I decided to hold the last Emirates post from Nate until I was on paternity leave. You can see his report on the flight out to Dubai, Dubai Airport, and the flight back if you haven’t seen them.
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Probably the best thing about my trip to Dubai was building an itinerary that put me on the Boeing 777-300ER one way and the Airbus A380 the other. Not many travelers have a keen sense of their surroundings when they fly, so this presented a great opportunity to discuss the differences in the two aircraft as Emirates expands and offers both types on routes. I flew the 777 out of San Francisco for 15 hours to Dubai in Business and First Class, and then returned to New York JFK from Dubai on the A380 in Business Class. I found some fairly interesting differences in the two planes the way Emirates configures them.

Seating layout/arrangements
The 777 was in a typical 2-3-2 layout while the A380 had a very interested staggered layout of 1-2-1. Some rows had window seats with a small walkway to the aisle and others had an aisle with no seat in the window. The middle section either had two seats next to each other or two sitting on the aisle separated. The seats then rotate their position, giving each customer access to the aisle. This was a very nice feature as the A380 gives customers much more overall “area” for their individual seat, whereas the 777 you still had a neighbor – and the privacy screen really didn’t block much.

I could still watch my neighbor’s TV for most of my flight. I did select the bulkhead on the 777 and I had more wiggle room to get in and out, but the A380 still wins hands down. The 777′s “traditional” layout is much better if you are traveling with a group of friends or family, as the A380 seems to be designed more for the solo traveler. The other downside to BOTH aircraft is the aisle seats – there is still traffic up and down the aisle, so there’s a risk of getting interrupted while trying to sleep.

Service
One problem Emirates faces with the A380 is that there are a LOT of flight attendants . . . 26 to be exact. The Business Class galley is located in the back of the cabin, so you get a lot of foot traffic. While that can be nice (always someone going by that can you something) it did take time to do a full service for the 55 passengers (out of 76) in my cabin. I also can’t tell you the name of the flight attendant assigned to my section. The 777 provided excellent service as only 2 or 3 flight attendants worked my side of the airplane and I can remember their names. Overall, the 777 service seemed much more efficient.

Boarding/Deplaning
One would think boarding 500 people on an A380 would take awhile, but Emirates seemed to have this one down pat. Most of us in Business Class were in the lounge up until about 30 minutes before departure and found a short line for the premium cabins versus economy. In the A380, I didn’t see a single economy class customer. On the 777, while we had separate lines, we boarded through the same jet bridge. There was a lot of foot traffic through the 777 cabin while boarding, but the flight attendants kept the economy customers moving through, and were able to serve a pre-departure champagne service without any issues. Deplaning was equally fast, as Emirates holds back each respective cabin until those passengers are clear, and in New York we deplaned by the 2nd level. Its hard to pick the 777 or the A380 has both were very efficient.

Sleep
The A380 has a fully flat bed while it’s an angled lie flat bed on the 777. Both seats appear to be the same design and configuration except for the footrest on the A380. On the 777, your seat drops then extends out, and at 6’1″ I slept like a baby. I also really enjoyed the storage space/cut outs in the seat that also meant I had shoulder room. The A380 had a cubby hole for feet which probably helped keep rusty-sock smell from the cabin. But on the 777, it was hard to tell you weren’t lying completely flat. I’d also like to point out that I departed San Francisco at 5p and arrived in Dubai at 7p (next day) and did not feel jetlagged. I only preferred the A380 seat over the 777 because I didn’t have someone directly beside me.

Economy Class
Here’s where it can get painful.

The 777 was originally designed for 9 seats across the cabin, but Emirates has 10. So your butt and shoulders may be making contact with your seatmate for the next 13 hours. At least your knees and feet will be comfortable, as Emirates provides a few more inches of legroom. The A380 has standard seat width, but the legroom isn’t nearly as good as on the 777. In the row I tried out on the A380, the window felt a little more cramped. Both Economy cabins offer in seat video and universal and USB power ports, so even if you are stuck in the 777 in coach, you will still have plenty to keep you busy.

Here are some more pieces for comparison.

The Winner
Interestingly enough, I really enjoyed the 777 flight over the A380 flight. The A380 bar really stands out, but the service was much more consistent on the 777. The foot traffic on the A380 can (and does) stand out, so if you want to avoid it, then try to sit in the forward section of business class. Anyone who pays for Business Class (or upgrades) will not be disappointed. This airline does an amazing job and if I had the budget, I’d gladly fork out $12,000 for this type of service.

