The Jaunted Singapore A380 Series:

Reaching the end of our series on flying the Singapore Airlines A380, it's time to look back and well...just look closer.

Paying attention to the design details means that the airlines will have to pay attention to them as well. And, let's face it, when recounting a particularly great flight, you'll utter a sentence something like this: "Oh, it was so nice...I slept and ate well and they had [detail], [detail] and [detail]!" Personally for us—on the SQ A380—we'd fill those spots with "Givenchy linens," "the cutest stackable salt & pepper shakers," and "an onboard sommelier."]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-26T15:15:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/24/85841/2436

The Jaunted Singapore A380 Series:

First, let us begin by saying that although we flew this baby in biz, we would absolutely go for it in economy as well. Or in Suites Class? You know the answer to that question. Still, Singapore Airlines is known for their business class product—there's the leather seats so wide two people can comfortably sit and chat, the Givenchy china and linens, the flight attendants who greet you by name even when you're away from 25D, and (of course) the fact that they blow other airlines' First Class out of the water. We're just stating facts here.

And actually, it's this better-than-first-class-business-class on Singapore which makes the JFK-FRA-SIN route so famous among frequent flyers. Sure, there are other airline options for flying from New York to Frankfurt, but if you can expense it or redeem miles, business on SQ is typically top choice among those who know about these things.]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-25T11:04:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/23/92427/8132

The Jaunted Singapore A380 Series:

One time we actually attempted to cook a recipe straight from the Singapore Airlines cookbook. We're amateurs, but after watching the firsthand preparation of a service previously, we had some confidence. Truth be told, what we accomplished on land in a large kitchen will never equal what's enjoyed by passengers at 37,000 feet. ]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-23T16:36:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/20/17148/8714

The Jaunted Singapore A380 Series:

This is how you usually spot The Singapore Girl: whizzing through an airport in a swirl of color, turning heads with her poise, polite smile and designer luggage. And then, just like that, The Singapore Girl has vanished beyond the security check and you're left wondering...who is she? where is she off to next? how does she keep her figure?

Naturally there are answers to all these questions, some of which we've discovered over the last few days in Singapore, both from flying for 20+ hours with them on the inaugural Singapore Airlines A380 flight on the route JFK - FRA - SIN and from visiting the official SIA Training Facility near Changi Airport.

Spoiler alert: The Singapore Girl keeps her figure thanks to "extracurricular activities..."]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-20T17:14:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/19/15142/9956

On Monday, January 16, the massive Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 took off on its inaugural flight for the epic route JFK - FRA - SIN. This is flight number SQ 25, and we'll be sharing tons of details and photos from it for the next several days.

The Jaunted Singapore A380 Series:

We're going to be totally straight with you; jetting off into the sky onboard an Airbus A380 makes our eyes well up a bit. No, it's not quite tears, but it is being overwhelmed by the thoughts surrounding what exactly is happening right then. It's the fact that one can be cozy in an engineering masterpiece, a double-decker airplane, which can lift off from the ground as gracefully as any tiny aircraft and then manage to fly to places it once took weeks of travel to reach by uncomfortable boat.

On this route, the famous SQ 25 running New York-JFK to Frankfurt to Singapore, Singapore Airlines has now traded the 747 for this fresh A380, an upgrade on every level and totally deserved by passengers who spend over 20 hours traveling on it. Just before zipping away on this first run, we quickly snooped around the plane, peeking into all the leather-lined nooks and meticulously clean crannies to discover just why the Singapore A380s have been causing a hubbub since debuting in 2007.]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-19T15:38:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/15/203358/344
Our first glimpse of the A380 at JFK, hiding behind the Aer Lingus jet

We type this from the bowels of the Oasis Lounge at New York-JFK Terminal 4, where the WiFi is achingly slow and our fingers jitter from a combo of excitement and the cold air leaking in.

Tonight marks the first scheduled departure of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 from JFK, and we'll be onboard...on flight SQ 25 all the way from New York to Frankfurt International, and on to Singapore-Changi International.

Although we'll be flying above your head for the next 22-ish hours, the fun doesn't have to stop. Quite the contrary! Here's how to follow along for all our hot and bothered Singapore A380 excitement:]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-16T17:59:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/10/22273/6817
Korean Air and Lufthansa A380s snuggle up at JFK Terminal 1

Look, if you're an airport and you want to have the superjumbo Airbus A380 flying in and out, you can't just be like "hey, airlines, bring that big thang on over." Nope. Instead certain preparations must be made to accommodate an airliner of the A380's size and heft. To effectively manage each plane's 500+ passenger load, more jetways are needed, plus support vehicles to reach the upper deck. In some cases, airport runway indicator lights may need to be moved and the tarmac reinforced.

In other words, A380s can't just fly anywhere and, although the massive planes have been in the air since Singapore Airlines took delivery of the very first in 2007, not all that many airports around the world are treated to them. At least some of those are the United States...

US airports where you'll find A380s: ]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-11T09:28:00-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/