San Francisco - First 380 just landed at SFO

Happened to be in the SQ lounge when the first landing of 380 happened just before noon (Lufthansa). There was a small "celebration" of some firetrucks making a water arch for the plane to go through just before the gate.
Somehow it doesn't look as big here as it did in Singapore;)

Awesome! I'm flying F on this flight in August :)

This service ends in winter of 2011. It is only used for summer and some of fall. If you look to book LH SFO-FRA or vice versa in the winter, you will see they switched it back to a B747.

This service ends in winter of 2011. It is only used for summer and some of fall. If you look to book LH SFO-FRA or vice versa in the winter, you will see they switched it back to a B747.

Looks like LH put in the old incline C seats on the A380, so not much lost if you end up on the 747 in C. Too bad they didn't go with a 180 degree recline bed seat in C on the big whales.

I believe this was the first A380 in commercial service to land at SFO.

An Emirates A380 came by on August 5, 2008 (includes photos!):

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2008/08/05/wow-emirates-airlines-new-superjumbo-airbus-a380-arrives-at-sfo/

There may have been an earlier A380 flight to SFO by EADS/Airbus--not sure...

Qantas flew in their A380, a commercial flight, on their SYD-SFO a couple of years back.

The first A380 operation in and out of SFO was a corporate plane in house livery on 10/4/2007. The plane was in for facilities certification tests and and little PR press tour. It departed the next day.

I was lucky to be able to see its arrival only because I went early. I also saw the Emirates A380 come and go the next summer. It was nice having an office right on San Francisco bay.


http://web.maceys.net/DSC01781_sm.jpg 800x600 pixel version
I believe this was the first A380 in commercial service to land at SFO.

An Emirates A380 came by on August 5, 2008 (includes photos!):

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2008/08/05/wow-emirates-airlines-new-superjumbo-airbus-a380-arrives-at-sfo/

There may have been an earlier A380 flight to SFO by EADS/Airbus--not sure...

Do you have a smaller photo? This one extends way past the right side of my screen.

Do you have a smaller photo? This one extends way past the right side of my screen.

Added a smaller version. I have several more in the series that I can post to a gallery if you would like.

Anybody know if the Air France A380 is at SFO yet?

I saw commercials for the AF 380 at SFO last friday airport saying it comes soon.

I saw a AF380 parked at int'l terminal A as I drove by at least a week ago.

Anybody know if the Air France A380 is at SFO yet?

It's been flying since late may/early June. IIRC the AF A380 on the A side of the Int'l terminal and the LH A380 on the G side of the terminal don't mix as they arrive/depart at different times.

Both AF and LH stopped the A380 service this winter. Maybe it's just tooo much plane and they dont' have the capacity to fill it.

I still see AF & LH A380's at SFO.

LH daily schedule Frankfurt > SFO:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DLH454/history/20110822/0745Z/EDDF/KSFO

AF daily schedule Paris > SFO:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFR84/history/20110822/0830Z/LFPG/KSFO

I still see AF & LH A380's at SFO.

LH daily schedule Frankfurt > SFO:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DLH454/history/20110822/0745Z/EDDF/KSFO

AF daily schedule Paris > SFO:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFR84/history/20110822/0830Z/LFPG/KSFO

Thanks for these links, but these are for current time. If you read my post, it says that there are no a380's in the winter, starting in December 2011.

Thanks for these links, but these are for current time. If you read my post, it says that there are no a380's in the winter, starting in December 2011.

Wow, I did not know this, that's a shame. I thought you were saying it already happened because your post referred to a past tense occurrence and not a future one with the use of 'stopped' instead of 'stopping'.

Both AF and LH stopped the A380 service this winter. Maybe it's just tooo much plane and they dont' have the capacity to fill it.

I don't know about AF, but LH never had the A380 on the winter schedule. The big bird was added only for summer 2011, and the schedule always had the 747 for winter. Perhaps many folks expected the winter flights to be upgauged in time, but that has not yet happened. (Not too late, though.)

I don't know about AF, but LH never had the A380 on the winter schedule. The big bird was added only for summer 2011, and the schedule always had the 747 for winter. Perhaps many folks expected the winter flights to be upgauged in time, but that has not yet happened. (Not too late, though.)

Thanks for the response. Two questions as follow up:

1) Why don't they keep the a380 during the winter? Is it too much capacity for this route?

2) What do they do with the A380 during the winter then? Does it sit dormant or do they use it for other routes?

Thanks for the response. Two questions as follow up:

1) Why don't they keep the a380 during the winter? Is it too much capacity for this route?

2) What do they do with the A380 during the winter then? Does it sit dormant or do they use it for other routes?

1) Presumably, it goes to cities where LH thinks it is most needed.

2) See http://airlineroute.net/2011/08/18/lh-w11lh-update2/ (also discussed here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles-more-lufthansa-austrian-swiss-other-partners/1249358-lh-winter-schedule-changes.html))

Thanks for the response. Two questions as follow up:

1) Why don't they keep the a380 during the winter? Is it too much capacity for this route?

2) What do they do with the A380 during the winter then? Does it sit dormant or do they use it for other routes?

It must be how tourism from Europe to SF is way down in the winter months. My guess is that LH diverts the A380 to warmer destinations then -- maybe more capacity to Florida/Caribbean.