Comments on: A380 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/ Thu, 24 May 2012 05:28:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: The Asia Expat: A Thailand Adventures of Two Baby Boomers http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-308152 The Asia Expat: A Thailand Adventures of Two Baby Boomers Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:14:50 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-308152 [...] A380 – >> The Cranky Flier – I kept the title of this post simple because the plane needs no other introduction. We’ve been talking about this thing for years and years now and finally, it has entered commercial service. As with all new planes, I want to go for a ride. Filed Under: Expat, Lifestyle, Retirement, Travel Tagged With: expat, lifestyle, Retirement, Thailand, travel [...] [...] A380 – >> The Cranky Flier – I kept the title of this post simple because the plane needs no other introduction. We’ve been talking about this thing for years and years now and finally, it has entered commercial service. As with all new planes, I want to go for a ride. Filed Under: Expat, Lifestyle, Retirement, Travel Tagged With: expat, lifestyle, Retirement, Thailand, travel [...]

]]> By: yachtcharter griechenland http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-72401 yachtcharter griechenland Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:54:57 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-72401 Wow, I never knew that raveling all the time on CX. That's pretty interesting... Wow, I never knew that raveling all the time on CX. That’s pretty interesting…

]]> By: cacums http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-21279 cacums Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:55:18 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-21279 I wish it would have shown a better pic of the individual rooms, it's still really cool. :-) I wish it would have shown a better pic of the individual rooms, it’s still really cool. :-)

]]> By: Business Travel Guru http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-8812 Business Travel Guru Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:35:23 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-8812 I was lucky enough to attend the media event in Sydney on the 26th of October, getting a full tour of SIA's new baby. The suites are to die for, but as most people have mentioned they are not as private as you might expect. additionally the bottom half of the privacy blinds in the suites are slightly see thru. Business Class Cabin - I would vote it the best in the air, with the upperdeck being my prefered choice because of the seating configuration. Economy is nice for economy, slightly wider seats (extra 1.5in 3.5cm) also larger video display, and 2 power outlets every second seat. My article is posted here: http://biztravelguru.com/blogs/business-travel-news/archive/2007/10/26/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-the-business-travel-guru-gets-close-and-personal-with-singapore-airlines-airbus-a380.aspx Regards Ben the Business Travel Guru http://BizTravelGuru.com I was lucky enough to attend the media event in Sydney on the 26th of October, getting a full tour of SIA’s new baby. The suites are to die for, but as most people have mentioned they are not as private as you might expect. additionally the bottom half of the privacy blinds in the suites are slightly see thru.

Business Class Cabin – I would vote it the best in the air, with the upperdeck being my prefered choice because of the seating configuration.

Economy is nice for economy, slightly wider seats (extra 1.5in 3.5cm) also larger video display, and 2 power outlets every second seat.

My article is posted here:
http://biztravelguru.com/blogs/business-travel-news/archive/2007/10/26/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-the-business-travel-guru-gets-close-and-personal-with-singapore-airlines-airbus-a380.aspx

Regards
Ben the Business Travel Guru
http://BizTravelGuru.com

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7948 CF Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:26:05 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7948 Are you saying that the SYD-SIN leg has high demand or the SIN-EWR one? I'm actually not sure how to find out demand info on those routes other than looking at the number of flights out there. SQ flies 3x a day, QF twice and BA once. That's a pretty good number of flights so demand must be high. Are you saying that the SYD-SIN leg has high demand or the SIN-EWR one? I’m actually not sure how to find out demand info on those routes other than looking at the number of flights out there. SQ flies 3x a day, QF twice and BA once. That’s a pretty good number of flights so demand must be high.

]]> By: Albert http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7935 Albert Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:26:18 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7935 Oh, another note to QRC- Yes, it seems like everywhere I turn the past few days it's the Singapore Girl staring me in the face ... (Har, I wish. ;) ) Oh, another note to QRC-

Yes, it seems like everywhere I turn the past few days it’s the Singapore Girl staring me in the face … (Har, I wish. ;) )

]]> By: Albert http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7934 Albert Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:25:17 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7934 Well, I had to fortune of watching this little baby whale take off live .. Sky News had live coverage of the take-off in Singapore and I got into the office just in time, a few min. prior to the take off. There were a few of us around the TV by the time the plane was taxiing and ... good lord, that thing is HUGE. Seeing it taxi down the runway one girl said, "C'mon, you CAN do it!" LOL. You almost wonder just how it's possible for something that big to take fly. Nicholas- SQ keeps all the numbering in all the planes all the same. For example, in a 2 class config the first biz class seat will still be 11. This way if you have a boarding pass that says "1A" you know you're in first class. QRC- I don't think that 4 page insert was free advertising. However, SQ was apparently approached by the advertising arm to "record this historic event" and all .. so SMH ends up with a bunch of cash and SQ got themselves plastered nearly over the entire front page of SMH on that day. CF- This thing will be great for SQ. A few weeks ago I was desperately searching for a SYD-xSIN-EWR ticket on SQ and really had a hard time finding an open seat (wanted that prem. exec. econ and willing to endure the 18 hour flight over a more direct flight SYD-US, not to mention I had to do some shopping in SIN) on the SYD-SIN leg. Our TA at work couldn't find anything and SQ website was booked full for the second week of Dec. But after a weekend quite a few seats opened-up .. But to me this illustrated just how high the demand is on this route, esp. since as it's also a hub for QF and BA to LHR. Maybe you can look this up? Well, I had to fortune of watching this little baby whale take off live .. Sky News had live coverage of the take-off in Singapore and I got into the office just in time, a few min. prior to the take off. There were a few of us around the TV by the time the plane was taxiing and … good lord, that thing is HUGE. Seeing it taxi down the runway one girl said, “C’mon, you CAN do it!” LOL. You almost wonder just how it’s possible for something that big to take fly.

