I agree...it's silly to suggest Airbus are flawed designs...clearly they are not....I do tend to think that MCC has more potential problems than the various regulatory agencies at first thought...or the original intent has been pushed too far by the demands of successive designs.
The general opinion of people much more knowledgable than me seems to be along the lines of 'Airbus don't quite do what they are claimed to be able to do but Boeings usually do just a little more than claimed.'
I think we are seeing that with the A380 delays and various issues. We also see evidence of it with the stinging performance penalties attached to airbus fleet purchases by airlines.
I have yet to meet an Engineer who speaks in glowing terms about airbus...they all seem to be of the opinion that they are not built to last....that's not to say they don't exist I just have not met one....ever.
Personally if the current rumours at work end up being just that and we get airbus I will happily go off for the type rating training and no doubt enjoy the aeroplane once I get my head around its cultural differences...I have flown a LOT of aeroplanes in the last 25 yrs and thus far have never met one I didn't like...with the possible exception of the Citation
...I really like Boeings
I think the thing which....bemuses me...about airbus v boeing is that airbus culture seems to put the pilots that 1/2 step further away interface wise. I recently asked one of our pilots who was Boeing for a long time and now is on the airbus his thoughts...his answer was 'the airbus is really clever-when all is well I like it...when things start going wrong I would rather be in a Boeing'. All my mates who fly them say they are less intuitive..and these are not guys new to type but guys who have been flying them for 6 or 7 years.
With the 787 and the 747-8 I think Boeing have really given airbus a bloody nose...I have not seen anything which has convinced me Airbus have a hands down winner in the A380...it could still kick Airbus in the nuts...there are just too many demands on infrastructure and route planning with the A380...none with the 787 or 747-8.
Personally I lean towards the Boeing feeling that people want to travel direct somewhere in a smaller plane rather than hub and spoke in behemoths. Look at the grid lock that security etc has wrought on the hub and spoke system in the states and look at the massive profits South West make going direct in small aeroplanes...imagine two A380s arriving at 0600 at YSSY...that is one terminal that WILL NOT cope with A380...in fact Sydney is a joke at the best of times...I would go to quite large efforts to not travel as a pax on A380 if travelling for personal reasons and it was my choice.