Better late than never? Airbus set to deliver 1st A380 superjumbo Monday

The Canadian press ^ | 10/14/2007

[papasmurf]

Airbus scares me. I always try to fly on an American built plane.

Unless it’s a Reims Rocket, of course.

[Philistone]

471 seats. Now THERE’S an airplane with a big ole terrorist bullseye on it...

[I see my hands]

To: Sunday Funny

While touring France by train we stopped briefly in Toulouse one afternoon. We were in the station from two to two to two two. When our train left the station it signaled with a toot toot because it had nothing to lose.

[diogenes ghost]

"471 seats. Now THERE'S an airplane with a big ole terrorist bullseye on it..."

I'm sure you must have a reason for saying that the number of seats makes it more of a target..but, then again, I'm sure you didn't REALLY mean it that way.

[GonzoGOP]

Now Boeing has to deliver. We have all been enjoying a lot of jokes at the A380’s expense. Now the A380 is in the air and the Boeing Dreamliner is six months to a year behind schedule. Boeing needs to get their bird in the air before they become a laughing stock like Airbus was a year ago.

[PAR35]

471 seats. Now THERE’S an airplane with a big ole terrorist bullseye on it.

If you are wondering how they arrived at that number, one version of the 747 (747-300) would hold up to 470 people. (The 747-8 will hold up to 467).

So, in short, the two planes will have roughly the same number of passengers. The main difference is that the AirBus will be able to sell luxury suites. Whether that will offset the higher operating costs remains to be seen.

[Philistone]

There have already been not one but two terrorist plots to blow up dozens of planes - over the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Terrorists like the biggest bang for the buck. As far as airplanes go, the A380 is now the biggest...

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Some airlines will offer passengers the chance to freshen up with a shower.

This would go over well with overseas business travelers, including me.

[Red Dog #1]

“The A380 includes glamorous features such as a cocktail bar complete with water fountain and a duty-free lounge. Some airlines will offer passengers the chance to freshen up with a shower.”
A lot of things like this have been done before, but in the end most space consuming luxuries are eventually removed to add seats.
BTW, you are 100% correct about showers! I’ve always wondered why I’ve never seen “pay showers” in airports. It might be great way to make some money.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I’ve always wondered why I’ve never seen “pay showers” in airports. It might be great way to make some money.

Several international airports do have showers, but the quality usually leaves a lot to be desired in terms of cleanliness and utility. They have showers at Changi Airport in Singapore, but the water is always warm to hot, impossible to get anything cold to combat the oppressive humidity. Better than no shower at all, but better still to check into a hotel and shower there. Heathrow also has showers, badly maintained and in need of cleaning the times I've used them.

Definitely a market waiting to be tapped here.

[theBuckwheat]

Who wants to fly over the North Atlantic on S/N 0001?? Not me!

[diogenes ghost]

"As far as airplanes go, the A380 is now the biggest..."

Well, Duuuhhh, that's NOT what you were talking about.

So you agree now, it's not about the seats?

[sionnsar]

The A380 includes glamorous features such as a cocktail bar complete with water fountain and a duty-free lounge. Some airlines will offer passengers the chance to freshen up with a shower.

The bean-counters will kill this soon enough. Sea of seats.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Airbus has gone though five CEOs as multiple delays in the A380 program

Airbus can try to paint a rosy picture all day everyday, but the turnover rate of CEOs and senior executives is a huge flag. They come in, see the problems, and they can't leave fast enough. As soon as they can work up a good out, they're gone. (They want to have the front "My wife landed a job with such-and-such company" or "My wife/I need to relocate to take a study fellowship at XYZ University". As a CEO or senior executive type, it's career suicide to admit that you're running scared from your current job because you don't want to be left holding the bag when the house of cards crashes.)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

When Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed, it killed 505 passengers and all 15 crew members, for a total death toll of 520.

Airbus' decision to build an aircraft of this size was a mistake. They did it because they thought that Boeing was moving in this direction and wanted to compete. Boeing didn't, it was all a grand deception, and now Airbus is stuck in a death spiral with their big pig.

There's existing studies showing that passenger jets larger than the 747 actually DECREASE the ramp capacity of airports because of the large turning radius and the fact that other jets must give them much wider leeway. Airbus ignores this at their peril.

[Rummenigge]

There’s no fixed configuartion - the A380 will hold up to 800 people in the catle train version - so the needs of US airlines will be fullfilled also.

In Asia and Arabia where there’s a lot of money bags flying airlines ordered the versions with a bit more emphasis on luxury.

[Rummenigge]

The market will tell - up to now the A380 already sold 50% of what would be needed for a return on invest - and this even before the first customer plane was airborne.

It was build because it grants airbus a segment of the market that Airbus will be working alone for the next 10 years.

[PAR35]

the A380 will hold up to 800 people in the catle train version

Will it? At one point weight, not size, was tje limiting factor, and I never saw reliable reports that the weight issues had been resolved.