Tag: Airbus

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Boeing is Hard at Work Cooking Up a Whole New Flavor of 777

May 8, 2013 at 7:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

You know we get all worked up when there's anything new to report in the saga of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but eventually we’re going to have to shift our focus—and airplane love—towards a new aircraft. It looks like Boeing has something up their sleeve already, and if things go according to plan the world’s longest-range passenger jet may roll off the assembly line sooner rather than later.

Sure, it’s technically not a totally new aircraft, as we’re sure the engineers at Boeing are copying and pasting some stuff from one set of blueprints to another. Nonetheless, the Boeing 777X is a totally revamped and renovated option from airplane manufacturer.

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Finally! The First Real Photo Emerges of British Airways' A380

April 5, 2013 at 10:18 AM | by | Comments (0)

This is not a computer-generated rendering. This is the first real photo of the first Airbus A380 belonging to British Airways.

Early this morning, the image appeared on BA's instagram with the announcement: "Meet MSN95, our first A380 superjumbo to be painted in the famous red, white and blue livery." Airbus then also chimed in: "The next new #A380 operator in full livery fresh out of our Hamburg paint shop. Looking good @British_Airways."

There are 469 passenger seats inside of it, and all are already on sale from $830 and up, as we announced a month ago. First flights won't happen for several months, however, as regular service is due to begin between London and Los Angeles on October 15 and between London and Hong Kong on November 15, 2013.

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Have a Sneak Peek Inside Fiji Airways' Fancy New Flying Machine

Where: Fiji
March 21, 2013 at 11:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

It's not only American Airlines that's got a shiny new toy to play with this month. Nope—wave goodbye to Air Pacific and say "Bula" to Fiji Airways, as this week they officially received the keys to their newest baby: a brand spanking new Airbus A330. Let's have a look!

Yesterday we showed you the slick paint job on the outside of the newest ride for Air Pacific's rebranded airline, Fiji Airways. Today we take you inside, to check out the cabin, sit in the seats and otherwise give you a peek at what passengers can expect on their way to paradise.

It's worth mentioning again, the entire design for the aircraft is cool. We mean, like, super cool. Not only have they gone back to the original name of the airline, but the livery showcases Fiji through the artwork of their traditional designs, called Masi. The graphics and colors are only the start, as passengers are going to get a taste of the islands inside as well.

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Why Fiji Airways Decided to Tattoo Their Newest Airplane

Where: Fiji
March 20, 2013 at 2:10 PM | by | Comment (1)

It's not only American Airlines that's got a shiny new toy to play with this month. Nope—wave goodbye to Air Pacific and say "Bula" to Fiji Airways, as this week they officially received the keys to their newest baby: a brand spanking new Airbus A330. Let's have a look!

PAR-TAY! It's hot, it's humid, and there's much to celebrate in Fiji this week. This arrival of their first A330 is not only a milestone for the airline, but it's the first physical peek at the hip look of the new Fiji Airways brand. Fun fact: Fiji Airways is the original name of the airline; they only became Air Pacific in 1971 and it's about time to switch things up.

What's more is that the new colors and Fiji Airways name is a return to the cultural heritage of the islands; gone is the rainbow tail that looks like someone drew it in Microsoft Paint, and now we see an intricate pattern taken straight from traditional Fijian Masi tribal designs and tattoos. It's a pount of national pride, this airline, so Fijians turned out en masse to greet the plane at Nadi International Airport yesterday, with a welcome ceremony and some traditional kava drinking.

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Europe Joins the 'Vomit Comet' Game as Zero-G Flights Begin

Where: France
March 18, 2013 at 10:24 AM | by | Comments (0)

We’re all about in-flight comfort—from fine wining and dining to the latest in sleeper suites, it's all of interest to us, and of course we want to try it. However, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t interested in something a little more adventurous when climbing aboard an aircraft. That’s why we’re pretty intrigued about the Zero-G flights now available to the paying public over in Europe.

You’ve probably heard of the “Vomit Comet” before, as aircraft flying wild courses to experience reduced gravity is hardly a new concept. Space agencies have been using airplanes for years to simulate varying degrees of weightlessness, but you no longer need to be an astronaut to climb aboard. Trips like this have been available in the United States and Russia, but this is the first time these kinds of flights have been open to one and all in Europe.

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Score a Seat on the First British Airways A380 Flights Later This Year

March 5, 2013 at 11:46 AM | by | Comments (0)

Six years! That's how long the Airbus A380 has been flying the skies with paying passengers on both decks. That's also how long British Airways has jealously watched other airlines fly their superjumbos around, anxious for the day they could play with their own.

That day is now within reach, as British Airways prepares to take delivery of the big plane later this year. Travelers may already book flights on the first British Airways A380, as it flies from London to Los Angeles from October 15, 2013 and London to Hong Kong from November 15, 2013. Tickets went on sale this morning, and you know British Airways is already rolling out special rates.

