G-XLEK British Airways Airbus A380-800 (2024)

FAQs

What are the best economy seats on the British Airways A380-800? ›

Going with the same logic of the upper deck providing the best views with a less dense cabin layout, the best seats are certainly upstairs. As you may have guessed, sitting in the front row would provide slightly more legroom for passengers, so seats 70A, 70K, 80A, and 80K are ideal.

If you're travelling on the A380 superjumbo you have two decks to choose from – upper or lower deck. Generally, sitting on the upper deck is preferable because of the usually smaller cabin and lower density configuration (2-4-2 vs. 3-4-3). It's also quieter sitting upstairs.

Airbus says it expects the A380 to be flying for the next two decades, and it is still being operated by 10 airlines, including Emirates, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways and British Airways. CNBC explores how the A380 became the biggest passenger plane in the world and what the future looks like for the massive jet.

The list price for a new Airbus A380 is $445.6 million. This is the base price and does not include additional items such as engines, avionics, and interior fittings. Depending on the exact configuration, the total price can go up to $500 million or more.

If you've previously flown Economy on an Emirates Boeing 777, you'll immediately notice the difference. Compared to those jets, every Economy seat on the A380 is an extra inch wider.

Slim, ergonomic seat design

Enjoy a more comfortable trip on the 46-cm wide seat with an 86-cm space between rows and a backrest that reclines to 118 degrees.

Another vote for reopen: In my experience the upper deck is objectively better. A much smaller cabin makes for better service and less disruption. Due to fuselage curvature there is often one less column of seats and the window seats do have an extra storage bin at the wall which is super handy.

Duo Seats are 2-person seats on the 2nd floor of the A380 aircraft and allow a more pleasant flight than the 3 to 4 person seats. Duo Seats can be booked separately. The seats may be allocated free of charge upon check-in (48 hours before departure) depending on availability.

Since its introduction, the A380 has established a strong safety record and is regarded as one of the safest aircraft in the world. The aircraft has been involved in only one significant incidents since its introduction - 2016 tyre burst incident in Australia.

However, the $445 million price tag of each aircraft was not sufficient to even cover the production cost, so with Airbus losing money on each A380, and with orders evaporating, it made economic sense to cease production.

Is Airbus A380-800 bigger than Boeing 777? ›

For one, the Airbus A380 has almost double the space onboard compared to the Boeing 777, thanks, of course, to its second level. This means the airline can afford to be a little more abundant with its first and business class offerings onboard the A380 compared to the Triple Seven.

First Class (F) seats in rows 1 to 3 have a seat pitch of 83 inches (211cm) and seat width of 26.5 inches (67cm). Economy Class (Y) seats in rows 28 to 41, rows 42 to 51, and rows 52 to 59 have a seat pitch of 33 to 34 inches (84 to 86cm) and seat width of 18.1 inches (46cm).

Steering a giant like the A380 or 747 from day one lands them an hourly wage of $402.28. For senior captains, it climbs to $431.84 by year 10. Compare that to the captains of the smaller CRJ-1000, who start at $197.76 and advance to $212.19 in the same timeframe.

The front row of the front cabin is the best, and the seats to choose are obvious from the video – 30A, 30B, 30J and 30K, although 30DEF are pretty good too. In the row behind this there are two seats, 31C and 31H, that have no seat in front of them and so have lots of leg room.

Preferred seat:Preferred seats are located towards the front of the Economy class cabin or on the upper deck of some of our A380 flights, so you'll be one of the first passengers to disembark. Twin seat: Sit in a row of two with just a window and an aisle seat.

Aim for the center aisle seats on long-haul wide-body flights: if you love an aisle, it's almost always better to pick one in the middle section, because those middle seats next to you will be the last to fill up — and there'll be fewer passengers climbing over you than if you were sitting on the side by a window.

First Class (F) seats in rows 1 to 3 have a seat pitch of 83 inches (211cm) and seat width of 26.5 inches (67cm). Economy Class (Y) seats in rows 28 to 41, rows 42 to 51, and rows 52 to 59 have a seat pitch of 33 to 34 inches (84 to 86cm) and seat width of 18.1 inches (46cm).