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Browsing Tag: Airbus A380

Hitching a Ride With Lufthansa on Their Frankfurt to Miami Inaugural Airbus A380 Flight

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There were three Lufthansa Airbus A380s waiting at Frankfurt when we left.

There were three Lufthansa Airbus A380s waiting at Frankfurt when we left.

Last Friday marked the first time that an Airbus A380 has landed at Miami International Airport (MIA). This was the first Lufthansa Airlines flight from Frankfurt (FRA) to Miami operated by the double-decker Airbus A380.

Miami becomes the third US destination that Lufthansa flies the A380 and the sixth destination internationally. Although the airline has gained experience flying the seven Airbus A380s in their fleet, this was the first time any A380 has landed at Miami.

“We are extremely excited to introduce our new, flagship A380 aircraft as the very first in the Miami market,” said Jens Bischof, Member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, Sales and Revenue Management. “I applaud Miami International Airport’s management team for their determination to become A380-ready. We share in their excitement and are both committed to Miami’s community of global travelers in both the business and leisure markets.”

I had the opportunity to fly on the upper-deck of the large aircraft, which houses eight first class and 98 business class (where I was sitting) seats. The lower deck contains only economy seats — 420 to be exact. When arriving at the airport I already had my boarding pass and no baggage to check and having a business class ticket allowed me to take the VIP line at security — which did not matter too much since traffic was a bit slow.

Passengers are able to board directly from the Business Class lounge located in Frankfurt, Germany.

Passengers are able to board directly from the Business Class lounge located in Frankfurt, Germany.

When stepping up to security I realized I didn’t know Germany’s rules. Did I have to take out my laptop? Toothpaste? How about body scanners? Things were much different than here in the US –talk about service.

There was a security agent where you unload your stuff and they didn’t assume I knew what to do. They smiled as they let me know I needed to take out my laptop and all metal from my body. I didn’t have to take off my shoes or remove my toothpaste. After going through the metal detector, there was another friendly agent to help me get my stuff and I actually had room and time to gather my things. A far cry from going through security in Seattle.

At the gate, there is a business class lounge located upstairs where one can relax, get a drink and a bite to eat. Before boarding there were folks from the airline that gave a speech with the three pilots and head flight attendant looking on. We were able to board from the lounge and take an upper jetway directly onto the top deck.

Having the entire upper-deck as business class has its pluses and minuses. Even though there are quite a few actual and “fake” bulk-heads (fabric giving the feeling to sections) in the aircraft, there are still 98 of the same seats up top. This does take away a bit of the exclusive feel that flying in a premium seat normally has. However, if you are able to swing a first class ticket, there are only eight of those seats and definitely feels exclusive.

You will find 98 of these business class seats on the upper deck of Lufthansa's Airbus A380.

You will find 98 of these business class seats on the upper deck of Lufthansa's Airbus A380.

The business class product on the A380 is very similar to the product found on other aircraft with a few changes. There is a new universal outlet and an updated entertainment system with more content, which is good since I watched a good number of movies flying over on my Seattle to Frankfurt flight just 24 hours prior. Even with the updates, I was kind of hoping for a few more movie choices.

The best change is the ability to view one of three cameras located on the A380: on the tail, on the nose looking down and another looking straight. Of course, nothing beats seeing what is in front of the aircraft directly from the cockpit.

A few of us were invited to take a tour of the flight deck while we were over the Atlantic Ocean. I have been in cockpits during flights before, but never allowed to take photos — bonus. The five of us were easily able to fit in the flight deck and what an amazing view — inside and out. For some reason, seeing the vast blue sky and clouds looked so much better from the cockpit windscreen versus a side window.

The process of getting to the flight deck was a bit of an eye opener. I was sitting near the front of the upper deck, but we had to go to the back of the plane to use the rear stairs and then walk the length of the aircraft on the bottom deck. I have been on an empty A380 and it just doesn’t feel the same when every economy seat is taken. It felt like we had to walk a mile and through hundreds of people (420 to be exact) before getting to the cockpit. That was a heck of a lot of people and I was happy to return to the upper deck when the tour was complete.

