A-380 Test Flight photos

[Skip Miller]

Attached is a document with some interior shots of the Beast during its test flight with airbus employees as passengers.

I wonder why they didn't show any photos of coach seating?

-Skip

 

[Henning]

Attached is a document with some interior shots of the Beast during its test flight with airbus employees as passengers.

I wonder why they didn't show any photos of coach seating?

-Skip

Yeah, show is the cattle car section. Uggg, I'm not looking forward to this flight across the Pacific.

 

[ScottM]

Yeah, show is the cattle car section. Uggg, I'm not looking forward to this flight across the Pacific.

Cattle class is not good in any plane. Shoot I had to take business on UAL 767 over the pond this week. I forgot how crammed biz class is compared to first. I would never fly over the Pacific in cattle class

 

[Henning]

Cattle class is not good in any plane. Shoot I had to take business on UAL 767 over the pond this week. I forgot how crammed biz class is compared to first. I would never fly over the Pacific in cattle class

This will be trip 6 in 2 years....again, ugggg.

 

[SCCutler]

Cattle class is not good in any plane. Shoot I had to take business on UAL 767 over the pond this week. I forgot how crammed biz class is compared to first. I would never fly over the Pacific in cattle class

Sadly, I have never had the good fortune of having a business pay for me to fly in anything upgraded from coach, and I for sure have never had the finances to cover the stunning cost of first class travel, so steerage class, I am stuck with.

When we flew to Australia a few years back, we were on Air NZ, which was as good as one could get (at least then); they had about 1.5" more space between seat rows than Qantas. I have heard that UAL's trans-Pacific service is good (including an Australian/American family who fly the route 3-5 times per year, and prefer United).

Be interesting to see what happens when / if Virgin start service between Australia and the US. I look forward, most, to the time when one can fly to Australia without touching LAX or SFO- if I never set foot in LAX again, that's just fine with me.

 

[Ghery]

Cattle class is not good in any plane. Shoot I had to take business on UAL 767 over the pond this week. I forgot how crammed biz class is compared to first. I would never fly over the Pacific in cattle class

Just had cattle class on Delta from CVG to CDG and back last week. Only marginally better than Lufthansa. Cattle class on United (OK, Economy Plus) last month from SEA to NRT to TPE and back (all 777) was significantly better. My employer quit paying for biz class years ago.

 

[ScottM]

Just had cattle class on Delta from CVG to CDG and back last week. Only marginally better than Lufthansa. Cattle class on United (OK, Economy Plus) last month from SEA to NRT to TPE and back (all 777) was significantly better. My employer quit paying for biz class years ago.

Coach to Europe is not too bad and I have done that a few times. But coach to Tokyo is a non starter with me. Panasonic offered me a job a few years back. I asked for their travel policy knowing I would be oin the road a bit. It was coach everywhere so I asked for guaranteed biz class to Asia. They declined and offered me #10k more per year. I turned them down and they offered me another $10k more. When it got up to a total of $50k extra a year I was tempted but I still did not want to pay out of pocket for biz class. my final offer to them was to REDUCE my salary by the $50k they had offered and guaranteed biz class. they refused and I turned down the offer.

 

[Ghery]

Coach to Europe is not too bad and I have done that a few times. But coach to Tokyo is a non starter with me. Panasonic offered me a job a few years back. I asked for their travel policy knowing I would be oin the road a bit. It was coach everywhere so I asked for guaranteed biz class to Asia. They declined and offered me #10k more per year. I turned them down and they offered me another $10k more. When it got up to a total of $50k extra a year I was tempted but I still did not want to pay out of pocket for biz class. my final offer to them was to REDUCE my salary by the $50k they had offered and guaranteed biz class. they refused and I turned down the offer.

Sometimes bean counters can show a distinct lack of common sense. NRT isn't a much longer flight from SEA than CDG is from CVG. Of course, I had to get to CVG from SEA first.

WHAT was Delta thinking when they bought the seats for that 737? I had a center seat assigned for the SEA to CVG leg and could barely get in it, it was so narrow. Fortunately, the person with the aisle seat didn't show up and I grabbed that. Noticeably wider. Same with the window seat I had returning to SEA. Exit row, so legroom wasn't an issue in either direction. FAs were great, flights were basically on time, food was OK for airline food. But legroom was non-existant on the 767 to and from Paris. I'll add Delta to my no-fly list if at all possible.

