Posts Tagged ‘airbus a380’

How to Get the Best Economy Seat on a Singapore Airlines A380

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Singapore Airlines has recently started selling “Preferred Seats” in economy (coach) class. These are seats located on exit and bulkhead rows which have extra legroom.

The seats are now available for passengers booking online at Singapore Air’s website and cost US$50 per sector. Preferred seats can be purchased at the time of booking or at anytime up to 48 hours before departure using the “Manage Booking” facility.

The number of Preferred seats varies by aircraft type:

Airbus A380-800 – 23 seats
Airbus A380-800A – 11
Airbus A330 – 4
Boeing 777-300ER – 8
Boeing 747-400 – 8
Boeing 777-300 – 4
Boeing 777-300A – 6
Boeing 777-200 (3 Class) – 4
Boeing 777-200 (2 Class) – 4
Boeing 777-200ER – 0 (no exit rows)

A Preferred seat is marked as ‘P’ on the seat maps. They are not available on short-haul routes around south-east Asia or flights to Taiwan and Japan.

Best seats on the A380 plane

The best seats to get are on the Airbus A380-800 upper deck which has a small economy cabin at the back of the aircraft with a 2-4-2 configuration. The pick of the bunch are the window seat pairs on row 81 – seats A/C or H/K at the “mini” cabin right at the back. Further forward, row 71 also has great legroom but is windowless.

singapore airlines a380 upper deck seatsWe recently tried out the A380 upper deck economy cabin on a 13 hour flight between London Heathrow and Singapore Changi airport. We found the $50 investment for row 81 was money very well spent. In comparison, Qantas charges AUD80 (around US$80) for a pre-assigned exit row (A380 lower deck or 747) on the same route.

The upper economy deck has a quieter and more intimate ambience than the large cabins on the lower deck. However, Singapore’s newer A380 deliveries have the economy cabin removed so that the entire upper deck is dedicated to business class. The original configuration will remain on SQ’s first 12 A380s for the time being.

On the lower deck, preferred seats can be purchased for exit rows 44 and 55, and also middle row seat 48D which has no seat (47D) in front.

It is likely that the newer config aircraft (A380-800A) with no economy upper deck will eventually be deployed on the London-Singapore route – so check your aircraft type carefully when booking. You should also book early to secure a Preferred seat – particularly if flying on the A380 upper deck.

Other airlines that have a small economy cabin on the upper deck of the A380 are Air France and Thai Airways.

London Flight Deals to Asia / Australia

Friday, April 29th, 2011

A quick look at some economy flight deals available out of London for various destinations in Asia and Australia. Flight prices to Australia tend to be at their cheapest between April and mid-June – which corresponds to the Australian autumn. However, one must also account for the relatively high oil prices and the hefty UK air passenger duty charges for long-haul flights. In addition the very strong Australian dollar means the country is significantly more expensive for visitors.

Asia Deals: An excellent Asian deal on the market is from Lufthansa (Star Alliance) which has flights from London to Beijing from £349, flying on the Airbus A380. Other deals include:

Nanjing £349
Singapore £439
Shanghai £489

If flying to China it is usually cheaper to fly to Beijing rather than the business capital Shanghai, as seen from the above prices.  These Lufthansa deals are available until 3rd May for departures between 15th May and 30th June, maximum stay permitted is 3 months. The Singapore fare (operated using a 747) look quite good as well.

Australia Deals: Royal Brunei always has competitive fares to Australia/NZ in the off-season and the following deals are available through NetFlights:

Perth £619
Melbourne £630
Auckland £669

These are bookable until 14th June for travel up to 22nd June. If booking be aware of the length of stopovers at Brunei airport and also note the fuel stop in Dubai.

perth australia flights

Cathay Pacific (Oneworld) has some reasonable fares to Australia including a sub-£700 fare to Brisbane:

Adelaide £779
Brisbane £699
Cairns £779
Melbourne £779
Perth £729
Sydney £779

These are bookable until 25th May for outbound travel until 15th June. You can stay up to 1 year – good for backpackers with working holiday visas.

Qantas (Oneworld) has almost matched the Perth fare, offering £731 for travel between 18th April and 20th June. Book by 3rd May.

Hopefully we will see some more competitive fares to Australia coming onto the market in the next month or two.

How to Fly on the Airbus A380

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

The Airbus A380 aircraft has remained a popular attraction since its launch in 2007.  Its double-deck layout offers more space on board, especially in the premium cabins. Engine noise is surprisingly quiet. The following is a guide to which airlines have the A380, fleet sizes and configurations and where they currently fly.