Someone sent me an article last week that I thought was pretty funny. Apparently, Airbus super salesman John Leahy thinks United is going to buy A380s. Now, I suppose that it’s possible, but I just don’t see why United would do that.

According to Leahy, an order isn’t coming anytime soon, but “United understands that if it wants to have a major presence in Asia it needs the A380.” He also says that with demand predicted to double in the US in the next 15 years, growth can’t happen through frequency increases at every airport. That leaves the A380 in his mind as the option of choice.

I certainly don’t have any inside knowledge on this, but it would surprise me to see United pick up A380s in the near or even distant future. Why? Because it doesn’t really need the airplane.

Yes, there are some airports that are capacity-constrained that will have a hard time keeping up with increases in demand, but that doesn’t mean United needs a huge airplane. How many routes are there that United even wants to use its biggest 747s on? Not a ton. Leahy might be concerned about New York, but many of those European markets aren’t big enough to support more than a 757 or 767. If demand grows, then United has plenty of airplanes that it can use that are larger. It doesn’t require an A380-sized airplane by any stretch.

Are there some routes that might benefit from an A380? Potentially. There are some capacity constrained airports in the world – notably places like London and Tokyo. But is that enough reason to order the A380? So far, no US carrier (and very few worldwide) has seen a reason. There are so few routes that these airlines would like to have an A380 for that it’s not even worth considering.

So has something changed with United’s thinking? I don’t know, but this sounds to me like an overly optimistic thought on the part of Airbus.

Boeing’s Response to the Airbus A320 Revamp Is Simple: Nothing – BNET Headwinds
Now that Airbus has decided to re-engine the A320, Boeing has to decide what to do. I don’t think we’ll see anything for awhile.

Silver Lining: A380 Grounding Helps Qantas Maintain Its Safety Reputation – BNET Headwinds
The A380 grounding has been a mess for Qantas, but in the end is does help it keep a strong safety reputation.

How Southwest Could Deploy a Larger 737 for Greater Profits in New Markets – BNET Headwinds
Now that the 737-800 is all but a done deal for Southwest, it’s time to think about where those airplanes are going. I’ve got a good idea myself.

In the Trenches: Looking Beyond the Customer for Revenue – Intuit Small Business Blog
This talks about our decision to start booking travel via Cranky Concierge and why we did it.

Southwest’s Performance Problem: How to Fix Those Late Arrivals – BNET Headwinds
Southwest didn’t have the best month for on time arrivals in October and it looks like some bigger changes may be required to get back on track thanks to a changing model.

How to Set a Travel Policy for Your Business – Intuit Small Business Blog
Talking about a travel policy is not usually at the top of the list for small businesses, but it should be. Here are some ideas for getting started.

Qantas A380: Now We Know Why the Planes Were Grounded — and It’s Scary – BNET Headwinds
As more details on the A380 grounding come out, it becomes more clear why Qantas grounded the airplane.

Aggrieved Fliers Ask, ‘What Now?’ – The New York Times
A very small part of a much longer conversation was published in this article about tarmac delays.

Qantas A380: Airline Earns Black Eye for Poor Customer Response to Crisis – BNET Headwinds
The Qantas A380 problems continue, but this time it’s not the airplane that I’m talking about. It’s the customer response.

Executive guide: From delays to fold-out trays – sites that let you vent your spleen – Financial Times
Cranky got a great mention in the FT saying that my site is “the website of choice for business travellers focused on airports and airlines.”

Delta Flight Attendants Reject Unionization Following Northwest Merger – BNET Headwinds
Delta flight attendants have rejected unionization, and that’s a big deal.

Virgin America Finally Posts Its First Profit, But It’s No Surprise – BNET Headwinds
Congrats to Virgin America for posting its first profit but it’s not a surprise considering how good things are in the industry right now.

In the Trenches: Handling the Surge From Good Press – Intuit Small Business Blog
We had some great Cranky Concierge press in the LA Times recently, but that made me a little nervous.

Qantas A380: Rolls-Royce Faces Uncertain Future After Engine Failures – BNET Headwinds
Rolls-Royce may be an engine giant, but some high-profile problems lately leave the company on shakier ground.

Four Challenges to Virgin America’s Long Term Success – BNET Headwinds
Just because Virgin America is profitable now doesn’t mean it will be for long. Here are some major challenges.