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
Jul 3, 2015, 8:54 am
#811
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 932
I've done 80K on SFO-LHR. There's plenty of space around the seat and room to put a bag in front, and not too many people seem to stand around. Pretty good for an economy seat. I would choose it again.
You don't get a side bin or an overhead bin, you'll have to put your stuff (all up for takeoff/landing) in a bin over the seats behind you and some of the bins are small, you can't get a large rollaboard in them all. Board early if you're the sort who brings the kitchen sink onboard instead of checking it in. Inflight you can easily put a bag next to you by the door. You will also be almost the last off the aircraft.
You don't get a side bin or an overhead bin, you'll have to put your stuff (all up for takeoff/landing) in a bin over the seats behind you and some of the bins are small, you can't get a large rollaboard in them all. Board early if you're the sort who brings the kitchen sink onboard instead of checking it in. Inflight you can easily put a bag next to you by the door. You will also be almost the last off the aircraft.
Jul 7, 2015, 5:23 pm
#812
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: AA PLT, Marriott Gold
Posts: 81
Flying LHR-SFO with the wife in Economy.
As I have status on AA, have booked 35HJ, as rows 70,80 and 20 are gone, as is 25D.
I am 6'4, so legroom is obviously my main concern - 35 is not listed as an exit row, but is there any extra legroom here? Or would there be any other seats recommended before 35HJ?
I will obviously keep my eyes peeled for any of the aforementioned seats to open up, but any input is appreciated. (I tried clicking through the thread but didnt see much re: row 35 - however, at 55 pages and counting, I may have missed it).
As I have status on AA, have booked 35HJ, as rows 70,80 and 20 are gone, as is 25D.
I am 6'4, so legroom is obviously my main concern - 35 is not listed as an exit row, but is there any extra legroom here? Or would there be any other seats recommended before 35HJ?
I will obviously keep my eyes peeled for any of the aforementioned seats to open up, but any input is appreciated. (I tried clicking through the thread but didnt see much re: row 35 - however, at 55 pages and counting, I may have missed it).
Jul 8, 2015, 8:46 am
#814
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
See: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21661271-post152.html
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7343/1...fab98c0d_b.jpg
Jul 16, 2015, 11:54 pm
#817
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: BA Silver, Skywards Silver
Posts: 113
Club World 53E
So I just took a flight from HKG to LHR on the A380, sat in 53E.
The experience was overall positive. I wasn't bothered by staring at the two strangers in the neighbouring seats as it was only during take-off and landing and they were busy looking at their phones / the entertainment system and generally ignored me completely.
Once the privacy screens were up, I found the seat extremely private and undisturbed. There was some noise from the galley during meal service times but overnight it was very quiet and I slept well (with ear plugs and eye shades, though), I was fortunate to have a good crew who either disappeared overnight or understood they shouldn't make a lot of noise.
The thing I liked most about the seat was the extra room on the right and the extra leg room overall, it made a difference to me as I'm 6'3" with broad shoulders and I didn't feel cramped while sleeping with the extra space as I might have done in a regular seat.
The second thing I appreciated was being in the forward cabin, it was beautifully calm and peaceful all night, and I had very easy access to all toilets and the Club World kitchen.
So, a thumbs up for 53E for this trip, but it might vary if you get a noisy cabin crew or troublesome seat neighbours.
The experience was overall positive. I wasn't bothered by staring at the two strangers in the neighbouring seats as it was only during take-off and landing and they were busy looking at their phones / the entertainment system and generally ignored me completely.
Once the privacy screens were up, I found the seat extremely private and undisturbed. There was some noise from the galley during meal service times but overnight it was very quiet and I slept well (with ear plugs and eye shades, though), I was fortunate to have a good crew who either disappeared overnight or understood they shouldn't make a lot of noise.
The thing I liked most about the seat was the extra room on the right and the extra leg room overall, it made a difference to me as I'm 6'3" with broad shoulders and I didn't feel cramped while sleeping with the extra space as I might have done in a regular seat.
The second thing I appreciated was being in the forward cabin, it was beautifully calm and peaceful all night, and I had very easy access to all toilets and the Club World kitchen.
So, a thumbs up for 53E for this trip, but it might vary if you get a noisy cabin crew or troublesome seat neighbours.
