How the new superjumbos compare
You get plenty of space to yourself in Emirates’ first class – and a shower
When the double-decker Airbus A380 aeroplane was first unveiled, some people envisioned planes where travellers would while away the flight browsing in mini-shopping malls or gambling in the onboard casino. The reality is less impressive - extra seats take up most of the added space. But if you are travelling in anything above cattle class, the superjumbos have some impressive perks. Now that three airlines are operating A380s, it's worth comparing the differences before you book.
Airbus A380: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines was the first to fly the Airbus A380 last March. Economy class offers the same as the airline's other planes, with 32 inches of legroom. Business class, on the other hand, offers 55 inches – enough room to "put your feet up", says Polly Buchanan in the Daily Express. The seats also convert into 76-inch flat beds, and come with ample storage space and larger TV screens than in economy. There's even a vanity mirror so you can make sure you look your best. But it's in first class that the airline wants to set itself apart. Accommodation is in 12 'suites', some with double beds, and all with sliding doors to ensure privacy. A 23-inch TV screen and meals devised by Gordon Ramsay complete the luxury experience.
But the plane isn't problem-free - there is a toilet shortage. "Although there were 15 in total, these were shared between 471 people, so passengers were often caught short," says Buchanan.
• Singapore Airlines flies A380s between Heathrow and Sydney via Singapore. Return flights cost from £690 in economy, £3,869 in business and £9,102 for first class. Contact: 0844-800 2380, www.singaporeair.com.
Airbus A380: Emirates
In August, Emirates launched its own Airbus A380 to compete with Singapore Airlines. Economy is much the same in both airlines, with 32 inches of legroom and a 10.6-inch TV screen. But the inflight entertainment system offered by Emirates wins for TV addicts – the 1,100 channels beat Singapore Airlines' 1,000.
The Emirates' superjumbo puts first and business class on the top deck with economy class below, with separate 'boarding piers' for each deck. Business class offers passengers a 79-inch flat bed, a 17-inch screen and a mini-bar by every seat. They also get more space as the seating is staggered, rather than laid out in the usual straight rows.
However, Emirates' pièce de résistance is its showers. The lucky few who fly first class – even during a recession – can enjoy a hot shower at 30,000ft. The shower rooms "are as big as your bathroom at home, with hair dryers, towels and Bulgari toiletries", says Iain Mayhew in The Mirror. But each passenger is limited to a five minute shower, when a traffic light system warns you the water is about to cut out. "If you're on amber and your hair's full of shampoo, you want to get moving," says Tim Clark, the airline's president in The Observer. Once you've been evicted from the shower, you can relax in your first-class private seating area or rest on the 82-inch flat bed.
• Emirates A380s fly between Dubai and London, New York and Sydney. Return flights to Sydney cost from £712 in economy, £3,035 business and £3,989 first class. Contact: 0844-800 2777, www.emirates.com.
Airbus A380: Qantas
Perhaps the biggest changes have been made by Qantas, which has completely redesigned the A380 cabin to look like no other plane in its fleet. Everything has been redone, "from the seats and the flooring to the crockery and coat hooks", says Richard Green in The Sunday Times. It's also the first to offer 'premium economy' on the A380. While economy travellers get just 31 inches of legroom, premium economy gets you 42 inches. The seats are laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration, giving more elbow room than the 3-4-3 economy layout.
Business class has an onboard lounge, 80-inch flat beds and larger TV screens. In Qantas's first class section, a massaging chair is the airline's muted response to Emirates' hot shower or Singapore Airline's double bed.
• Qantas's A380s fly between Heathrow and Sydney with connections to Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane and Adelaide. Return fares from Heathrow to Sydney start from £699 in economy, £1,525 in business and £8,145 in first class. Contact: 0845-774 7767, www.qantas.com.