Swh,
No argument on the profit share. CX is a joke. I hear EK had to have a big payout to retain pilots. Wish that were true in HKG. Housing is the last handcuff, and it is gradually going away.
My sources at LH say 747-8I is within 2-3% of A380 on seat costs, which is more than made up for with extra cargo volume. I know the 77W is very close to the Intercontinental on seat costs. So I think that 15-20% seat advantage is quite inflated.
Wrt CX 77W seats, I'm not sure. I believe it has lost numbers to PEY seating. That's up to the airlines. I know AC operates 77W in high density configuration over 450 seats. Not the point. My point is 5 77W is about the same floorspace and cargo capacity as 3 A380 and a -400F, although the former gives more frequency options and flexibility in downturns.
You can't argue the trends. Nobody outside the ME3 is ordering more A380s. Maybe Turkish buys some, maybe not. Non-ME3 orders on the books are tentative at best. Meanwhile, big twins (777, A350, 787) are being ordered by the hundreds. The verdict is in, and it's not a good one for VLAs. Engine improvements might keep the A380 on life support for a while longer, but it won't change the industry trend over the long haul.