[LetsFlyNow]

The excellennt passenger experience has been mentioned quite often even by airline bosses. At Lufthansa (yes i talk alot about LH because i’m based in MUC and fly them often) they said that one of the reasons they are bringing back most of their A380 fleet back is because of the customer feedback. They said that people are specifically booking flights via MUC to fly the A380.

I’ve previously gone out of my way just to fly the SQ A380 from FRA and i’m so happy that they’re bringing it back.

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AMcWhirter, esselle, cwoodward

[Maaki]

I was flying on an LH A380 a couple of times from either FRA or MUC to JFK, before they were grounded. I have seen many aircrafts, but this (A380) is by far my favorite. Even today with the old and outdated LH Business Class I will fly MUC-JFK again with the A380 in the coming weeks. I had the chance twice to fly LH First on an A380 and it was really impressive. So much room and so quiet (especially this is great).
LH now put all of their A380 to MUC (my home airport) and I will be happy to see more destinations, if they would (re-)install more of this aircraft.

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LetsFlyNow

[FDOS]

Unfortunately, most pax probably wouldn’t be able to differentiate an Airbus 737 from a Boeing 320 and buy purely on price/schedule/destination 😉

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cwoodward

[LetsFlyNow]

Add Qatar Airways to the list of airlines that will by flying the A380 for many years to come as announced by the new CEO earlier this week on CNBC.

@FDOS

While indeed many can’t tell the difference, i have encountered passengers at Check-in or during boarding asking whether it’s an Airbus or the ‘Boeing that is always in the news’.

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FDOS

[AndrewinHK]

I think operationally the 380 is difficult, especially for carriers with smaller fleets. The 380’s at BA and QF are very frequently delayed. BA 193 to DFW was cancelled on 20/03, delayed for 1.5 hours on 21/03, BA 209 to Miami was cancelled on 21/03, QF 1 reliability seems to have improved lately but it was delayed by more than 3 hours into LHR on 19/03. I am a big fan of the 380, and have actively tried to fly on each airline that operates. We are lucky to have a few relatively short 380 routes from HK, SQ operates, I have started flying SQ more lately, and EK operate HK to BKK, timing’s aren’t great, and I am not a fan of Emirates, but it’s good to have choice.

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FDOS

[DerekVH]

The problem with the Qatar A380 at present is that the cabin is very dated, there is zero privacy from any other passengers and there is absolutely no storage space around the seats. Even the inflight power is beside the TV screen so not easily accessible without getting out of your seat.

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FDOS

[ASK1945]

AHK: I am due to fly LHR-MIA in J, later this year. Both daily flights are A380s.

Checking FlightRadar24, BA207 and 209 do seem to leave late fairly frequently – but I can only see a couple of cancellations of each since the beginning of February. This could be consolidation of the two daily flights.

I am hoping my flight is still an A380, but by then it may be a smaller aircraft, of course.

[AMcWhirter]

@DerekVH

Re QR’s A380 cabins.

As I noted in another current thread it remains to be seen what, if anything, QR does with the interior of its A380s.

I presume you refer to business or first class ?

When QR posted a YouTube on its A380 eight years ago (it’s still displayed on YouTube) the interior was shown and business class was 1-2-1 while first class was 1-1-1.

Certainly when Noel Philips (who some of you follow on YouTube) posted his video re flying the A380 first class DOH-SYD there seemed masses of space.

Airlines lacking the very latest seating on their A380s face a dilemma.

The cost of retrofitting an A380 with the latest seating in all cabins is enormous.

As we noted in Online news at the time when AF retired its A380s the cost was put at between Euros 40 and 50 million for *each A380* and that was the main reason A380 grounded its fleet.

The A380 cabins on the AF fleet had not been updated since these aircraft were delivered in 2012.

It therefore meant, for example, that business class still consisted of angled lie-flat seating on the upper deck configured six-across 2-2-2.

Etihad’s A380s had up-to-date seating when its superjumbos were reactivated.

But then one or more were due a C-Check which, as the former boss of QR claimed in that much-viewed YouTube, take three times what (a C-Check) on a 777 or A350-1000 would take.

[DerekVH]

Hi ALex

I was referring to First, on the A380 Qatar have 1-2-1 seating with 2 rows. Some of Qatar’s other fleet retain some First but I am not sure if they have 1-1-1 in First.

Derek

[AMcWhirter]

Apologies for the error Derek.

You are quite correct.

Here’s a PDF of the seating plan.

https://www.qatarairways.com/content/dam/documents/fleet/A380.pdf

[BlazeBreeze]

It is very interesting to watch the A380 aircraft return after people were not so sure it would. Airbus promises to keep working on this plane and will continue supporting it for twenty more years, which gives hope. Many airlines are renewing their planes, and there might be chances to buy them used. It appears the future is getting better for these very big airplanes.

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stevescoots

[esselle]

I think I’m right in saying that the only other first class seating offered by QR (not being J sold as F on regional flights) is to be found on the small number of 773’s they operated which are “on loan” from CX.

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DerekVH

[cwoodward]

The aircraft are not ‘on loan’ from CX.

These aircraft were leased by CX and returned to the lessor then taken up by QR (on lease) who chose not to change the cabin décor or configuration.
The story that the aircraft are owned by CX has been doing the rounds for several years but it has zero basis in fact.

[esselle]

Sorry for my clumsy use of English.

What I could/should have said is that these birds, being ex CX, have CX first class configuration (ie 1-1-1) as I was effectively replying to DerekVH’s comment above. QR have done little to change the interior but have done a light rebranding of the exterior.

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cwoodward

[AlanOrton1]

Esselle – you are absolutely right. These are QR aircraft now (leased) with a minimal exterior paint job and almost nothing changed internally. Even the CX artwork is still there. There were pax in F when I flew on one of these HKG-DOH last quarter.

Apparently they are owned by Bank of China aviation. CX ceased their lease and QR picked them up, during Covid.

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esselle

[Author]

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