Best Airbus A380 memories (so far)

[Julesmac]

MrMac & I had a marvellous experience flying SQ in J to CDG and back home from LHR. I'd gotten a part time job for a couple of years beforehand so we could realise our dream of living in Paris for a month to celebrate our ruby (40) wedding anniversary. A dear mate gifted us his Krisflyer points to cover the J fare.We were up in the bubble there and back, & all flights were very lightly loaded. Acres of room. A lovely crew from Singapore who made much of the fact that we'd been married so long. After sleeping all the way to Paris we were woken up early by the crew presenting us with a terribly decadent chocolate cake, a card which had been made & then signed by all the crew, and a lovely bottle of bubbles they'd liberated from F. I honestly cannot recall a single thing about the flights back.

 

[kamchatsky]

Checked my openflights, I took A380 13 times. I enjoyed every bit of it.

1 time in Y with EK AKL-SYD. I remembered that even in Y because we were on mini cabin, it was actually quite spacious and enjoyed it.

The rest are all with SQ, 4 times are SQ Suites (2 old and 2 new), 8 times in J. My most memorable one's is still my first ever First Class experience, HKG-SIN-SYD. Both sectors are A380 Suites. Amazed by the food, service, the Private Room and of course the suite itself. I think the original suites is still amazing, even though SQ has new Suites.

Whilst the next experience in F/Suites is the new A380 Suites, and is truly amazing, it is not as memorable as the original Suites.

 

[OZDUCK]

I have flown Business on QR on an A380 but I was feeling a little unwell so it wasn't a really memorable flight. What I did remember fondly were two flights on the first version of the SQ A380's with the upstairs 'mini Economy cabin'. We paid something like a measly $50 extra each per sector and booked the exit row seats at the back of the cabin for the Sin - Paris and return flights. These were in a 2- 4 - 2 layout and we had the two seats by the windows. About 2 metres of legroom, very quiet cabin and some very personable cabin crew. There was a 'missing window' but most of the flight time was at night. They were excellent flights. The other two flights in the lower deck Economy cabin were nowhere near as pleasant.

 

[jb747]

Descending into LA, at the end of QF93.

 

[milehighclub]

As you would imagine I have so many memories on this aircraft.

But one that stands out was when I had to ferry it empty. A whole A380 to myself!!

 

[jb747]

As you would imagine I have so many memories on this aircraft.

But one that stands out was when I had to ferry it empty. A whole A380 to myself!!

And you were nowhere to be found....

 

[milehighclub]

And you were nowhere to be found....

As if I would be found in economy

 

[ian_baker58]

On an EK flight to CDG via SIN in F (A380), we were the only people in F MEL-SIN - and the service was WOW!

The F lounge in DXB is right up there as lounges go in my experience

On the DBX-CDG leg (A380), after drinking most of the bottle Chateau Margaux 1998 served with dinner the sumptuous shower before landing meant arrival at CDG feeling refreshed, well slept and feeling fantastic.

Very fond memories of EK's F on the A380, the F lounge in DXB, and EK service...

Sadly, I think it will be a while before we're back in EK F in the current new world.

Having flown F in EK, QF, BA, CX, AF, UA and AA (all long-haul) over the years, EK is the 'stand-out' of these.

 

[93Revisited]

My wife and I had our first A380 flight not long after Qantas started flying them from MEL to LAX. They were definitely a novelty and even the captain seemed a little in awe of the aircraft.
Once we had fully boarded, he announced that he would shortly be starting the engines and that we would be amazed at how quiet and vibration free they would be. He suggested we try balancing a cup on the armrest to prove his point. Of course he was absolutely right and the cabin responded with a round of applause When he came back on the p.a. to say “I told you so”. It must have been a plane load of aviation geeks just like me.

 

[nathrek]

The discomfort of economy was always softened on the A380 when you scored the upper deck with Qantas, especially when it was relatively empty.

Able to spread out, low ratio of passengers to staff so service is exceptional, everyone in a good mood and wine from business class delivered to us instead of the economy stuff as a mate in head office had given the crew a heads up we were flying and to treat us nice.

Obvioulsy I would have preferred to be in business but when you have to be in economy I'll always opt for the upper deck as it's so much better than being stuck in the packed lower deck.

 

[OATEK]

My first flight on an A380 was on SQ in Y upstairs. Absolutely the best ever Y flight for comfort & service.

My other first for an A380 was the first time I flew in J onternationally. The QF/EK "partnership" began with some very competitive fares on QF via Dubai. It was a great flight experience, and of course had the inevitable consequences on future travel!

 

[G B]

Cattle class SYD to Dallas. It was a tight connection so I managed to get 48A which was right at the door so first off the plane, even before F. No one in the seats beside me & the FA in the jump seat opposite advised me to sit in the middle when we got in the air & people wouldn't come up and sit there. I did that and the curtain for the business galley opposite was closed so I had myself my own personal cabin for the flight.