Nicholas-
SQ keeps all the numbering in all the planes all the same. For example, in a 2 class config the first biz class seat will still be 11. This way if you have a boarding pass that says “1A” you know you’re in first class.

QRC-
I don’t think that 4 page insert was free advertising. However, SQ was apparently approached by the advertising arm to “record this historic event” and all .. so SMH ends up with a bunch of cash and SQ got themselves plastered nearly over the entire front page of SMH on that day.

CF-
This thing will be great for SQ. A few weeks ago I was desperately searching for a SYD-xSIN-EWR ticket on SQ and really had a hard time finding an open seat (wanted that prem. exec. econ and willing to endure the 18 hour flight over a more direct flight SYD-US, not to mention I had to do some shopping in SIN) on the SYD-SIN leg. Our TA at work couldn’t find anything and SQ website was booked full for the second week of Dec. But after a weekend quite a few seats opened-up .. But to me this illustrated just how high the demand is on this route, esp. since as it’s also a hub for QF and BA to LHR. Maybe you can look this up?

]]> By: Nicholas Barnard http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7913 Nicholas Barnard Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:06:39 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7913 What confuses me about this layout is how they've decided to number the rows. Suite is rows 1-4 on the first floor, I get that. There are no rows 5-10. Business is 11-27 on the second floor. Again no rows 28-30. Coach on the first floor is 31-63. No rows 64-70. Coach on the second floor is 71-83. The fact of the matter is when you're trying to get 471 people on a plane as quickly as possible the communication challenge seems unnecessary. Sure I bet there are some interesting boarding patterns, but this is probably one of the more interesting problems the A380 is going to face. I think the 747s (generally) got around the problem by only having first on the second level, whereas the A380 has coach on both levels. I'm surprised they didn't go number the first floor more or less sequentially (of course putting a little break between Suite and Coach) and start the second floor at 100. It would make the plane seem bigger and would make the easy boarding announcement (If you're in rows 100 or higher please board upstairs.) Of course the reason they might not have done this is the GDSes may not support four character row numbers. Anyone know? What confuses me about this layout is how they’ve decided to number the rows.
Suite is rows 1-4 on the first floor, I get that.
There are no rows 5-10.
Business is 11-27 on the second floor.
Again no rows 28-30.
Coach on the first floor is 31-63.
No rows 64-70.
Coach on the second floor is 71-83.

The fact of the matter is when you’re trying to get 471 people on a plane as quickly as possible the communication challenge seems unnecessary.

Sure I bet there are some interesting boarding patterns, but this is probably one of the more interesting problems the A380 is going to face. I think the 747s (generally) got around the problem by only having first on the second level, whereas the A380 has coach on both levels.

I’m surprised they didn’t go number the first floor more or less sequentially (of course putting a little break between Suite and Coach) and start the second floor at 100. It would make the plane seem bigger and would make the easy boarding announcement (If you’re in rows 100 or higher please board upstairs.) Of course the reason they might not have done this is the GDSes may not support four character row numbers. Anyone know?

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7906 CF Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:32:58 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7906 They have said that the SFO A380 flight will be the one that runs through HKG. I'm not convinced that the A380 would be able to make the nonstop with any sort of meaningful load on it. They have said that the SFO A380 flight will be the one that runs through HKG. I’m not convinced that the A380 would be able to make the nonstop with any sort of meaningful load on it.

]]> By: QRC http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/comment-page-1/#comment-7905 QRC Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:30:29 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/29/a380/#comment-7905 Make that a bed. . .that doesn't come from a seat. I live in HKG, end up traveling all the time on CX. Ironically I picked up the Sydney morning paper on October 26 in the HKG CX lounge, saved the full four color pages they had dedicated to the A380 and Singapore Airlines. Amazing free advertising. Anyhow, in Asia they've been hyping this thing like crazy - full two-page color centerfold advertisements every week in Asia WSJ, Singapore Straits Times, Sydney Herald and South China Morning Post during October. They built up to it - the first week had like just the boring "First to Fly" A380 ads, then once they released the suites the whole two pages was dedicated to explaining them, then they talked about business class, I can't resist it once I make CX Diamond this year I'm definitely trying that plane. Will keep you posted. On another note, I know SQ flies HKG to SFO, but I know for a long time SQ has been considering a non-stop SIN-SFO connection - would that be the A380 or would it be SQ002 that goes through HKG? Make that a bed. . .that doesn’t come from a seat. I live in HKG, end up traveling all the time on CX. Ironically I picked up the Sydney morning paper on October 26 in the HKG CX lounge, saved the full four color pages they had dedicated to the A380 and Singapore Airlines. Amazing free advertising. Anyhow, in Asia they’ve been hyping this thing like crazy – full two-page color centerfold advertisements every week in Asia WSJ, Singapore Straits Times, Sydney Herald and South China Morning Post during October. They built up to it – the first week had like just the boring “First to Fly” A380 ads, then once they released the suites the whole two pages was dedicated to explaining them, then they talked about business class, I can’t resist it once I make CX Diamond this year I’m definitely trying that plane. Will keep you posted.

On another note, I know SQ flies HKG to SFO, but I know for a long time SQ has been considering a non-stop SIN-SFO connection – would that be the A380 or would it be SQ002 that goes through HKG?

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