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BA Airbus A380: Which are the best seats? Master discussion thread

Old Sep 1, 2013, 4:03 am
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Last edit by: Prospero
MMB/Expertflyer Aircraft Code: 388

Upper deck



Main deck



Summarizing based on comments thus far:

First

This post shows the seat map and individual seat ratings for First:

First Cabin A380 Seat Ratings
In order of rating:
  1. 2 A/K
  2. 1 A/K
  3. 3 A/K
  4. 2 E/F
  5. 3 E/F
  6. 4 E/F
  7. 4 A/K

Club World Upper deck
  • 50AB and 50JK: the B and J seats don’t have anyone climbing over them. There’s nothing else ahead of these seats, so this area should be fairly quiet. However, the A and K seats ... would have to lean forward a long way to look out of the single window serving this row. Good if you like having a very private space and don’t mind stepping over someone to get out. Bad if you like looking out of the window.
  • 50J for longest bed is the best. However, you only have a curtain between you and the stairs and right hand side forward loo. Should be okay but might be noisy. Partial barrier around feet.
  • 51D and 51F: no half barrier either so very good for tall people and first row of CW cabin so good for food and ease of access to loo without any galley.
  • 53AB and 53JK: the window seats have direct aisle access, so in theory these would be a lot like 64A and 64K on the 744. Unfortunately, potentially noisy.
  • 56B has a bit of extra length but also a partial barrier.
  • 59AB and 59JK: the window seats here also have direct aisle access. However, as others have mentioned, because the CW and WT+ cabins partly overlap at this point, these seats (and particularly the heads of the 59B and 59J passengers) are directly in line with the WT+ centre bulkhead bassinets, so possible noise concerns if baby behind. You can see the close proximity in the photo above for 60 DEF
  • Middle seats: since there's only a single middle seat, it's rather nice and isolated and private, at least while the dividers are up. When dividers go down it's face to face with your seatmates to the left and right. Couples who are using a middle seat will probably be better off choosing EF rather than DE, because the extra space to the right hand side of the E seat means the E and F seats are closer together.

Club World Main Deck
  • 10J definitely winner for the most length but partial barrier around feet and galley noise may be an issue. However, also first to get food!
  • 10A and 10K for window seats only. The rest have absolutely NO view as the wing is massive and all you see is reflecting Silver and a lot of flex!
  • There is a reported experience from 13AB of in-flight vibration and resonances which were enough to disturb sleep.
  • Avoid 15AB and 15JK due to proximity to the two loos that are right beside and behind this seat. (CW loo behind 15B and 15J, WT loo beside these seats although behind a curtain, near continuous use!)
  • General note: due to the curvature of the fuselage, the window seats on the main deck have a greater gap between the seat and cabin wall than the equivalent upper deck seats, thus providing more wiggle room for your legs and toes.

World Traveller Plus Upper Deck
Photos: courtesy of PETER01
  • Bulkhead seats: The legroom in the bulkhead rows of 60DEF, 61AB and 61JK is fairly good, but I’m not sure that I would take these for a night flight as you can still get closer to horizontal in the rows behind. If that’s your favoured sleeping position, the absence of leg-rests in those rows won’t matter too much.
  • Row 67: The quietness of the aircraft will mean that the toilets at the aft of the WT+ cabin are much more likely to be disturbing in this area (particularly to 67AB, 67DEF, 67JK and 68DEF) than, say, to 15AB on a mid-J 744.

World Traveller Upper Deck
  • Centre block bulkheads 70DEFG and 80DEFG have tables in fixed armrests, as one would expect. This noticeably constricts the width of the seat. The armrest between D and E is a conventional lift-up armrest – so if choosing these rows, D and E are better than F and G. Another thing about these bulkhead rows, which are in line with the exits, and the adjacent exit rows (70AB, 70JK, 80AB and 80JK), is that there is a noticeable hissing noise from the slipstream.
  • 80D and 80E are the same and could be great for space or for couples that want to lift the armrest during the flight to get closer or sleep.
  • Rear cabin: any WT seat in rows 80 to 83 would be very nice indeed as long as: there is not a stag group pissing it up here when you want to sleep! Apparently, they may offer this cabin to groups so need to be a bit careful in selecting this exclusive cabin. Also, there is noticeable galley noise in this rear cabin, and it gets worse the further aft you get.

