Sep 1, 2013, 4:03 am
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:
Club World Upper deck
Club World Main Deck
World Traveller Plus Upper Deck
Photos: courtesy of PETER01
World Traveller Upper Deck
World Traveller Main Deck
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:
- 2 A/K
- 1 A/K
- 3 A/K
- 2 E/F
- 3 E/F
- 4 E/F
- 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).
BA Airbus A380: Which are the best seats? Master discussion thread
^
Aug 8, 2013, 9:28 am
#33
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I've added the seat map to the first post and attempted to summarise the seating comments from the inaugural flight TR thread:
World Traveller (Y)
World Traveller Plus (W)
Club World (J)
First (F)
I haven't parsed the linked videos for seat tips, or attempted to make judgement calls on the photos, though there may be clues there. I've also limited it to comments that help distinguish between specific seats within a given class. Of course I am open to corrections / additions, especially from those who have flown it and would like to flesh out the specifics. Thanks to those who shared their experiences.
World Traveller (Y)
- eejp1007: the mini-cabins in Y upstairs are deffo the ones to go for as you have less people and the bins at the side but if you are downstairs then 20 has loads of leg room at the exits at the sides but not that much at the bassinet positions in the middle.
- marbe166 (seated in 37K): legroom will be a problem when there is someone in the middle seat because the IFE box takes up more than half of the underseat space for the window seat...
- nh1980: WT at the back of the UD was also very pleasant and I am sure people (non status) would willingly pay the premium to sit here.
- NTA: a very small quiet [cabin] upstairs at the back, and seats with extra seat storage available
World Traveller Plus (W)
- BotB: WT+ bulkhead row UD can just touch bulkhead with 183 cm length
Club World (J)
- BotB: 10J is the winner [on the] main deck for footspace
- NTA: the upstairs cabin is nicer, and has extra storage bins by the window seats ... The seat in the middle of the upper deck is quite strange and claustrophobic - it is a single bed, with dividers and walls on all sides of you. It is a bit of a "bodge" of a design - rather than making the seat wider, they have put a spacer down one side only so you have more shoulder space on your right hand side - but no extra space on your left hand side. The seat also suffers badly from the changes to usage of the privacy screen.
First (F)
- NTA: Dividers between the middle seats have been improved, and are similar to those in BA's old first class cabin. No longer will you have to talk to your seat mate through what feels like a serving hatch!
I haven't parsed the linked videos for seat tips, or attempted to make judgement calls on the photos, though there may be clues there. I've also limited it to comments that help distinguish between specific seats within a given class. Of course I am open to corrections / additions, especially from those who have flown it and would like to flesh out the specifics. Thanks to those who shared their experiences.
Aug 8, 2013, 12:04 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: UK North
Posts: 314
Does anyone know if there is a sequence for the air bridges for the A380 at LHR?
On the A380 flight back from FRA-LHR I was told by one of the crew that the upstairs air bridge has to be put in position before the downstairs one, if this is true then the upper deck would have an advantage over the lower deck when disembarking.
On the A380 flight back from FRA-LHR I was told by one of the crew that the upstairs air bridge has to be put in position before the downstairs one, if this is true then the upper deck would have an advantage over the lower deck when disembarking.
Aug 8, 2013, 1:28 pm
#37
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Club World (J)
- BotB: 10J is the winner [on the] main deck for footspace
- NTA: the upstairs cabin is nicer, and has extra storage bins by the window seats ... The seat in the middle of the upper deck is quite strange and claustrophobic - it is a single bed, with dividers and walls on all sides of you. It is a bit of a "bodge" of a design - rather than making the seat wider, they have put a spacer down one side only so you have more shoulder space on your right hand side - but no extra space on your left hand side. The seat also suffers badly from the changes to usage of the privacy screen.
Single travellers: I'd definitely be heading for 53A and 53K, with perhaps a case for 59A and 59K if WTP isn't too noisy. 15A and 15K are not so good due to the double set of toilets right in the line of sight. A single passenger determined to sleep would actually find 53E very private, though I can see some may find it claustophobic.
Couples, family groups with a young child: maybe a case for 15E+F - very private, and clear exits.
Couples wanting upper deck: a case for 51E plus either D or F, since 51E will have a choice of exits and D/F have extra leg room and no crossing traffic. Altneratively 50A+B or 50J+K
Aug 8, 2013, 1:36 pm
#38
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First class seating
dubbin, thank you for the great job you are doing of keeping this information organized.
For all who have been in the F cabin, is there any reason to choose a particular pair of seats? For example, on the 747, row 5 is undesirable because of light from the galley. Is it the same for the last pair of seats on the A380?
For all who have been in the F cabin, is there any reason to choose a particular pair of seats? For example, on the 747, row 5 is undesirable because of light from the galley. Is it the same for the last pair of seats on the A380?
Aug 8, 2013, 2:32 pm
#39
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BA Airbus A380, which are the best seats ? Master Discussion Thread
Last edited by dubbin; Aug 11, 2013 at 7:03 am
Aug 8, 2013, 3:07 pm
#41
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Not in CW though - so any advice on WTP?