 

[ScottM]

Sometimes bean counters can show a distinct lack of common sense. NRT isn't a much longer flight from SEA than CDG is from CVG. Of course, I had to get to CVG from SEA first.

WHAT was Delta thinking when they bought the seats for that 737? I had a center seat assigned for the SEA to CVG leg and could barely get in it, it was so narrow. Fortunately, the person with the aisle seat didn't show up and I grabbed that. Noticeably wider. Same with the window seat I had returning to SEA. Exit row, so legroom wasn't an issue in either direction. FAs were great, flights were basically on time, food was OK for airline food. But legroom was non-existant on the 767 to and from Paris. I'll add Delta to my no-fly list if at all possible.

I flew Alitalia from Milan to Chicago a couple of years back. Not a lot of room in coach but about the third hour of flight and still not getting service for food or drink I got up and found a stewardess and asked for a soda. She told me to go into the galley and help myself to whatever I wanted. There was food, drinks, snacks and the ilk. I liked that!!

I did have Delta flight from NY to Nice as well. Each time I had a row of coach to myself that made the flight bearable. It was the Song connections that were cattle flights. I added them to my no fly list as well.

 

[Ghery]

I flew Alitalia from Milan to Chicago a couple of years back. Not a lot of room in coach but about the third hour of flight and still not getting service for food or drink I got up and found a stewardess and asked for a soda. She told me to go into the galley and help myself to whatever I wanted. There was food, drinks, snacks and the ilk. I liked that!!

I did have Delta flight from NY to Nice as well. Each time I had a row of coach to myself that made the flight bearable. It was the Song connections that were cattle flights. I added them to my no fly list as well.

My flights to/from Paris were full. Thank goodness I had aisle seats.

 

[Skip Miller]

I look forward, most, to the time when one can fly to Australia without touching LAX or SFO- if I never set foot in LAX again, that's just fine with me.

Your day has arrived. Provided, of course, that you deem JFK better than LAX and many would disagree with that. Air Tahiti Nui has twice a week A340 service JFK - Tahiti - Sydney, and return.

I've been on the flight returning to JFK and the service was wonderful. We were in Business Class courtesy of frequent flyer miles (Air TN is an American Airlines partner). Saturday Morning departure from Sydney, 7pm-ish arrival on Friday night in Papeete, where they had another fully fueled and catered A340 waiting, as soon as we could shuffle the pax and bags from one to the other we were off to JFK, landing Saturday Afternoon. We crossed the North American coastline somewhere over the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. This is about as direct as you can get, great circle wise.

-Skip

 

[SCCutler]

Your day has arrived. Provided, of course, that you deem JFK better than LAX and many would disagree with that. Air Tahiti Nui has twice a week A340 service JFK - Tahiti - Sydney, and return.

I've been on the flight returning to JFK and the service was wonderful. We were in Business Class courtesy of frequent flyer miles (Air TN is an American Airlines partner). Saturday Morning departure from Sydney, 7pm-ish arrival on Friday night in Papeete, where they had another fully fueled and catered A340 waiting, as soon as we could shuffle the pax and bags from one to the other we were off to JFK, landing Saturday Afternoon. We crossed the North American coastline somewhere over the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. This is about as direct as you can get, great circle wise.

-Skip

What I *really* want is to fly DFW-Australia without another US city stop (except, perhaps, Honolulu).

We have flown Air Tahiti Nui, LAX-PPT, and that was without a doubt the best airline service I have experienced. In addition, it is the first time I have ever seen flight attendants on their hands and knees in the galley, prior to landing, cleaning the airplane. As I understand it, having a national carrier is a big point of pride for them. I'd certainly fly 'em again.

BTW, as an exercise in curiosity, I just priced a round-trip DFW to MEL, in business class. It is apparent that flying anything other than coach is intended solely for use by genuinely wealthy people, and those who travel enough on business to qualify for upgrades. The coach round-trip fare (non-refundable) was $1,857.20; for business class, it was $11,289.20; for first class, $18,644.20 These are stunning numbers.

