Jaunted

First, the facts:
· # of private cabins in SUITES class: 12, all lower deck
· # of seats in BUSINESS class: 60, all upper deck
· # of seats in ECONOMY class: 399, both upper and lower decks
· The pillowcases, sheets, blankets and etc are from French fashion house Givenchy
· In Suites and Business, the china is also specially designed from Givenchy
· Every seat has its own widescreen, seat back TV with on-demand KrisWorld entertainment
· Have to pee? There's something like 17 restrooms onboard
· Two staircases allow passengers and crew to travel between decks
· Business and Suites Class passengers may enjoy cappuccinos, made with an onboard cappuccino machine
· There are at least two varieties of the Singapore Sling cocktail available for imbibing

Next, the feel
The differences in flying an A380 versus any other plane are more than just aesthetics and space; there's also the feeling of it. This isn't our first go-round in an A380, but each time the sensations surprise. Some notes we jotted on this:

During takeoff, can still easily whisper-talk to neighbor and be clearly heard.
The big forward thrust is a nice, firm push into the seat without the usual jerk of acceleration or any shaking.
Turbulence over Cork, Ireland. Probably bad, but big plane means I'm still easily sipping hot tea.
Cruising over Bucharest. Cabin still so quiet I can hear several people faintly snoring.

Finally, the details:
So all of this sounds pretty expensive, right? Seeing as how each A380 costs an airline roughly $400 million just to buy (not counting operational expenses!), taking one of these for a ride to Asia certainly isn't a small deal. That said, there are seats to be filled and Singapore Airlines has offered this route recently for as little as $599 JFK-FRA or $888 (an auspicious number) JFK-FRA-SIN.

We checked the Singapore Airlines site for a random week roundtrip in early February and found this route going for $1,048 in economy, $6,645 in Business and $13,670 in Suites (all taxes & fees included). Rest assured we'll let you know when another $600 deal drops, but for now, $1,000-ish to fly on a Singapore Airlines A380 for 20+ hours is a pretty sweet deal.

Did you think Virgin America was the only airline with pinky-purpley mood lightning?

Tomorrow: All About the Singapore Girls (aka Singapore Airlines' distinctive and poised flight attendants)

Disclosure: Flights and some accommodation are as a guest of Singapore Airlines. Regardless, all photos and opinions presented are utterly and completely our very own.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher for Jaunted]