Aug 8, 2013, 3:33 pm
#42
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I wouldn't have thought so. The stairs rise from front to back, so the entrance is quite far away. What you'll see is a normal bulkhead in front of you, i think. The front stairs wont be used much anyway, I suspect, since there is no need for traffic between F and CW.
Aug 8, 2013, 4:00 pm
#43
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So after actually travelling on the A380, my take is as follows:
F: row 2 any seat, window if you are so inclined. No galley noise and middle of cabin so best for space IMO.
(No seats in F are bothered by the stairs, they are well forward of the seating area). I am normally a fan of row 1 for privacy in F but would now take row 2 instead as the space in row 1 seems a bit smaller than in row 2.
I don't think I would take row 4 though just as it is closest to the galley and noise.
CW: UD: All window seats have a view and side bins so that is definite plus, in addition to being quite private. 50 A and K have only 1 window each but otherwise okay seats.
For length of bed: 50J 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.
Next on UD for length: 51 D and F (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.
56B has a bit of extra length but also a partial barrier.
Most definitely would AVOID: 59 B and J WHY? because they are physically located in the WT+ cabin with only a curtain to separate them from the WT+ bassinet bulkhead seats. Could be very noisy and people bumping into back when they stand up to stretch at the front of the WT+ cabin.
Rest of UD is much of a muchness IMO.
Main Deck CW: 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!
Row 10 A and K 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!
Rest of the cabin is pretty much all the same so no differentiators.
WT+ UD: middle bulkhead has massive amounts of space for you feet to stretch out, even at 185cm height, when seated, I could just touch the front if I tried ^
WT UD: 70 D and E are great if you like bulkhead and are lucky enough not to have a person in the seat next to you...the armrest is moveable ^^, a rarity for a bulkhead seat.
Not sure if 80 D and E are the same but could be. Great for space or for couples that want to lift the armrest during the flight to get closer or sleep.
25D is the throne seat on the Main Deck in WT. (no seat in front of them).
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.
Hope that helps. You can see the above points from the trip report thread on the first A380 flights in the various pictures people have posted.
F: row 2 any seat, window if you are so inclined. No galley noise and middle of cabin so best for space IMO.
(No seats in F are bothered by the stairs, they are well forward of the seating area). I am normally a fan of row 1 for privacy in F but would now take row 2 instead as the space in row 1 seems a bit smaller than in row 2.
I don't think I would take row 4 though just as it is closest to the galley and noise.
CW: UD: All window seats have a view and side bins so that is definite plus, in addition to being quite private. 50 A and K have only 1 window each but otherwise okay seats.
For length of bed: 50J 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.
Next on UD for length: 51 D and F (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.
56B has a bit of extra length but also a partial barrier.
Most definitely would AVOID: 59 B and J WHY? because they are physically located in the WT+ cabin with only a curtain to separate them from the WT+ bassinet bulkhead seats. Could be very noisy and people bumping into back when they stand up to stretch at the front of the WT+ cabin.
Rest of UD is much of a muchness IMO.
Main Deck CW: 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!
Row 10 A and K 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!
Rest of the cabin is pretty much all the same so no differentiators.
WT+ UD: middle bulkhead has massive amounts of space for you feet to stretch out, even at 185cm height, when seated, I could just touch the front if I tried ^
WT UD: 70 D and E are great if you like bulkhead and are lucky enough not to have a person in the seat next to you...the armrest is moveable ^^, a rarity for a bulkhead seat.
Not sure if 80 D and E are the same but could be. Great for space or for couples that want to lift the armrest during the flight to get closer or sleep.
25D is the throne seat on the Main Deck in WT. (no seat in front of them).
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.
Hope that helps. You can see the above points from the trip report thread on the first A380 flights in the various pictures people have posted.
Aug 8, 2013, 8:41 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
From pictures 1A/K look slightly claustrophobic to me. I've chosen row 2 for my HKG flights.
I'll be with my other half so potentially going to try one middle and one aisle/window combination. I usually hate being in the middle of the plane but the new divider looks much better than the old one.
I'll be with my other half so potentially going to try one middle and one aisle/window combination. I usually hate being in the middle of the plane but the new divider looks much better than the old one.
Aug 12, 2013, 5:13 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 224
@BotB: Thank you for your recommendations - I have not travelled on a BA A380 and see your point with recommending 51D and 51F.
BUT there is still center seat 51E and its unknown occupant could cause trouble to the travellers who both had chosen 51D and 51F together and wish to chat...
BTW, what is your opinion regarding aisles (forward facing) 51J and 52J as well as window (backwards) 51K, which I had pre-assigned for our party of three adults ?
On this particular flight, all four seats in row 50 are gone since months...
On the return flight I got 50B, 50J and 51 J (all aisles forward facing) - any better ?
Cheers,
juan516.
BUT there is still center seat 51E and its unknown occupant could cause trouble to the travellers who both had chosen 51D and 51F together and wish to chat...
BTW, what is your opinion regarding aisles (forward facing) 51J and 52J as well as window (backwards) 51K, which I had pre-assigned for our party of three adults ?
On this particular flight, all four seats in row 50 are gone since months...
On the return flight I got 50B, 50J and 51 J (all aisles forward facing) - any better ?
Cheers,
juan516.