No Norodnik, I most definitely am not kidding, business travellers, who are usually the most frequent travellers, will relish non-stop services. Actually, via Singapore or Bangkok, the journey time LHR/SYD is roughly 20.30 flying plus a transit of approximately 1.30 on the ground, total 22 hours, so the non-stop aircraft should do it in a little under 20 hours. With the option of sleeper seats in J and F class this will be a popular flight. EY pax will be happier to get there in a shorter overall time, especially if the price is right and the seat pitch is increased from standard EY that we know today.
At the risk of repeating myself, (since this subject has been hammered to death on other threads), I don't agree that Airbus have got it all right and Boeing have got it all wrong, far from it.
Boeing actually got it right. They did a study of the market and came to the conclusion that whilst a very big aircraft would be desireable for a few routes by a few operators the market would never be big enough to sustain a large enough order to break even, certainly not in competition with anyone else. This conclusion was also influenced by the fact that many Boeing customers were already showing signs of ditching their B744s and moving to a versatile range of B777. Boeing decided to approach Airbus and offer a consortium for VLA which Airbus rejected. Boeing then pulled out and left Airbus to go it alone. If Airbus think that they will simply replace the B747 and fulfill orders in excess of 1000 aircraft then they are woefully mistaken.
159 orders before the first aircrarft flies isn't really as significant as it may seem given todays financial environment. Operators are cashing in on major discounts that are currently being offered in order to satisfy THEIR needs, they don't actually give a stuff if Airbus breaks even just so long as Airbus honour their contracts and support the aicraft they deliver. Contracts that will have been very carefully written/agreed to by the operators. Major carriers each require a relatively small number of A380 type aircraft to satisfy their individual requirements on the relatively few routes that can sustain them.
The A380 is a very, very long way from break even at the moment and 'break even' is fast moving towards the horizon as the project becomes more and more over budget. The 159 orders may well represent around 70% of total demand, should this be the case then Airbus will be in a financial quagmire.