 

[KennyFlys]

The coach round-trip fare (non-refundable) was $1,857.20; for business class, it was $11,289.20; for first class, $18,644.20 These are stunning numbers.

I'd be interested in knowing how much of these are "junk fees", a term used by Clark Howard. They build in landing fee costs as well as other items but I'm sure a huge percentage of the higher fares is tax. Were the tax lower, I'd bet many more would pay higher rates which would contribute to the financial wellbeing of airlines.

I know this slightly gets into "Spin Zone" issues but there are a lot of passengers who would opt for a moderate increase in price for the comfort on a long flight. For many, a moderate twenty percent increase would be acceptable. And, how often are there empty seats on these long flights that might be compensated with a slightly higher price to fill all?

 

[Bill]

It is apparent that flying anything other than coach is intended solely for use by genuinely wealthy people, and those who travel enough on business to qualify for upgrades.

I flew Delta to Munich in November, coach was ~$750, business ~$3000, and 1st class, ~$11300. Business flight, company only pays coach, I'm certainly not going to cough up $2250 out of pocket just to fly business.

 

[wsuffa]

1) I note (with some pleasure) that Boeing has patented the seat design and layout on the 787. They don't want airlines cramming too many in. (See how long that lasts).

2) None of the airlines going over the pond offer much to speak of in coach. I was usually able to upgrade, but got stuck there one time because an upgrade didn't clear. I now require confirmed upgrades, or I don't fly.

3) If you can book in advance (like 60 days), most airlines have discounted business class seats.

4) Until DL gets the fleet refurbished, they will be running a handful of domestic 767s on North Atlantic routes. These will be "all coach", except the front coach section will be domestic first-class seating. If you can get one of those seats, it's much better than being in back.

5) None of the airline 737 middle seats are wide enough. None. At least Southwest has a little better seat pitch than some of the others.

 

[Darrell111]

Problem 1. Manufactured by Airbus..
Problem 2. Manufactured by Airbus...

So forth and so on. Go USA!

 

[Henning]

Coach to Europe is not too bad and I have done that a few times. But coach to Tokyo is a non starter with me. Panasonic offered me a job a few years back. I asked for their travel policy knowing I would be oin the road a bit. It was coach everywhere so I asked for guaranteed biz class to Asia. They declined and offered me #10k more per year. I turned them down and they offered me another $10k more. When it got up to a total of $50k extra a year I was tempted but I still did not want to pay out of pocket for biz class. my final offer to them was to REDUCE my salary by the $50k they had offered and guaranteed biz class. they refused and I turned down the offer.

Hmmm, sounds like you didn't really want the job anyway (nothing wrong with that). I'd figure with frequent flyer miles and the extra 50k you could upgrade and still be ahead.

 

[KennyFlys]

Hmmm, sounds like you didn't really want the job anyway (nothing wrong with that). I'd figure with frequent flyer miles and the extra 50k you could upgrade and still be ahead.

I don't know. With the state of airlines these days, they find loop holes to deplete their own frequent flyer mileage programs. And credit cards, they change terms quite often. There's no guarantee. I think it was shear luck a friend managed to see his plan remain intact long enough to pay for his entire family to travel to Hawaii.

 

[astanley]

Coach only transpac/transat? Wow, what an arcane policy... the company could (in theory) be liable if you get something like DVT and you were in coach.

Cheers,

-Andrew
about to spend a lot of time transat...

 

[bjohnson]

Attached is a document with some interior shots of the Beast during its test flight with airbus employees as passengers.

I wonder why they didn't show any photos of coach seating?

-Skip

I wonder why they didn't show any photos of the flight deck?

 

[ScottM]

Hmmm, sounds like you didn't really want the job anyway (nothing wrong with that). I'd figure with frequent flyer miles and the extra 50k you could upgrade and still be ahead.

two things it was the principal of the thing. The other was that I have worked with people who bought into this scheme. What happens is your pay raises for the next few years are very low to non-exisitant. Your pay catches up with everyone else and you are back to flying coach.

Ya, I did not want a job for a company that did not treat employees very well. This was the clue that Panasonic was not for me.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I wonder why they didn't show any photos of the flight deck?

Because if you saw the four computers running Windows up there, you'd never set foot in the thing?