A380
 

The A380 has made its maiden flight.

Who's planning to be the first FTer from this forum to actually fly it? We should run a contest of sorts. :)

I'm toying with the idea of going on the SQ inaugural next year.

A long thread on this is here: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=396697.

Or did you mean the first to fly on a oneworld A380 flight? ;)

Actually I was thinking of the very first, any airline. If you get on that inagural (and SQ, no less) ... I hate you!, don't dare coming here bragging about it. :)

But, since you mention it, which OW airline will first take delivery of the A380 and on what route?

Imagine the line for the bathroom!

Calling that thing a maiden is a serious stretch.

As for who will be first with OW, according to the 31 March orders summary release from Airbus, the only hard orders from OW carriers are for 10 a/c for QF. I suppose some other OW member could get one from the leasing companies before that, though.

Because it took off from Toulouse instead of Seattle? :)

Are you implying I have some loyalty to our local Chicago-based employer?

Hey, I bucked rivets on DC-9s in Long Beach back when the B word was never mentioned around our house.

Remember, the key word in the name is "Bus."

LOL! no, no, just a gentle word play based on the fact both call SEA home.

[Hey, talking about loyalty, I'm heading for SEA, Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Peninsula shortly. As far as I'm concerned Toulouse can wait another twenty years or so :)]

I'll see what I can do about that. :D I guess I should give my PPS coordinator another call...

Mega A-380
 

Right. Sign me up for a flight with 555-to-800+ other passengers. Sounds wonderful. Boarding...... baggage....

I think Boeing may have it right -- the future may be smaller, long-range planes that can fly point-to-point. Note SQ SIN-JFK and Thai BKK-JFK non-stops. I can understand the 380 on high volume routes like SYD-LON and SYD-LAX but really.

First OneWorld carrier to operate A380 will be QF. They have announced a 501 seat config and plan to operate SYD/MEL-LAX with their first aircraft deliveries, then SYD/MEL-SIN-LHR when they take sufficient deliveries. So look for a SYD-LAX as the first QF A380 long-haul flight, but I would not be surprised if they op a few SYD-MEL-SYD flights just for crew and ground handling experience first.

Considering QF now operate their two-class 747-400's with 432 seats (66 J, 366 Y), we are only talking about an additional 69 people on board.