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The Newbie Traveler Takes His First Flight on an A380: An Illustrated Journey

February 22, 2013 at 3:19 PM | by | Comments (2)

What would your life be like if you hadn't yet traveled? If you'd spent years reading travel novels and fantasizing over guidebooks, but hadn't made the big leap? This is the case for Andy Miles, who in his late twenties has just embarked on trips to hit cities for the first time. He's walking us through the emotions and observations of a true Newbie Traveler.

Contrary to what I learned as a youngster growing up in Texas, everything is not bigger there. Truth be told, everything is actually bigger in France—Toulouse, France to be exact. The reason for this is because that's where Airbus completes final assembly of their massive A380 airplanes.

After years of waiting, I finally got the chance to experience one of these incredibly beautiful planes myself, on a Qantas flight from Los Angeles nonstop to Sydney, Australia.

Seeing as how I booked my first A380 flight six full months before the day of departure, I had a lot of time to tell my friends about it, i.e. brag incessantly. The thing I forgot about bragging is that in order for it to work, you have to be doing something others care about. Unfortunately for me, I did not hang out with many #avgeeks during this time, so my brags usually fell upon deaf ears and I just came off as "nerdy" for caring about something as uniquely marvelous as a two-story airplane.

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Why You Should Care About Airbus' Great White Sharklets

February 21, 2013 at 6:04 PM | by | Comment (1)

No, it's not Shark Week, but airlines are a little obsessed with sharks right now. First there was the news that Lufthansa is testing a sharkskin-like material on their wings, and now JetBlue is flaunting the first Sharklets in the USA. Not baby sharks, sadly, but Sharklets, which is just a slick term for elongated wingtips stuck onto the ends of A320 wings.

Today JetBlue became the first US airline to send an A320 out into the skies with Sharklets, but why should you care?

Well, if you've ever taken a moment to reflect on how much fuel an airplane burns on a flight (900-ish gallons an hour for an A320) and then considered the impact that has on the environment, you'll want Sharklets on your plane.

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Girl Power: The Photo of Female Pilots That Nearly Caused an Airport Controversy

Where: Germany
January 17, 2013 at 9:38 AM | by | Comment (1)

When was the last time you flew in a plane piloted by a woman? What about two women, both pilot and co-pilot? It's possible to not even know since passengers rarely see their flight crews much anymore, but they are up there. Trust us.

Starting this week, travelers on Lufthansa will get to see the very rare occurrence of two women in the cockpit...before even stepping onboard a plane. Famous Berlin-based photographer Kiki Kausch has installed her triptych, titled "A380 Female Cockpit," at the JFK Business Class lounge.

The three images capture two normal Lufthansa pilots, Fleur and Karin, at work in their office, which just happens to be the cockpit of one of the airline's A380 superjumbos en route from Frankfurt to Singapore (LH 778). The photos were actually taken as the plane cruised high above Afghanistan, the ethereal light of sunrise over the Hindukush illuminating the women.

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Your Moment of Zen: A Time-Lapse Trip on a Lufthansa A380

December 21, 2012 at 1:49 PM | by | Comment (1)

We have a theory when it comes to enjoying seatback in-flight entertainment. You're either an Airshow person or not. By Airshow, we mean that channel that constantly rotates between the moving map and stats of your flight, like outside air temperature, speed and time to destination. Those passengers who are Airshow people could easily leave the seemingly boring channel on through the entire flight and be sufficiently entertained, whereas a non-Airshow person flips from movie to 30 Rock rerun, to playing Bejeweled.

This post goes out to all you Airshow people. The Airbus A380 is totally the plane for you. You see, it goes above and beyond the Airshow channel to offer three additional channels, each with a livestream from a camera on the exterior of the plane. One looks down to the ground below, one looks out front—a pilot's view, and the third looks over the entire plane from the rear.

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Exclusive: Inside Virgin America's San Francisco HQ and Pilot Training Center

December 17, 2012 at 4:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

What began as one floor is now an entire building, and their original two coast-to-coast flights are now a respectable route network. We're speaking of Virgin America, whose headquarters outside SFO in Burlingame, California we recently visited for a look at the cogs turning behind the scenes.

Virgin America celebrated their fifth anniversary this year. That makes them the baby of the bunch, for both US airlines and Virgin. Heck, Virgin Atlantic has been flying since 1984 and Virgin Australia since 2000. Indeed Virgin America isn't shy about their newbieness; they take pride in it. Google them and the first words you'll see below the link to their official site are "A brand new airline dedicated to making flying good again."

You know what else is new? Their cabin trainer and A320 flight simulator still have that "new plane smell," since they were introduced as recently as October 2011 and May 2012, respectively. Home to many photo shoots (and in-flight service training, duh), the cabin is outfitted with everything from the deep mood lighting to working overhead bins and those massage chairs in First Class. Before a flight attendant can ask if you'd like another in-flight absinthe, she or he must first pass muster here.

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The British Airways B787 and A380 Seat Plans Are Here!

December 11, 2012 at 6:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

After much speculation, and a few glimpses in video clips the airline surreptitiously pulled from the internet, British Airways finally published seat plans for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380, due to join its fleet next year.

So what can we expect on BA’s Dreamliner and Double Decker? We’ll start with the facts on both:

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