Singapore Airlines
A380 launch customer
First flight: Oct 2007
A380s in service: 19 (order total is 24)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: (1) 12 first suites-60 business-399 economy; (2) 12 first suites-86 business(all upper deck)-311 economy

Routes from Singapore (SIN):
Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR), Melbourne (MEL), Paris (CDG), Sydney (SYD), Tokyo (NRT), Los Angeles (LAX), Frankfurt (FRA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO) and Zurich (ZRH). First class suites on the SQ A380 offer a private, individual cabin. On config 1 there is a small economy cabin at the rear of the upper deck.

singapore airlines a380

Emirates
First flight: Aug 2008
A380s in service: 31 (order total is 90)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 14 first suites-76 business-399 economy

Routes from Dubai (DXB):
London Heathrow (LHR), Sydney (SYD), Bangkok (BKK), Toronto (YYZ), Paris (CDG), Seoul (ICN), Jeddah (JED), Beijing (PEK), Manchester (MAN),  Hong Kong (HKG), New York (JFK), Shanghai (PVG), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Rome (FCO), Munich (MUC), Tokyo (NRT), Melbourne (MEL), Amsterdam (AMS), Moscow (DME) and Singapore (SIN) – plus the fifth freedom routes to Auckland (AKL) from SYD and MEL.

emirates airbus a380

Emirates has a special A380 Hub terminal at Dubai airport which opened in 2013. Emirates First Class on the A380 includes a private individual suite cabin and 2 onboard Shower Spas.

Qantas
First flight: Oct 2008
A380s in service: 12 (order total is 20)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 14 first-64 business-35 premium economy-371 economy

Routes from both Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL):
Singapore (SIN) and on to London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX). Plus Sydney-Hong Kong (HKG). On the Qantas A380 a small premium economy cabin is located at the back of the upper deck.

Air France
First flight: Nov 2009
A380s in service: 8 (order total is 12)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 9 first-80 business-38 premium economy-389 economy

Routes from Paris (CDG):
New York (JFK), Johannesburg (JNB), Tokyo (NRT), Los Angeles (LAX), Singapore (SIN) and Washington DC (IAD). Air France has small premium economy and economy cabin at the rear of the upper deck.

Lufthansa
First flight: Jun 2010
A380s in service: 10 (order total is 17)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-98 business-420 economy

Routes from Frankfurt (FRA):
Beijing (PEK), Johannesburg (JNB), Tokyo (NRT), Singapore (SIN), San Francisco (SFO), Miami (MIA) and Houston (IAH). Lufthansa also operates the Boeing 747-800.

Korean Air
First flight: Jun 2011
A380s in service: 6 (order total is 10)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 12 first-94 business (all upper deck)-301 economy

Routes from Seoul (ICN):
Frankfurt (FRA), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG)

China Southern Airlines
First flight: Oct 2011
A380s in service: 4 (order total is 5)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-70 business-428 economy

Routes: Guangzhou (ICN)-Los Angeles (LAX); Beijing (PEK)-Paris (CDG).

Malaysia Airlines
First flight: Jul 2012
A380s in service: 4 (order total is 6)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-66 business-420 economy

Routes: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London Heathrow (LHR) and Beijing (PEK).

Thai Airways
First flight: Oct 2012
A380s in service: 3 (order total is 6)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 12 first-60 business-435 economy

Planned Routes in 2013: Bangkok (BKK) to Frankfurt (FRA), Tokyo (NRT), Paris (CSG), Osaka (KIX) and Sydney (SYD).

In the coming 2 years the likes of British Airways, Etihad, Asiana, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic are expected to take delivery of the A380.

Article last updated January 2013.

London to Australia: Flight Route Analysis

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

During the autumn and winter months in the northern hemisphere, many people think about jetting off to get some southern sunshine – with Australia being the destination-of-choice.

Flight prices from London are higher than a few years ago and the days of sub-£500 economy fares to Australia seem long gone. High-season fares for an economy ticket from UK to Australia are priced around £750-£1,250 – partly due to the significant levels of UK Air Passenger Duty (APD), with Australia being in the highest band.

sydney harbour

There are  a few factors to consider when booking flights to Australia:

Alliances – Because of the significant flight distance you should try to get miles or points in a frequent flyer scheme, preferably in your primary program.

Connection Times – There are no non-stop flights between UK and Australia so you will have to connect. You may wish to avoid overly long waiting times at connecting airports. Also, what if your first flight gets delayed and you miss the connection – how long will you have to wait for the next flight?

Stopovers – Consider breaking up the long journey by stopping off for a few days in the Middle East or Asia. You may be able to get an accommodation deal with your airline.

Peak Season – Avoid flying out around the Christmas period when prices reach their highest level for the year. The cheapest time of year for flights from UK to Oz will be between April and June.

