1/11/2008 at 9:15 AM
Tags: A380, Emirates, Airlines (all tags)
If there was just one special luxury we could wish for on a long-haul flight, it would be the ability to have a shower shortly before landing. Washing away the dirt and grime of bad sleep, screaming babies and depressing in-flight movies would make a world of difference on arrival.
So we are quite excited to hear that Emirates are planning to provide showers for their first-class passengers when they get their first A380 in August this year. The facility will require one ton of freshwater to be carried on board, and the showers will be cleaned after every use.
Sure, we're not talking environmentally-friendly here, and being in first class will put these showers out of our reach anyway. But the idea of landing refreshed after twenty or thirty hours of long-haul travel is really, well, refreshing.
Related Stories:
· Mile-High Showers for A380 [news.com.au]
· Emirates Airlines: First Class Video Tour [Jaunted]
· A380 coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mr. Delgoff]
by amandak
12/03/2007 at 2:00 PM
Tags: Airbus, A380, CrankyFlier, Flight Reviews (all tags)
The thought of a two-hour "flightseeing" trip over southern California doesn't seem too pleasant: Santa Ana and Malibu wildfires and struggling to squint through LA's layer cake-like layers of pollution. But when it's a trip taken on the Airbus A380, even a gray view might be enjoyable.
Blogger CrankyFlier certainly thought so and posted a review of his recent trip on the super-jumbo. Offered to 150 people, the trip--which was reportedly "true dork bliss"--began at LAX, looped around southern California, went out over the Pacific and returned to LA. The planes, designed for a quieter, greener and more-comfortable experience, lived up to expectations, according to CF.
The upstairs cabin is a more humane 2-4-2 in coach. The slope in the walls is noticeable, and like on the 747's upper deck, there is a nice little compartment between the window seat and the window...That's a great feature, and I think it's clear that unless you're traveling in a group of three, upper deck seating if the way to go, if you have the choice.
Other bonus features include a super-sized lavatory on the lower level, a sizable crew cabin and, as CF notes, a "massive, heaving wing." Are we jealous that he got the tour? Uh, that'd be a 380-sized yes.
Related Stories:
· Trip Report: Flying on the A380 [The Cranky Flier]
· Airbus coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: The Cranky Flier]
by laurenuta
11/26/2007 at 12:15 PM
Tags: London Heathrow, Singapore Airlines, New Routes, A380 (all tags)
Singapore Airlines, one of the UK's most popular carriers, announced Saturday that it plans to offer routes from London Heathrow to the US in the near future. The new route will make Singapore the first non-EU or US carrier to serve the newly open skies. The announcement comes without an official launch date because, according to Singapore Airlines, a shortage of take-off spots in Heathrow has created difficulty in scheduling.
We're interested to see how this will affect Delta, Air France and US Airways, who all have recently announced plans for transatlantic service. Singapore Airlines comes with a reputation for excellent customer service: Readers of British paper The Telegraph have consistently voted Singapore Airlines their favorite carrier in its yearly Travel Awards.
In addition to praise from fliers, the airline also comes with a reputation for aviation innovation: Singapore was the first to use the double-decker Airbus A380 on flights to Sydney. The super-jumbo will serve London from Singapore starting in February 2008. It's worth noting that an A380 test flight touched down at JFK in March of this year.
Related Stories:
· Singapore Airlines Aiming to Go Transatlantic [Telegraph]
· Singapore Airlines coverage [Jaunted]
· A380 coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: timparkinson]
by laurenuta
11/14/2007 at 4:45 PM
Tags: Airbus, A380, MSP, MCO, YUL (all tags)
Airbus is tooling around North America in another of its publicity-loving A380s. And everyone from die-hard plane-spotter to curious soccer dad is out to catch a glimpse of the bird.
After flying into MCO--an airport that won't likely see another A380 anytime soon--the super-jumbo is headed back to France after a stop in Montreal. But don't despair, Minnesota! Your date with the Airbus starts the night of October 26 and goes until the next morning. Just remember: No fooling around!
Related Stories:
· Airbus A380 Visits Orlando [Orlando Sentinel]
· Plane-spotters Jetstruck as Big Bird Flies into Town [The Gazette]
· World's Largest Passenger Jet Lands in Montreal [CTV]
· Airbus to Show Off Jet at MSP [Pioneer Press]
· A380 coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
10/30/2007 at 9:20 AM
Tags: Singapore Airlines, A380, Sex (all tags)
The new Airbus A380 proudly flown by Singapore Airlines last week is a huge aircraft with plenty of room for all kinds of activities. Except one: sex.
