A380 - What do you think?

[CaldRail]

I'll bet in 1952 (assuming we're talking to aircraft enthusiasts) there were plenty of people bemoaning the old Handley Page biplanes, and saying that Comet had no style in comparison. I'll bet they'd have given up first class Comet seats to get into a Sunderland or S3 for hours on end... Mind you, I'm not sure which I'd go for...

The 380 is new, but that won't stop it from becoming a 'classic' in 50 years time. And then we'll all be clamouring to get a seat in one when the (yawn yawn ) Yamaha-Boeing 1500 seat triple decker makes it's debut.

Just imagine a journey in an Avro Lancastrian Cold... so cold.... Any chance you could turn the volume down? I SAID, IS THERE.. oh never mind.

Actually in the past most people were only too glad to have the transport and generally kept a polite stiff upper lip. Of course they preferred luxury. Don't we? Don't forget, some early airliners had the passengers snug as a bug in a corrugated tin compartment whilst the pilot sat in the open cockpit up front.

[Michael888]

Would like to see the new bus turn up at Gatwick as i work there so i can knock on Etihad or Virgin's door and ask of a look round although rumour has it that it won't fit under the new bridge they've put up.

When it comes to Heathrow it will be using the stands at the end of Terminal 4 which by then should be ready as they are starting to build the double deck jetties now, BA will eventually move to T5 and Star Alliance partners will move into T4.

[CaldRail]

Would like to see the new bus turn up at Gatwick as i work there so i can knock on Etihad or Virgin's door and ask of a look round although rumour has it that it won't fit under the new bridge they've put up.

When it comes to Heathrow it will be using the stands at the end of Terminal 4 which by then should be ready as they are starting to build the double deck jetties now, BA will eventually move to T5 and Star Alliance partners will move into T4.

What? The bus? Don't tell Swindon bus companies or they'll buy them in a frenzy of proletarian mass transport exstacy. We get enough buses stuck under bridges as it is.

[bigvern]

It puts me in mind of a Sealink ferry, actually! Cram them in the middle on both decks and if you want a window seat pay £100 extra.

As with any sane minded person I sincerely hope one doesn't crash but if you do have a prang with one fully loaded in economy configuration then that's an awful lot of people gone in one go. Air crashes may be rare but in terms of the mortality rate unless it is low speed on the ground (though let's not forget Tenerife a few years ago) or doesn't catch fire you are virtually guaranteed 100% casualty rate.

I'll stick with a nice lumbering 767 on a transatlantic flight, thank you.

[madrid]

Can you imagine the check in que. 500 passengers waiting in front of you! Can the airports cope with this number???

Fly KLM via Amsterdam on a little Fokker, 40 passengers and the plane in full up meaning no more than around 40 passengers in front of you at check-in from your UK local airport. No leghthy check-in ques in Amsterdam as you´ve already been checked in for your 747 flight in the UK!

But its not all good cos you have to join the long 747 check-in que, when you want to come back.

Other airlines that this applies to from UK local airports.
Air Linges (Handy if going to the US)
Air France (But e-tickets can´t be done from BHX cos BHX-CDG is operated by BMI baby).

[martinhodgson]

You'll find BA do it from their outlying airports via Heathrow or Gatwick

I think most airports will cope - I was at Amsterdam recently, and it had plenty of spare capacity at checkin. Entire banks of desks were lying empty. I'm sure BA's new T5 at Heathrow will take this into account also.

[markw]

I actually doubt any of the A380's will fly with 550 people on board except as all economy shuttles on Japanese internal flights. By the time you've put in lie-flat beds and a walk up bar in First (as fitted in Virgin), nearly lie flat beds and a pantry for snacks in Business, a premium economy section with wider seats and non-DVT legroom, and a regular economy section, plus circulation and emergency exit areas, you are probably looking more at 450, which is more than an average 747 (which when introduced I recall being promoted as 500 seaters in the press) which typically seems to seat no more than about 350-380. Dont forget, what is now Premium economy (2+3+2 seating and 38 in pitch) was the typical Business class arrangement about ten years ago, and first class was similar to what is business class now. The trend seems to be not cram more in, but charge more for new levels of luxury at the top end and move everything else up a notch.

It wouldn't surprise me if first class moves into "roomettes" in the next couple of years, taking up more space, Business gets the lie flat bed and gizmos of today's First, and as all economy Ryanair ticket only, limied space type products move onto some long haul flights ("Backpacker Express" planned for UK-Australia, "Gulf Traveller" from the Middle-East for example) the regular economy product in the "full service" airlines becomes the current Premium Economy offer. At which point the A380 will allow considerable flexibility in layout and loadings.