Jul 18, 2015, 5:52 pm
#818
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: UA 2.2MM, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, National Exec, Hertz President's Club, Starwood Gold
Posts: 173
I was lucky enough to be in first class for my first BA A380 experience.
JNB-LHR. Seat 1K.
Lots of room. Private wardrobe a big plus. Attentive service. Decent champagne. Good AVOD with large screen. Food was not great. The seat itself was pretty good, but not as comfortable as others including Lufthansa 747-8 biz class and Qatar 787 biz class.
Overall a very good experience.
BA arrivals lounge was very good (once I found it). Breakfast in Concorde Room was a nice additional benefit.
A few grainy photos below, assuming the links work.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Ka.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Kb.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Kc.jpg
JNB-LHR. Seat 1K.
Lots of room. Private wardrobe a big plus. Attentive service. Decent champagne. Good AVOD with large screen. Food was not great. The seat itself was pretty good, but not as comfortable as others including Lufthansa 747-8 biz class and Qatar 787 biz class.
Overall a very good experience.
BA arrivals lounge was very good (once I found it). Breakfast in Concorde Room was a nice additional benefit.
A few grainy photos below, assuming the links work.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Ka.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Kb.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...HR_Seat1Kc.jpg
Last edited by Prospero; Jul 19, 2015 at 4:04 am Reason: oversized images - converted to urls
Jul 24, 2015, 3:57 am
#819
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Somerset, UK
Posts: 141
I've trawled through many of the pages of this thread but can't find a definitive answer for my predicament, perhaps because there isn't one!
What's the best couples seating in CW, assuming you don't want a 'couples pair' in the middle of the lower deck? I'm assuming there isn't strictly a 'best' akin to the 747, but I've currently gone for 51A/B. I've read a few reports of 53 being good but that's closer to the galley. Any further recommendations?
What's the best couples seating in CW, assuming you don't want a 'couples pair' in the middle of the lower deck? I'm assuming there isn't strictly a 'best' akin to the 747, but I've currently gone for 51A/B. I've read a few reports of 53 being good but that's closer to the galley. Any further recommendations?
Jul 24, 2015, 9:51 am
#821
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Southampton, UK
Programs: BAEC GFL, GGL, Hilton Diamond, EuroBonus Gold for Life, SPG Plat Elite
Posts: 217
I've trawled through many of the pages of this thread but can't find a definitive answer for my predicament, perhaps because there isn't one!
What's the best couples seating in CW, assuming you don't want a 'couples pair' in the middle of the lower deck? I'm assuming there isn't strictly a 'best' akin to the 747, but I've currently gone for 51A/B. I've read a few reports of 53 being good but that's closer to the galley. Any further recommendations?
What's the best couples seating in CW, assuming you don't want a 'couples pair' in the middle of the lower deck? I'm assuming there isn't strictly a 'best' akin to the 747, but I've currently gone for 51A/B. I've read a few reports of 53 being good but that's closer to the galley. Any further recommendations?
Jul 24, 2015, 10:49 am
#822
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
From the wikipost:-
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.
Jul 27, 2015, 3:06 am
#823
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 3
On way out we sat in 25 C, D and E. Seat D good, but the others cramped.
On way home, we sat in 35 G, H and J. A far better option either as a solo traveller or with family over row 25. I would say that row 35 is a far better option - smaller cabin, good legroom and no one in front. Advantage over rows 20, 70 and 80is that it has a window.
For long haul I felt the aircraft is a far better option that the ageing 777 or 747s in economy class. Quiet and better air conditioning. Food - well, nothing to get excited about. Cabin crew were good - plenty of water and fruit Juice offered throughout the flight.
Overall, both flights were good. But for others with the same dilemma as myself as to what row to choose in economy I doubt if row 35 can be beaten.
25 D good but overrated.
Jul 27, 2015, 10:02 am
#825
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
On way out we sat in 25 C, D and E. Seat D good, but the others cramped.
On way home, we sat in 35 G, H and J. A far better option either as a solo traveller or with family over row 25. I would say that row 35 is a far better option - smaller cabin, good legroom and no one in front. Advantage over rows 20, 70 and 80is that it has a window.
On way home, we sat in 35 G, H and J. A far better option either as a solo traveller or with family over row 25. I would say that row 35 is a far better option - smaller cabin, good legroom and no one in front. Advantage over rows 20, 70 and 80is that it has a window.