Visiting the flight deck while in flight was amazing. I am being shown where we currently are with an old-school map.

Visiting the flight deck while in flight was amazing. I am being shown where we currently are with an old-school map.

I have been hearing how quiet the plane is during take off, but I kind of brushed it off as PR-talk. Since this was my first time taking a flight in one, I paid extra attention when we took off. I was genuinely shocked at how quiet the plane was at full throttle taking off from Frankfurt with a full load. It took us a good chunk of the runway to finally rotate, but it didn’t even sound like the engines were at full throttle — impressive.

The trip to Germany and the flight back were great experiences, but the landing easily trumped them of  both. We touched down in Miami to hundreds of people lined up along the airport and freeway to greet the plane. I had never seen so many people line up to greet a plane like that before. This wasn’t just one group of people, but hundreds lining the length of the runway to catch a glimpse of our Airbus A380 landing — it was surreal.

I feel that Miami has a unique love affair with aviation. Eastern Air Lines used to be based in Miami and so many people are still very proud of the airline and the influence it had on aviation. Miami International Airport is proud to be one of very few airports to host the Airbus A380.

There were four fire trucks at Miami to greet the Airbus A380.

There were four fire trucks at Miami to greet the Airbus A380.

’œToday is one of the proudest days in the history of MIA and Miami-Dade County,’ said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Jose Abreu. ’œLufthansa’s A380 service elevates MIA into an elite class of airports worldwide that are capable of receiving this groundbreaking aircraft. We congratulate Lufthansa and deeply appreciate them for helping us reach another historic milestone.’

The A380 is one large plane that is able to carry one heck of a lot of people. It provides better economics per passenger compared to other aircraft (when nearly full) and is amazing to see in person with its double decks. I still do not think the A380 is as majestic as the Boeing 747, but it does its job and does it well. It has a beauty all of its own that truly is hard to compare to other aircraft. This might have been my first A380 flight, but I doubt my last.

More Good Airbus A380 Stuff:
* All 42 photos from the first MIA-FRA A380 flight
* Local Miami channel 10 was on the flight and did a great piece

Korean Air Takes Delivery of First Airbus A380

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Click either photo for larger. Both photos from Airbus.

Today, Korean Air becomes the sixth operator of the Airbus A380. The airline has 9 additional on order. The airline plans to operate the A380 from its Seoul hub to select destinations in Asia. Future aircraft will be used to offer non-stop services to North America and Europe.

Korean Air’s Airbus A380 is configured to hold 407 passengers in a three class layout. That is not many seats considering most airlines configure the A380 with over 500 and with an all-economy layout almost 800 could fit.

The aircraft offers a duty free showcase and an on-board lounge and bar for premium passengers.

“Korean Air was the first airline to purchase an Airbus aircraft outside Europe and they have now become an essential part of our fleet,’ said Yang Ho Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air. ’œThe exceptional, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly A380 that is being delivered today is perfect to assist Korean Air in advancing our goal of becoming a respected leading global carrier.’

 

 

Photo Blog: An Inside Look at Lufthansa’s Airbus A380

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Lufthansa's Airbus A380 waits at SFO

Lufthansa's Airbus A380 waits at SFO

Yesterday, San Francisco International Airport saw their first passenger carrying Airbus A380 arrive, operated by Lufthansa. Once all the passengers were able to de-plane and the aircraft was cleaned up (this was the first time that the SFO based cleaning crew cleaned up an A380), media and guests were able to take an inside look at one of Lufthansa’s seven Airbus A380’s.

I was excited, since this was my first time actually inside an A380. I had only seen one previously from the tarmac and of course I have viewed lots of photos, but there is nothing like getting inside the world’s largest commercial airliner.

The economy class seats on Lufthansa's A380 look slick and are pretty comfy to boot.

The economy class seats on Lufthansa's A380 look slick and are pretty comfy to boot.