[CaldRail]

Excuse me stweardess, but why can't you do something about all this water leaking through the roof? I'm getting soaked here..

"Terribly sorry sir. I'll tell them to calm it down in the jacuzzi's"

And what is that squeaking noise? Is there something wrong with this aeroplane?

"Err no sir, its the beds upstairs.."

[madrid]

I think most airports will cope - I was at Amsterdam recently, and it had plenty of spare capacity at checkin. Entire banks of desks were lying empty. I'm sure BA's new T5 at Heathrow will take this into account also.

But in all fairness Schiphol is a lot more organised than Heathrow. eg Someone Travels BA from BKK to EDI, they arrive LHR T4, have to make there own way to T1.
With Schiphol you just have to walk from one end of the building to the other for connecting flights.

[martinhodgson]

Though that will change, as LHR will soon handle ALL BA flights from T5. LHR is very space limited, unlike Schipol, and has been developed for decades in this small space, making one large terminal illogical.

[Redbaron]

I actually doubt any of the A380's will fly with 550 people on board except as all economy shuttles on Japanese internal flights. By the time you've put in lie-flat beds and a walk up bar in First (as fitted in Virgin), nearly lie flat beds and a pantry for snacks in Business, a premium economy section with wider seats and non-DVT legroom, and a regular economy section, plus circulation and emergency exit areas, you are probably looking more at 450, which is more than an average 747 (which when introduced I recall being promoted as 500 seaters in the press) which typically seems to seat no more than about 350-380. Dont forget, what is now Premium economy (2+3+2 seating and 38 in pitch) was the typical Business class arrangement about ten years ago, and first class was similar to what is business class now. The trend seems to be not cram more in, but charge more for new levels of luxury at the top end and move everything else up a notch.

It wouldn't surprise me if first class moves into "roomettes" in the next couple of years, taking up more space, Business gets the lie flat bed and gizmos of today's First, and as all economy Ryanair ticket only, limied space type products move onto some long haul flights ("Backpacker Express" planned for UK-Australia, "Gulf Traveller" from the Middle-East for example) the regular economy product in the "full service" airlines becomes the current Premium Economy offer. At which point the A380 will allow considerable flexibility in layout and loadings.

I'm sorry to be so cynical but airlines do not give one t*** about passenger luxury, especially the cheap airlines. The passengers paying a lot of money on respected carriers may get this treatment, but when low-cost airlines get hold of long-haul aircraft they will jump up adn down with glee at how many people they can pack in and how much profit they can make. There is not a single person in Ryanair, Easyjet, etc. who cares one bit about passenger comfort as long as they're making profits.

[martinhodgson]

And thats why I can fly from Blackpool to Stansted for £30 - I'm not complaining! However if I choose to fly BMI or BA, I expect better legroom and a snack and a drink.

However Virgin do offer 'beds' already, so rooms are possible in theory - however, safety would have to be considered as I suspect rooms would be a hinderance in an evacuation!

[markw]

Actually, roomettes are in an advanced design stage for one of the Middle East airlines. Something to do with middle-eastern culture which respects privacy and hospitality. Like Martin says, the safety impacts and affect on cabin air conditioning circulation will determine the extent to which partitioning is used, but already first class seats have semi-partitioned walls around them.

It's highly unlikely any low cost operator, short or long haul, will use the A380 which as a four engined 7000mile plus range aircraft is not going to appear with Ryanair or Easyjet. Even Gulf Traveller, the Gulfair longhaul low cost operation, uses only Boeing 767-ER types. All the A380 orders so far are for the likes of Emirates, Air France, Virgin and Qantas, all of whom get a lot of money from selling first class beds with a bar and business class reclining loungers. That's why they are more likely to fill the extra space with more beds and bars than economy seats which actually earn the long haul carriers very little.

[CaldRail]

And thats why I can fly from Blackpool to Stansted for £30 - I'm not complaining! However if I choose to fly BMI or BA, I expect better legroom and a snack and a drink.

Buy a Ferrari. And some sandwiches. Bring a flask. Ferraris travel faster than airliners and rain doesn't stop play. Just ask Top Gear.

[martinhodgson]

I'd like to see Top Gear beat me from Blackpool to Stansted - Lancashire Police can be unforgiving when it comes to speed!