[Anonymous]

[openfly]

I flew on the BA 380 recently. It was very obvious that BA have messed up the downstairs Club cabin. There are 44 seats with just two toilets at the rear of the cabin. These two loos are also accessible by the economy passengers behind. But upstairs there are 6 toilets set aside for the 53 passengers.

The First Class “cabins” look good, but very dark. Lots more space. But there will be lots of crew using the cabin to get from the Club/First galley to the front stairway to go up to the upper Club galley.

BA have a mish-mash of cabins. I think Lufthansa have the best design by keeping all the premium pax upstairs and the rest downstairs in 4 smallish cabins. I think BA pax upstairs will like the layout, but those downstairs will be made to feel the poor relation.

[Bucksnet]

Looks like 4 toilets behind the downstairs club cabin and 3 for the upper one: –

http://www.thebasource.com/britishairways380seatmap.html

[6Continents]

Dark First Class cabin? the lights were not turned on due to the cabin not being used.

The only person to use the front stars will be the CSD.

[StephenLondon]

The nice thing about F and J downstairs on BA is the great sense of space. Upper deck has curved walls which bring in a more restricted feeling. But dividing Club into three cabins, it stops the dormitory effect that exists on other A380s, such as MH or EK or QF.

F on EK was positively claustrophobic upstairs.

[andystock]

Where BA’s A380 comes into its own is the Prem Economy cabin upstairs and the economy cabin upstairs. Even in economy the window seats have all the side storage. The Club World and First cabins are a let down.

[JonathanM8]

I agree with Stephen, having travelled Business on Qantas – seemingly huge cabin on the upper deck with no personalised service – actually positively slow too. I think it is a smart move to have split sections on both deck. I guess the choice will be between the more spacious cabins on the lower deck, and the side storage, but lower ceilings upstairs.

I travelled on the BA A380 to FRA last week, downstairs in economy. Whilst the cabin as a whole is spacious, the seats felt cramped. I don’t fancy 11 hours to LAX in economy that seemed more cramped than on the A319 I took back from FRA

[Gold-2K]

While we are talking toilets, are the washrooms for first class bigger than those on the current 747 / 777. I believe those at the front of the upstairs club cabin are, but having flown first on Qantas with good sized washrooms, wondered if BA have gone for something similar?

[Bucksnet]

JonathanM8 – 17/08/2013 21:07 GMT

That’s because the A319 you were in probably had seats that were 19 inches wide. For some strange reason some of the A319s had these wider seats. BA has gone for A380 seats that are 17.5 inches wide instead of the normal 18-19 inches of other operators. Also the seat pitch on the BA A380 is only 31 inches, whereas most airlines have gone for the standard 32.

[StephenLondon]

Not quite true, Bucksnet…both Qantas and Lufthansa have 31 inch pitch on their A380s, and all operators have 3-4-3 configuration downstairs in economy.

BA have 303 economy seats on their A380…the second lowest volume in economy of all the A380 operators (with KE coming in at 301). Lufthansa and Emirates have 420 and 427 respectively. Wait for Air Austral’s bone-crushing 838 seat A380 aircraft to arrive!

[Bucksnet]

I did say most, and I know all airlines have gone for 3-4-3 downstairs.

[openfly]

The seat plan does show 4 toilets behind the lower Club cabin. Two of those are for economy and the other two are “curtained off” for the use of Club….their only two loos….which are totally accessible by the economy cabin behind. There will be tears!!

[openfly]

@Andystock. It is interesting the upstairs economy and WTP get all the space and extra storage to the detriment of the Club pax who have an inferior product In the lower cabin, yet pay a much higher fare.

Put premiums together upstairs. Do not segregate them. Get the products correct to start with.

As I say on my leader…..poor Club design, with little thought. Or is this planned so that a surcharge can be applied for sitting on the upper deck?

[FirstTraveller]

LH A380 has a good design but crappy and intolerable business class seats that are 10 years old in design and not yet lie flat. Very bad experience for long haul travel.

[andystock]

Prem ecobomy is the most imptoved cabin, looks great if you are on a Window seat

[Author]

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