likely won't "take off" on the north american market due to the fact we're a bunch of fat-asses. Until jet fuel is free, the airlines are gonna keep packin em in there. Personally, i'd rather bounce around in a dash8-100 than get stuck in tube with 800 other people. Also, you can't say it has the quietest cabin until you actually do testing on the whole thing, interiors will vary. I imagine the worst seats would have to be right next to the 20 lavs, especially on curry night.
A lot of our staff regularly fly Kabul-Dubai-New-York. Many used to fly direct, on the 777. Now they chose the days when the 380 is flying!
Others that did not like the long flights, and switched planes in Europe, now fly direct with the 380. Of course, for such long flights, we get J class. What a treat!!
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Of course it's different! It looks like a giant toy plane made of plastic. C'mon now, am I the only one who sees that?
On a more serious note, to me it's just another goddamn 'On button/Off button-Computer-PIC-100%' that's ruining an interesting area of transport, and the skills needed to with it, just because the business pricks couldn't care less about the folks in the cockpit.
It's really simple -- Every single Airbus deserves to crash!!
f13 wrote:Of course it's different! It looks like a giant toy plane made of plastic. C'mon now, am I the only one who sees that?
On a more serious note, to me it's just another goddamn 'On button/Off button-Computer-PIC-100%' that's ruining an interesting area of transport, and the skills needed to with it, just because the business pricks couldn't care less about the folks in the cockpit.
It's really simple -- Every single Airbus deserves to crash!!
They don't make singles...
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Rode the 380 from Toronto to Dubai. It is quiet but it has a terrible ride in the bumps considering it's size. It seemed to wallow and heave all over the place. I'd say the good ol' 747 had a much better ride.
I would expect nothing less from the latest design of Commercial Aircraft. Most people today are riding around on at the very latest early 90's technology and those aircraft are derivatives of even earlier designs. It should be interesting to see the comfort levels of the 787 and C-Series which are clean sheet designs and how they stack up to the 380, I would bet that the 787 noise levels should equal that of the 380's.
That being said if you have driven a decent European Car compared to their American counterpart we might just not stack up.
I fly every month on the A380 on the leg from DXB-BKK from LOS and I have to say it is very quiet and the room in economy is good. Bit of a pain sometimes though hitting immigration in BKK.
The small emirate of Dubai has aspirations to be the world's aviation hub for air traffic moving across the globe.
The latest deal brings to 90 the number of A380s Emirates has ordered The state-owned airline's growth rate was summed by Wolfgang Mayrhuber, chief executive of rival Lufthansa, when he told a meeting in Berlin: "It is already to many of us a miracle that Emirates now already has more seats on intercontinental routes than Air France and British Airways together, with a relatively small home market."
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