World Traveller Main Deck
  • 25D is the throne seat on the Main Deck in WT. (no seat in front of them).
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BA Airbus A380: Which are the best seats? Master discussion thread

Old Nov 15, 2022, 4:21 pm
  #2116  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: England
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 266
Thanks for everyone’s input. I’m on BA57/56 LHR-JNB-LHR in Jan. Gone for 53a out and 53k on return. I’m in this cabin on my own so direct aisle access was the clincher and no-one sneaking up from other cabins into the club kitchen all night as that has kept me awake on a 777 before. I’ll let you know what I think.
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Yetak is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2022, 4:24 pm
  #2117  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,083
Originally Posted by Yetak
Thanks for everyone’s input. I’m on BA57/56 LHR-JNB-LHR in Jan. Gone for 53a out and 53k on return. I’m in this cabin on my own so direct aisle access was the clincher and no-one sneaking up from other cabins into the club kitchen all night as that has kept me awake on a 777 before. I’ll let you know what I think.
There can be some noise from the galley nearby but a good set of earlpugs soon sorts that out. A very good seat IMO.
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PETER01 is offline  
Old Nov 18, 2022, 1:41 pm
  #2118  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,336
4 F seats

We’re flying to/from JNB in Jan in F, 4 of us, 2 golds. On the way out we can choose;
1k, 2k, 3k, 4k
1a, 2a, 1k, 2k
2a, 2e, 2f, 2k

What are peoples thoughts?
andymcdonnell is offline  
Old Nov 22, 2022, 6:17 am
  #2119  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Buckinghamshire
Programs: BAEC Gold Guest List, Hilton Honours Diamond, Accor Gold
Posts: 2,303
Flying A380 for first time since 2014 this week in CW. One of us is very tall & have selected 51F for rtn on UD (have flown this before). We thought about trying the main deck for outbound as flight is quiet. Can you see the engines from row 11? (Advice in wiki is no, only row 10). Any thoughts on main deck? Drawback is toilets at rear and v close to WT cabin: Do Y pax pop thru and use them, causing queues?
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Old Nov 23, 2022, 5:02 am
  #2120  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,951
Solo traveller, not much choice left, 10A or 52E, any recommendation for one over the other?
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Old Nov 23, 2022, 8:42 am
  #2121  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,260
Originally Posted by pazza2000
Solo traveller, not much choice left, 10A or 52E, any recommendation for one over the other?
IF you fancy a window, 10A, if you fancy a slightly quieter environment, 52E.
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alex67500 is offline  
Old Nov 23, 2022, 9:38 am
  #2122  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,951
Originally Posted by alex67500
IF you fancy a window, 10A, if you fancy a slightly quieter environment, 52E.
Thanks, wasn’t sure if 10A’s window was obstructed, if 52E is only slightly quieter I’ll go with 10A.
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Old Nov 23, 2022, 10:56 am
  #2123  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,083
Originally Posted by pazza2000
Thanks, wasn’t sure if 10A’s window was obstructed, if 52E is only slightly quieter I’ll go with 10A.
There are no window blanks at 10A. I'd rather by far take that than 52E
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Old Nov 24, 2022, 6:26 am
  #2124  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,951
Originally Posted by PETER01
There are no window blanks at 10A. I'd rather by far take that than 52E
50K on the UD opened up in the end so went for that over 10A.
pazza2000 is offline  
Old Nov 24, 2022, 6:32 am
  #2125  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 793
Originally Posted by pazza2000
50K on the UD opened up in the end so went for that over 10A.
Good seat but be aware that has missing windows and you have to lean a long way to look out. I prefer this seat for night flights but not so much for day flights.
Dselvan is offline  
Old Nov 29, 2022, 8:22 am
  #2126  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 220
Originally Posted by MrMB
You want to be in row 53 or 59 on the upper deck in CW, only window seats with direct aisle access avoiding the need to have to clamber over someone else's legs/feet.
After a quick search for good window seats in Business, I came across your post, and so have just paid for 53A on a LHR-JNB flight (not until May) thanks to recommendations.

For anyone interested, it cost Ł48. I travel alone, and so pay for a seat upfront rather than getting stuck in the middle.
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Old Dec 4, 2022, 7:08 pm
  #2127  
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 56
Can anyone comment if club world on the upper deck has individual vents? Concerned about how warm it may get..last time on LH the upper deck was very warm and humid with no vents. Thanks!
ellipsicon is offline  
Old Dec 5, 2022, 1:48 am
  #2128  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DFW or GOT or...
Programs: BA Gold, Marriott GFL
Posts: 808
Originally Posted by ellipsicon
Can anyone comment if club world on the upper deck has individual vents? Concerned about how warm it may get..last time on LH the upper deck was very warm and humid with no vents. Thanks!
I did not see any vents on the upper deck, but the air was circulating with gusto the whole time. I usually run warm (constantly) and did not have any trouble last week.

LcS
LCSinTexas is offline  
Old Dec 5, 2022, 10:33 am
  #2129  
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 56
Originally Posted by LCSinTexas
I did not see any vents on the upper deck, but the air was circulating with gusto the whole time. I usually run warm (constantly) and did not have any trouble last week.

LcS
Awesome, thank you! Wish it was a better hard product but excited to try the A380!
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Old Dec 9, 2022, 8:50 am
  #2130  
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: BAEC (Gold) , Accor (Gold) , IHG
Posts: 678
Hi
what routes are BA currently flying the A380 on?
is there a link/site that has some insight?
Thanks
Delboy65 is online now  

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