ba a380 world traveller upper deck

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In-flight amenities

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with 120 CD's and several radio programs, including the BBC. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller.

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with a wide variety of movies, television and short entertainment programs. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller. 

All seats have a 110V AC power port socket, which accept UK or US plugs. USB ports are also available at each seat. Read our  guide to in-seat laptop power  for more information.

British Airways offers a variety of complimentary food and beverages, based on the time of day and departure location. An enhanced meal service is offered to Club Europe passengers. Click here for more information about food offered onboard.

British Airways has twelve Airbus A380s on order and with the first ones entering service in 2012.  The A380 will replace some of BA’s Boeing 747-400 planes that are being retired and fly on high demand long-haul routes such as London to Los Angeles and Hong Kong.  British Airways has configured their A380 in four classes of service:  First, Club World (Business), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), and World Traveller (Economy). The plane comes equipped with on-demand audio and video systems for all seats.   

All A and K seats in Economy may have slightly restricted legroom and limited underseat storage space due to the presence of an electronic equipment box. 

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Inside the british airways a380: a complete tour.

Yesterday, British Airways sent its Airbus A380, G-XLEF, to London Heathrow to undergo routine maintenance. But just what maintenance does an Airbus A380 undergo at the London Heathrow British Airways hangar? In December 2019, British Airways invited Simple Flying to take a look.

I’ve flown on G-XLED before. However, it’s not until you stand next to the aircraft that you appreciate its immense size. The largest passenger aircraft in the skies takes up almost all of the hangar space available when in for maintenance.

Heeran Jethwa, a British Airways Engineering Licensed Aircraft Engineer, guided us around the aircraft joined by Phil Baxendale, the Engineering Head of Quality and Technical at British Airways. He explained that the aircraft was in for a regular checkup to ensure everything is in top shape. He adds that when an A380 is in the hangar, it really is all hands on deck.

With a fleet of just 12 aircraft, the airline would typically struggle to substitute the A380 if maintenance overruns. With the retirement of the airline's 747s, its largest plane is now the 777. If one of these were replaced onto a canceled A380 flight, many passengers would still face being bumped as a result. Of course, with the airline's fleet currently grounded, this is not a concern right now.

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Starting outside

Following a brief chat about safety, we headed into the hangar. The immense size of the aircraft really makes an impression. First up, we went for a walk underneath the wing. The aircraft’s number four engine had its cowling open. This was accompanied by scaffolding which allowed us to get right inside the engine. It was surprising how small the interior of the aircraft's engines actually is.

While the British Airways Airbus A380 only has Rolls-Royce Engines, not each one is created equally. Only the number two and number three engines are equipped with reverse thrust . The aircraft also only uses these two engines to taxi to the runway.

We then worked across to the number three engine, which had its cowling closed. However, it had a platform prepared to inspect the engine's fan blades. Stepping up onto this, I was once more blown away by the size of the engine's components. I was invited to step inside the engine, and despite being six feet and three inches tall, there was more than enough space to stand up.

A first peek inside

The first peek inside the aircraft took us into the A380’s cargo deck. This is a place where few of the airline's passengers can say they’ve been. Given the aircraft's vast size, I was surprised that it wasn't possible to stand up straight inside the cargo hold, something passengers can do with ease in the main cabin.

We climbed in through the bulk item door at the rear of the aircraft. Unlike the big cargo containers that go in the central part of the belly, this part holds smaller things such as a last-minute checked bag or pets, which need to be easily accessible on the ground. Interestingly, the cargo hold is split into two, so we had to leave the same way we arrived.

Around the other side of the aircraft, we found even more scaffolding. This had been placed to replace a component only accessible from the top of the engine. We carefully climbed the structure to the top, and I was greeted with yet another magnificent sight. You can't truly appreciate the sheer scale of the Airbus A380 wing until you stand towards the end to admire it (see the first image in this article).

Into the cabin

Having descended the scaffolding carefully placed to reach the top of engine number one, we walked underneath the giant aircraft to some more scaffolding. This took us up to the second starboard entry on the aircraft's main deck. It proved to be an exciting moment for me, as it was the first time I had boarded a commercial jet from the right-hand side.

On most A380s, this would put you in the middle of the economy cabin. However, British Airways has opted to put its first-class cabin on the main deck of the Airbus A380. We turned left and started our journey through the lower part of the Club World cabin. Here, a team of engineers was hard at work checking and replacing everything from IFE screens to the galley's decor. The lower floor also houses an economy cabin at the rear and the First cabin at the front.

No detail has been left unchecked in the cabin. This includes the crew rest area, which is hidden away. We entered the area, and I was surprised by how much space was available. On previous visits to British Airways, I had seen in the A350's crew rest area . Reminiscent of a hostel, the area has a bunk bed for each member of the crew.

Up the spiral staircase

At the rear of every Airbus A380 is a staircase connecting the two passenger decks. After climbing over a dedicated worker fixing something on the floor, we had time to admire the upper economy cabin. Unlike the 3-4-3 layout on the main deck, the upper cabin is laid out with a 2-4-2 configuration. This makes it slightly more pleasant when traveling, and as such, it is my cabin of choice on the British giant of the skies.