Exchange Rate - Another factor to consider is that the Australian dollar has been very strong against the GB pound (rate:1.50) and euro (1.25) so travellers will notice everything in Australia being more expensive. Normal hotel rates in Sydney of AUD 200 per night equates to around £135 or €160 – not exactly cheap. And if you head out to a popular resort town like Byron Bay over Christmas and new year you will find eye-watering accommodation prices.

Let’s take a look at the airlines on the London to Australia market. Note that only 3 airlines have a direct through-service, meaning the plane travels the whole route:

British Airways – Flies London to Sydney via Singapore using Boeing 747s.  BA’s fastest through-service takes just over 22 hours including the SIN stop. Economy seat pitch of 31″, premium economy 38″. Note that the joint-service agreement with Qantas on the “Kangaroo route” comes to an end from April 2013. Expect more co-operation in future with Qatar Airways and Malaysia as they both join Oneworld.

Qantas – Currently flies from London to Australia via Singapore (co-operating with BA). From April 2013 it will move its hub to Dubai having signed an codeshare and marketing arrangement with Emirates. Will fly London-Dubai-Sydney/Melbourne through-services using Airbus A380s. Standard economy seat pitch is 31″, though very decent premium economy seats up to 42″ pitch. Large Australian network means you can reach almost any part of the country.

qantas a380 flight sydney

Virgin Atlantic – Flies a direct service to Sydney from London via Hong Kong using Airbus A340s. Codeshare arrangements with Virgin Australia for domestic Australian flights. Seat pitch 31″, prices similar to BA/Qantas.

The following airlines all require a change of aircraft to Australia:

Air New Zealand – Flies from London to Auckland via Los Angeles. From Auckland you can connect onto services to Sydney or other Australian cities. Good economy service, reasonable 33″ seat pitch which is superior to BA, Qantas and Virgin but be aware of 10 across seating on the 777-300ER. A drawback is the longer route to Australia which takes over 30 hours. Travel via Hong Kong is being pulled, so passengers are forced to transit via the US.

Singapore Airlines – Serves various major cities in Australia from London via its hub at Changi Singapore – one of the world’s best airports. Operates some flights between London and Sydney/ Melbourne with the A380. Pretty decent service, economy seat pitch 32″ but always priced at the higher end. Codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia for domestic Australian routes.

Cathay Pacific – Serves various cities around Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Cairns) from its Hong Kong gateway. Flies Boeing 747s/Airbus A340s from London to Hong Kong – then uses Airbus A330s to Australia. Economy seat pitch 32″, new premium economy seats 38″ pitch. Like Singapore Airlines they have frequent connections – a total of 81 flights per week to Australia. Occasional sale fares are competitive.

Malaysia Airlines – Offers competitive fares from London to Sydney (and 4 other Oz destinations) via its Kuala Lumpur hub. Now flying the Airbus A380 from London to KUL with class leading 34″ economy seat pitch. New member of the Oneworld alliance.

Thai Airways – Flies London to Bangkok using B747s. Onward flights to Australia on A330s and A340s. Roomy 34″ seat pitch but prices tend to be on the higher side.

thai airways a340

Emirates – Middle East heavyweight flying via Dubai and biggest user of the Airbus A380. Departures from London and 4 other UK cities – which makes them a serious choice for regional UK flyers. Economy seat pitch up to 33″, but again, note the 10 across economy seating on the 777s. New tie-up with Qantas from April 2013. Note also that Easyjet flights can now be redeemed using Emirates Skywards.

Etihad - Flies from London to both Melbourne and Sydney via its Abu Dhabi hub. Uses Boeing 777 and Airbus A340 aircraft on the route. Their Coral Economy service is a reasonably good product and the airline is gaining a solid reputation. Major codeshare agreement in place with Virgin Australia which offers a good Australian domestic network.

Qatar Airways – Flies London-Doha-Melbourne using combinations of B787s, B777s, A330s and A340s. Seat pitch around the 33″ mark. Watch for occasional special offer fares.

Some other ‘off-beat’ options, not necessarily recommended but also flying the kangaroo route:

Royal Brunei – Serves Melbourne from London with stops in Dubai and Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei). Uses Boeing B777 aircraft on the route with 32″ pitch. They often have some reasonable airfares but do note Royal Brunei is a dry airline.

Korean Air – Not particularly cheap but flies London-Seoul-Sydney with B777s/B747s with 33″ economy pitch.

China Eastern Airlines – Flies London-Guangzhou-Sydney with A330s. Seat pitch 32″.

Alternative: Consider a round-the-world (RTW) ticket which will cost extra but can give you much more interesting stopover opportunities.

Article last updated January 2013.