ANA is finally releasing some saver award space to Star Alliance partners for its new A380 service between Honolulu and Tokyo Narita. It was always only a matter for time. From the start, the airline said that it would,...
Qatar Airways Accelerates A380 Retirement
Qatar Airways plans to retire its A380 fleet earlier than planned, joining a number of other airlines which do not see a long-term place for the Airbus superjumbo jet. Never one to beat around the bush, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar...
Air France May Retire A380 Even Earlier
Air France may not bother to upgrade its outdated premium cabins seats on the A380. The exorbitant price tag is difficult to justify. But that creates a serious problem for the carrier’s five-year plan and may lead to an...
The World’s Longest And Shortest A380 Flights
What are the world’s longest and shortest Airbus A380 flights? Emirates can lay claim to both of them. World’s Shortest A380 Flight Earlier today, Emirates announced it would be using an A380 for regularly-scheduled service between Dubai and Muscat,...
Why British Airways Turned Down More A380s
Rumors of a British Airways A380 acquisition never materialized. But it was not for lack of effort. Now we know why. In February, I wrote about British Airways’ willingness to purchase more A380s to save the program. At the...
Lufthansa Snubs The A380
Lufthansa’s latest aircraft order comes at the expense of its majestic superjumbo Airbus A380-800. Earlier this week, Lufthansa ordered 20 Boeing 787-9s and 20 additional Airbus A350-900s. But its deal with Airbus came with a caveat. In exchange, Airbus...
The Wall Street Journal Battles The Airbus A380
In a hit-piece entitled Airbus’s Lesson for Young Socialists, a Wall Street Journal column heaps scorn on the Airbus A380 program. The column is by Holman W. Jenkins Jr, a long-time columnist and editorial writer for the Journal. He starts by...
The A380 Is Dead, Long Live The A380
Airbus announced today that it would be shutting the A380 production line in 2021. The move is sadly not a surprise. 17 A380s will still be built, including 14 to Emirates and 3 to ANA. In a written statement,...
British Airways’ Plan To Save The A380 Program
British Airways is willing to buy more Airbus A380s…if the price is right. Last week, we learned that Emirates is exploring switching some of its A380 orders to smaller A350 or A330neo aircraft. The move would likely sound the...
Air France A380 Decision Is Sad, But Smart
Air France will gradually retire half of its A380 fleet, starting in 2019. The move is sad, but smart. Air France currently operates 10 A380s. Five are owned, five are leased. All are tragically uncompetitive. By that, I mean...
New A380 Order? Lufthansa Teases Us On Twitter…
Lufthansa, you’re such a tease. The German carrier left us with this on Twitter yesterday: While the most likely answer is that the first A380 will soon be repainted in Lufthansa’s latest livery, the tweet has fueled speculation about...
A Golden Shower at 40,000 Feet
No, not that golden shower. Please… Instead, we’re talking about glitzy and gaudy Emirates, where golden shower takes on a whole new meaning. Emirates (and Etihad) offer first class passengers the chance for a five minute shower aboard the A380....
Next Up: Los Angeles to Frankfurt via Dubai in Emirates First Class
My next trip report will be a short one, covering my journey from Los Angeles to Frankfurt via Dubai in Emirates First Class onboard the A380 for both sectors. Whenever I post a review that is more than a...
Home Sweet Home On The Lufthansa A380 In First Class
I recently had to take a last-minute trip to Italy and award space just wasn’t opening. Absolutely nothing from Los Angeles in economy, business, or first class unless I wanted to pay ridiculous rates on Air France, Delta, or...
Malaysia Airlines First Class: A350 vs. A380
I’ve recently reviewed both the A350 and A380 in first class on Malaysia Airlines. Which product is better? My answer: it depends upon what you are looking for in first class. I’ll compare and contrast both aircraft in six...
Vortex Sends Qantas A380 Into Terrifying Nosedive
You’re sitting in your seat, two hours into a 15-hour flight. All of a sudden, without any warning, the plane nosedives toward the ocean…for 10 seconds. That’s what happened to passengers aboard Qantas 94 from Los Angeles to Melbourne on...
Official: Emirates Will Add Premium Economy in 2020
Emirates’ Chairman Sir Tim Clark has confirmed the 36 A380s the airline ordered earlier this year will be delivered with premium economy seating onboard. This marks a departure from Emirates’ strategy of resisting premium economy class over the last several...
Lufthansa First Class Never Disappoints
Lufthansa First Class never disappoints. Never. Yesterday I flew from Los Angeles to Munich, a route now served by the A380. There wasn’t really anything new and different (though Wi-Fi is now free). And that’s the point. I’ve never...
The Lufthansa A380 Shuffle at LAX
While you’ll still be able to catch a Lufthansa A380 at LAX, you’ll now need to travel to a different city. Effective yesterday, Lufthansa shifted its A380 from Frankfurt to Munich for its Los Angels routes. An A380 now...
Lufthansa Boards A380 in 20 Minutes with Biometric Boarding
The future of travel: approach the gate, scan your face, board the aircraft. This is not some dystopian world or sci-fi movie. This is how Lufthansa is now boarding flights at Los Angeles International Airport. Lufthansa has rolled out...