Due to the A380’s size, there are three jetways options that passengers can board. Two are located on the bottom deck and one goes to the top. The tour started on the bottom where all 420 economy seats are located. Even though the bottom deck is long, but it doesn’t feel it, since it is broken up into individual sections. Every seat has their own in-flight entertainment system, adjustable headrest and ample legroom. Sitting in the seat, I was plenty comfortable for the three minutes I was there. Not too sure how my 6’1″, 250lbs frame would handle 11 hours if I had someone sitting next to me.

All the Business Class seats can be found on the upper deck of the A380.

All the Business Class seats can be found on the upper deck of the A380.

On a longer flight, I would prefer to head up top where you can find 98 Business Class and eight First Class seats. One of the first things I noticed were all the seats on the aircraft were cloth. In most Business and First Class areas, one is more likely to find leather. This didn’t make the seats any less comfortable and most likely would reduce sliding when converted into a bed.

While on the upper deck, I took a look at the Airbus A380's massive wing.

While on the upper deck, I took a look at the Airbus A380's massive wing.

While up on the second deck, I had a chance to sit down and take a look out the window. The Airbus A380 has one frek’n big wing. These large wings have 54% more surface area over a Boeing 747-400 and you can tell.

The new Lufthansa First Class has ample room and a large screen. I could easily burn 11 hours happily in this section.

The new Lufthansa First Class has ample room and a large screen. I could easily burn 11 hours happily in this section.

The new Lufthansa First Class on the A380 was quite impressive. Each person has their own area, with large screen and fold down bed. The walls were covered in suede (or fake suede) and extra sound deadening is used to keep the sound to a minimum. The First Class cabin also has access to two very large lavatories. We are talking full sitting couch and vanity. If you ever wanted to join the mile-high club, this would be the place to do it — even all that extra sound deadening might help. From forks to roses, Lufthansa’s catering crew loads on 40,000 items for just the First Class passengers alone (yes, 40,000). That just goes to show the level of service that flying First Class provides.

This is one of the lavatories in the First Class section. Can anyone say Mile High Club?

This is one of the lavatories in the First Class section. Can anyone say Mile High Club?

One thing you will find missing in the first class section are overhead bins — they are missing. Instead each seat has a storage area where passengers can store their belongings. This really adds a sense of upward space and makes the First Class cabin that much more comfortable. Even though the Business and First Class areas are what you might expect, it just doesn’t feel as exclusive on the top deck of the A380 versus the smaller top deck of the Boeing 747-400.

This is the first time I have seen three jet ways be used to de-plane an aircraft.

This is the first time I have seen three jet ways be used to de-plane an aircraft.

Although the A380 looks impressive pulling up to the gate, it is missing some of the grace that the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has in my opinion. The Airbus A380’s job is not to win any beauty contests, but to provide airlines with an economical way to move a lot of people in style and it does just that. After my tour of an A380 I am super pumped to get a ride in one and hope to write up a trip report soon.

For those of you who have flown in an Airbus A380 what have been your impressions?

CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY PHOTOS ON FLICKR

San Francisco Welcomes First West Coast Lufthansa Airbus A380 Flight

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Lufthansa's Airbus A380 (D-AIMD) gets a water salute when arriving to San Francisco on May 10th.

Lufthansa's Airbus A380 (D-AIMD) gets a water salute when arriving to San Francisco on May 10th.

Today was a beautiful day to fly down to San Francisco (SFO) to greet the Lufthansa’s first Airbus A380 passenger flight from Frankfurt, Germany to SFO.

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airliner made and it’s closest competitor will be the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, when it makes it to the market. I have been able to catch a glimpse of a Qantas Airbus A380 while in LAX, but this was my first time to get up close and personal. I do not think the A380 is as majestic as the Boeing 747, but she is very impressive for sure.

The event is a big deal for the airline and the city. San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee has officially declared May 10, 2011, as  “Lufthansa German Airlines Day.” Pretty cool when an airline gets an official city day. I am not sure it really means anything, but still neat.

The airport had to make very little updates to prepare for the A380, since the International Terminal was designed with the A380 in mind and it fit with no problems.

Lufthansa already has taken delivery of seven A380’s with an additional 15 on order.

As part of the event, we got a tour of the interior of the A380 and I will be posting that story tomorrow.