If you're thinking of booking the world's first flying double bed, you'll first need a lot of money. And second of all, no desire to have sex. Singapore Airlines has said that if couples using the double suites "engage in inappropriate activity," they'll be politely asked to stop. One of the first couples to fly in the suite thought this seemed a bit unfair since the flight attendants kept bringing champagne.
We agree that it doesn't seem fair, but at the same time, we don't want those kind of noises added to screaming engines and wailing children to make our long-haul flight experience even more painful.
Related Stories:
· Airbus All The Way [Jaunted]
· Qantas Kinkier Than You Thought [Jaunted]
· Singapore Airlines coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Telegraph]
by amandak
10/24/2007 at 4:45 PM
Tags: A380, Skybus, Virgin America, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, LCCs (all tags)
Tomorrow, you could say, is the big day. Singapore Airlines' A380 takes off for Sydney tomorrow, hauling a bunch of passengers who were willing to pay up to six figures for the privilege of being on the first flight. While those prices were beefed up for a charity auction, the cost for one of the sleeper suites--complete with bed and 23-inch TV--is far from cheap. In late November, round-trip fares for a suite from Singapore to Sydney run around $7,400.
If that's too much to spend on a flight on a brand-new aircraft, you could always fly one of the LCCs in the States. Virgin America started a new route today, flying from LAX to Washington, DC on the airline's new Airbus planes. And Skybus is expanding service from its new "base" at Piedmont Triad International Airport. (No new planes here, but it is a new airline.)
It's the second recent victory for the ultra-low cost carrier. After catching flak for canceling service to the West Coast and leaving passengers without alternate flights, Skybus had a hand in knocking JetBlue--and its Airbus fleet--out of Columbus.
Related Stories:
· A380 to Land in Sydney [The Age]
· Skybus Expanding Service at GSO [Official Site]
· JetBlue Pulling Out of Columbus and Nashville [Official Site]
· Virgin Connects DC and LAX [Newswire]
· Airlines Flexible for Fliers Headed to Southern California [USA Today]
[Photo: REUTERS/Vivek Prakash]
by pbb
10/11/2007 at 5:00 PM
Tags: Airbus, Boeing, A380, Dreamliner (all tags)
We should all fit on board, right?
Singapore Airlines' first flight of the superjumbo A380 takes off in a little over two weeks, and Airbus must be chilling the champagne. After years of delays, controversy and throwing money down what seemed to be a bottomless pit, the aerospace company can now focus on selling these planes rather than building them.
In the meantime, Boeing is still struggling to get its 787 off the ground. After taking more than 800 orders, the firm has pushed the first deliveries back to late 2008. That said, airlines are still on board to use Boeing's new, high-tech jet, which has a range of over 10,000 miles and, perhaps more importantly, gets great gas mileage.
Related Stories:
· The Giant on the Runway [Economist]
· Boeing Delays Dreamliner [WSJ]
· Delta Adding New Seats and TVs to its Transcons [Official Site]
· iPhones Don't Fly with ATA [Consumerist]
· Steve Fossett and his Plane Still Missing [AP, via Google]
[Photo: af.wikipedia.org]
by pbb
9/05/2007 at 5:00 PM
Tags: Singapore Airlines, Airlines, A380, Airbus (all tags)
The debut of the massive Airbus A380 is less than two months away, and there's been plenty of buzz about the 555-passenger plane that's set to fly from Singapore to Sydney on October 25. (And, yes, Singapore Airlines is auctioning the seats for charity on eBay.)
Besides getting in to scrapes, the plane is at the heart of another pseudo-scandal: Back in July, a mystery buyer picked up one of the jets as a private plane. At the time, all Airbus would say is that the buyer was neither European nor American. Today, Le Figaro says (in French) that the buyer is Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
· Other News Agencies Jumped on the Story... [Guardian]
· But Abramovich Denies He Bought an A380 [RIAN]
· The eBay Auction is "Exceeding Excpectations"... [news.com.au]
· With Tickets Selling for Six-Figures [USA Today]
· If You Can Wait, China Will Have Plenty A380s in Five Years [Reuters]
by pbb
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