A380

[minstermineman]

Ok - so in March am flying Singapore Airlines LHR to Denpasar (Bali) for 3 weeks, and getting my first trip on an A380.

How does it compare to the old 747 ? website trumpets better economy seats and so on but what is it like in real world terms ?

We always go SingAir :)

Have seats at the back on the upper deck on the way out, and main deck on the return journey.

Thanks

[Businesstraveller]

Had 81k a few months ago when travelling travelling SIN-LHR. Tonnes of leg room, biggest Y class screens I've encountered and plenty of overhead storage (and side compartment storage on the top deck). People sometimes complain of the cold air, if immediately adjacent to an emergengy exit - was quite toastie on the A380 though. Can always get a little exercise by going up/down the stairs and wondering about - just watch you don't set off the trip wires by trying to pass the bulkhead into J or F. If you smile nicely maybe you'll get a glass of champers brought down from first class like I did.

As I checked out of my hotel this moring an SQ crewe was doing the same - made me think how I'd rather be getting on their flight today rather than the hum-drum BMI flight I've got instead.

[SassyPilotsWife]

As the daughter of a UAL retiree ( 50 years seniority this November) and the wife of a Freight Dog, I can tell you from years of flying I anticipated flying on the A380, that I took a latter flight rather than taking the 777 going from the Middle East back to the US and the cabin looks so nice, so modular and the seats are actually roomy enough you don't feel clausterphobic and the selection of movies to music to simply watching the camera from 3 different views during takeoff, inflight and landing can be interesting for someone looking for the slightest deviation from boredom especially when the pax sitting next to you goes to sleep or is very antisocial ( thats usually my husband as soon as the gear is up) LOL. What i didn't like was the added turbulance i felt. Was it because it was a larger aircraft or the fact i was in row 88 ? I don't mind the stearage seats sometimes especially if i want white noise to help put me to sleep. But when your getting some bad turbulance, its no fun in the 380. What i will add though is that my flight was on Emirates and I haven't encountered a warmer, beautiful and truely professional selection of cabin crew who made my flight better. Those girls are the best of the best ! Especially when flying across the pond where dealing with burned out CC who should have left the job a decade ago ! My flight back was on the 380 and without turbulance it was absolutely fantastic. I was in row 10 on the return and it was very roomy, comfortable and relaxing. Did I mention free drinks ? :)

[Rush2112]

We went SIN - CDG - SIN over Chinese New Year on SQ in economy class - or should that be moron class? The seats were fine, we had 75H & K upper deck, food and service good, IFE good, but the morons around us who couldn't (wouldn't?) control their kids made for the worst two sectors I've had in a long time.

[Andy_S]

I did LHR - SIN - DPS in the A380 (connecting with a 777) last year.

The A380 is OK, but not as raveworthy as some claim. One clear benefit over the 747 is that it is a lot quieter.

Seat pitch in SQ economy is 32" - good, but not the best flying to the Far East. IFE is good, although the SQ 380's didn't have the external camera that SassyPilotsWife describes.

I think you made the right choice with the upper deck. The economy cabin here has a more exclusive feel than downstairs, plus - as business traveller says - on top deck window seats there is a locker beneath the window for extra storage.

To be honest, for me it was the SQ service standard that made the flight memorable rather than the aircraft.

[JEM60]

Turbulence is turbulence. There would be no difference in turbulence between an A.380, or a 747. Wingspans and length are pretty similar, why would it be any different?

[raffele]

Turbulence is turbulence. There would be no difference in turbulence between an A.380, or a 747. Wingspans and length are pretty similar, why would it be any different?

Trickery by the brain? It thinks 'this aircraft is huge' and therefore every bump is interpreted as being much bigger?

[Pontius Navigator]

Some aircraft are more rigid than others; some wings flex more; the turbulence disturbance may also vary.

A narrow rigid wing such as a DH125 will cause the whole aircraft to chatter. On some larger aircraft the same turbulence will just be 'gentle' jolts and disturbance.

[PAXboy]

Not yet on A380 but being down the far back end of an A340-600 is not as comfy as being in the middle of the machine. Also, if you are looking down the length of the cabin and see the lockers quivering and so on, I think this adds to overall perception of turbulence, not just what you feel with your ears and stomach.

[philbky]

On a 747 some of the best economy seats on most seating plans are the two seats on each outside wall towards the rear where the fuselage narrows and you get a 2-4-2 layout.

The only problem is the 747 can be a pig down the back in anything more than light chop. At the same time pax sitting between doors B and C often experience a much smoother ride through the same turbulence.

The A340-600 and the DC8-61/3 suffer from the problem of a great deal of fuselage behind the wing which tends to increase the effects of rough air down the back.

[SassyPilotsWife]

It wasn't trickery that had several pax vomiting. I have flown in and out of DXB before with no problem but this was pretty bad. The girl next to me got sick as well as 2 others that were a few rows up. I could hear them filling up the bags.

I am female though and being fooled by the vision of something larger might of influenced my perception :E

[PAXboy]

Sounds very unpleasant SPW and I note your expert eye ... In the early days of the A340-600 they had that problem as the tail was moving in a Dutch roll (if I recall correctly) and Airbus had to tweak the programming of the control surfaces to stop it. I have been in the back of a 346 twice (LHR~JFK~LHR) three years ago and felt no such problem. But it might be a similar problem.