My Airbus A380 Video
Written on 9:34 PM by c meridian
The Singapore Airlines A380 has 471 seats in three classes: the New Economy Class, the New Business Class and the New Singapore Airlines Suites, "a class beyond first" exclusively available on this aircraft.
The Airbus A380 is designed to carry up to 800 passengers, but Singapore Airlines has configured seats for a comfortable 471 passengers on board the world's largest commercial airplane.
The Airbus A380 is designed to carry up to 800 passengers, but Singapore Airlines has configured seats for a comfortable 471 passengers on board the world's largest commercial airplane.
I took this video while on the Airbus A380's first flight (ever, in history). I was on the second leg of the world's first A380 flight, which is on its way back from Sydney to Singapore. This is an exclusive flight not available for purchase on their ticketing system. You have to bid with contributions to charities to be part of this historical experience. And when you do, you get to sip on $700 bottle 1997 Dom Perignon Rose, be served by onboard celebrity chefs from Australia & Singapore who will personally make sure your airline food is as good as it is on land, and get up close and personal with the CEO of SQ (Mr Chew Choon Seng), who will thank you in person.
I have found that the Business Class service and product offered on the A380 to be exactly if not very similar to the one already launched on the airline's Boeing 777-ER's business class. The seats are said to be exactly the same. So if you've traveled on the new Business Class on these aircrafts, there is nothing new or surprising about the services here. Bummer... so if you're expecting to be wow-ed upon entering the aircraft, you'll be disappointed.
While the first class offers cabin suites... and double beds if you combine two together, it's rather claustrophobic, as each compartment resembles a cable car compartment, equipped with an ottoman. It offers privacy... and if you're ready to pay for it, it's worth the money. Especially since the Business Class consists of 60 seats, separated into two cabins. Making Business Class cabins a little bit noisier, busier and less private than you'd expect. My point is that, if you make the plane bigger, I expect privacy and comfort a big concern.
People who pay this kind of money do not expect to wait 10 minutes for the service to serve the front to the back of the Business Class cabin. They don't expect too many people chit chatting away, clanking on cutlery, walking to the toilet or worse, a symphony of snores from snoozers on the flatbeds. So, the A380 is actually no improvement in those terms over the Boeing 777 offerings.
The economy class... well, there's the new USB port offered on every seat. Plus, upgraded entertainment services (which I experienced to be slow and unreliable, even on its first flight... as it froze and needed a reset).
The pitch is good, and the seat is decent in Economy class... the LCD screen is huge and very un-economy class like.
Sorry, the is no grand staircase, no bar, no gym, no shower, no Starbucks inside the A380 like the promo videos and early artist impressions of the interior. It may be arresting to look at from the outside, but it's business as usual in the inside. Don't expect to be wow-ed by the Airbus A380 beyond its mammoth size from the outside.
The economy class... well, there's the new USB port offered on every seat. Plus, upgraded entertainment services (which I experienced to be slow and unreliable, even on its first flight... as it froze and needed a reset).
The pitch is good, and the seat is decent in Economy class... the LCD screen is huge and very un-economy class like.
Sorry, the is no grand staircase, no bar, no gym, no shower, no Starbucks inside the A380 like the promo videos and early artist impressions of the interior. It may be arresting to look at from the outside, but it's business as usual in the inside. Don't expect to be wow-ed by the Airbus A380 beyond its mammoth size from the outside.
To be honest, I'm more excited about the Boeing Dreamliner. It will run quieter, more fuel efficient, more comfortable, built mainly of state-of-the-art composite materials and decked with features that is centered on improving the flying experience, instead of chasing pure passenger numbers like Airbus did.
Posted in
a380,
airbus,
singapore,
sq,
sydney
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