 

[ramboflyer]

In 2017 I was on an EK A380 in J from Dubai to Auckland on my way back home. It was a 16 hour flight and I was feeling a bit restless so decided to have a couple of drinks at the onboard bar. After a while there was just the cabin crew guy behind the bar and myself. He kindly let me swap places with him and he took a photo of me behind the bar toasting a drink. I returned to my seat and using wi-fi put a message and the photo straight on to Facebook!

 

[AIRwin]

I returned to my seat and using wi-fi put a message and the photo straight on to Facebook!

I hope the cabin crew didn't get into trouble...

 

[ramboflyer]

I hope the cabin crew didn't get into trouble...

No, in my FB post I said there were no cabin crew around and even so it would be very unlikely that any of my 45 Facebook friends would dob me/them in.

 

[BCons]

First memory was also my first view of an A380 - soon after SQ started flying the A380 into Syd, sitting in Qantas Syd F lounge with a view to the N end of main runway. This enormous machine trundled very slowly past us, up to the end of the runway. As it began its takeoff roll I became aware that everyone around me, sitting in seats with good views out the floor to ceiling windows, had put down their newspapers, laptops etc, and either stood up or leaned forward to watch this aircraft move ever so slowly down the runway.

On it rolled, never seeming to accelerate, because it was just so big and out of proportion to anything around it! Like the ground was moving and the plane was standing still. It disappeared off to our right, past the Intl terminal, and the bloke adjacent said: "its too big, it'll never get off the ground.." I guess it did.

A more recent memory was doing a lap of both decks - escorted of course - after dinner on an overnight Sin/Syd flight. Walking back from our (new type suites) seat at the pointy end, back thru 2 blocks of J and multiple galleys/ sets of loos, to the rear stairs. Noisier, more flex and bumps back there. Step down to the back of economy at row 79, and walk forward a looong way before we get to PE, and eventually to the bottom of the front stairs leading back up to SQ's version of Nirvana ! There was only one thing wrong with that overnight flight - its too damn short. You can eat & drink but not sleep much, or you can squeeze maybe 5 hrs sleep. Could be worse - flight time to Mel is an hour shorter..

 

[henleybeach]

My favourite A380- experience was onboard Etihad airways MEL-AUH in 2017
My favourite cricketer Ricky Ponting was sitting across from us and I got to have a wine with him in the “lobby”. Also Secondly I proposed to my wife whilst on board. Just after take off I spoke to the CSM, who couldn’t help enough and placed the ring on the plate with a napkin Over the top and when the main was served, she brought it out and took the napkin off, much to MrsHB surprise. Lucky she said yes otherwise it was going to be a awkward 13 hours!

 

[HokitikaGold]

My favourite A380- experience was onboard Etihad airways MEL-AUH in 2017
My favourite cricketer Ricky Ponting was sitting across from us and I got to have a wine with him in the “lobby”. Also Secondly I proposed to my wife whilst on board. Just after take off I spoke to the CSM, who couldn’t help enough and placed the ring on the plate with a napkin Over the top and when the main was served, she brought it out and took the napkin off, much to MrsHB surprise. Lucky she said yes otherwise it was going to be a awkward 13 hours!
View attachment 226563

First up, that was a spectacular way to propose. Albeit somewhat pressuring to do so in the glory of such beautiful circumstances (and using jetlag?)

But what concerns me more is that you mention the proposal as a "Secondly" thing after seeing a random cricket guy.....

OMG, surely you see something delicate here?

 

[Kremmen]

One of my favourite A380 experiences was also on Etihad F. I think the number of passengers outnumbered the staff in the F cabin by one. Food and service was excellent, along with lounges and chauffeur drive from AUH to Dubai. Still the best thing of all was being able to wander up and have a shower. (This easily qualifies as my best use of 60k AA miles ever. 2016, just before the devaluation.)

My second most memorable was Air France SFO-CDG. Booked a business award (70k DL miles) which ended up being upgraded to F. Service and comfort in the air was good and while it had a classy feel and plenty of wine, I'd still prefer Etihad. (This was the only time I ever found a worthwhile use for DL skypesos.)

Of my QF A380 flights, none were particularly memorable, except for the horrible churros in F one time.

 

[ajf]

In 2017 I was on an EK A380 in J from Dubai to Auckland on my way back home. It was a 16 hour flight and I was feeling a bit restless so decided to have a couple of drinks at the onboard bar. After a while there was just the cabin crew guy behind the bar and myself. He kindly let me swap places with him and he took a photo of me behind the bar toasting a drink. I returned to my seat and using wi-fi put a message and the photo straight on to Facebook!

Yep - same here on SYD to DUB - only Mrs and myself at the bar so the crew member popped an Emirates hat on Mrs and took our picture behind the bar. Expresso martinis at 9am - bliss!