Ahead of the small economy cabin is British Airways' premium economy cabin, called World Traveller Plus. The cabin is a slight upgrade from the upper economy cabin with a 2-3-2 layout. However, the real upgrade comes from the enhanced soft product in this class. At this point, Heeran points out one exciting element of the Airbus A380. The aircraft actually has two elevators that can move standard-sized galley containers between the floors.

Moving forwards

Moving forward once more, we reach the Club World cabin, otherwise known as business class. British Airways is currently rolling out a new Club Suite cabin on a number of its aircraft.

For the time being, the A380s have the old Club World cabin. The Airbus A380 is set to be the last aircraft to receive the new Club Suite cabin, with 2023-2025 targetted before the type was grounded . As a result, they are currently stuck with a 2-4-2 layout on the lower deck. This is 2-3-2 on the upper deck, matching the premium economy layout.

At the front of the cabin are two enormous toilets. These are the reason that most carriers put the first-class cabin on the upper deck. On Emirates' A380s, these toilets double up as shower cubicles.

Back downstairs

At the front of the cabin is a staircase leading down to the main deck at the front door. We descended this and headed into the cockpit. The Airbus A380's cockpit is a very private space for pilots. Locked off from the rest of the cabin, they have their own toilet, as well as two private rooms containing beds and armchairs.

Passing these rooms, we got the chance to sit down in the surprisingly cozy cockpit. Heeran takes the time to give me a quick tour around the cockpit, mindful that engineers are working around me. The main difference between the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 simulator I had flown earlier in the day  is the control input. While the Boeing aircraft had a traditional yoke, the A380 has a sidestick.

The aircraft also has many different screens. In fact, I'm straight back into the engineering aspect of things when we take a look at the digital circuit breaker system. The aircraft has some traditional circuit breakers hidden away outside the main cabin. However, it also has a digital system for circuit breakers.

How the circuit breakers work

Say that somebody needs to work on the aileron and doesn't want it to move in the process. They can pull the circuit breaker and tag it with their name. Every user will see that it has been tagged, and it stays put until it is removed by the person who set it.

However, multiple people can tag the same item. That way, if one person removes their tag, the breaker remains pulled until work is complete. It also gives a comprehensive overview of any tags that are still pulled when maintenance has been completed.

The other thing that strikes me in the cockpit is how many levers and switches are covered. This is to stop anything significant from being accidentally triggered. It is much harder to claim that you accidentally raised the gear, for instance, if there is a multiple-step cage covering the lever.

Back into First

Our time with the Airbus A380 is now coming to a close, leaving just enough time to explore the First cabin. Phil explains to me that on the Airbus A380, the cabin is slightly modified to take advantage of the aircraft's additional width. While somebody takes apart a seat next to me, I settle into seat 4A for what may be my only experience of the current British Airways first class seat.

While I am relaxing, Phil explains the rest of the Britsh Airways maintenance program to me. The airline uses a couple of bases away from Heathrow for more in-depth maintenance. The main one is in Cardiff , which deals with heavy-duty jobs such as replacing the Boeing 777's cabin.

As a closing thought, he mentions that he is proud of how his team is responsible for more than just maintenance. He shares that his input was even sought on how the current cabin should be designed. After all, as the Engineering Head of Quality and Technical, he knows the airline's A380 aircraft inside out!

Have you been fortunate enough to fly onboard British Airways' Airbus A380? Let us know how you found it in the comments!

Online Checkin: British Airways have full online check-in from 24 hours before the flight.

Review: British Airways A380 World Traveller Economy — Johannesburg to London

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

In late-January, TPG Contributor Katie Genter completed an Austin (AUS) — Johannesburg (JNB) — Houston (IAH) mileage run in her quest to earn AA Executive Platinum status by June. For the third long-haul leg, she flew on a British Airways A380 from JNB to London-Heathrow (LHR). Here's her review of British Airways' World Traveller Economy product. (All photos are by the author).

I'd looked forward to flying on the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft — the Airbus A380 — for a long time and was thrilled to be able to book a British Airways A380 for this leg of my trip.

This review is part of a series of long-haul reviews from my AUS-JNB-IAH mileage run. As such, more of my booking details — like how I got British Airways to change my initial departure city for free — are available in my first long-haul review of American's 777-300ER Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) in Main Cabin Extra .

For $804, I was able to obtain a cost of just 3.42 cents per mile by stretching the mileage of my run to 23,510 miles, and ended up earning 23,820 elite-qualifying miles and 49,640 redeemable miles (including 2,000 bonus miles from flying a transatlantic round-trip ). These redeemable miles are valued at about $745 under TPG's current valuation of 1.5 cents per AAdvantage mile.

I booked my mileage run using my British Airways Visa Signature Card , so I also earned three British Airways Avios per dollar spent. Based on the April valuation of 1.5 cents per mile for Avios, the 2,412 Avios I earned on this trip are valued by TPG at about $36.

Airport and Lounge

I took the Gautrain from downtown Johannesburg's Park Station to O.R. Tambo (JNB). The trip cost R153 (~$10) and took 33 minutes. The Gautrain was clean and safe — I saw many security personnel actively checking cars and preventing non-airport passengers from boarding "airport" train cars that were running on the airport line. These "airport" cars featured luggage racks, a higher sense of security and more spacious seating in a 2-2 layout instead of the usual 3-2 style of seating.

Once at JNB, I followed signs, walking past many support offices, to a free "Aircraft Viewing Deck," which featured exhibits as well as a nice view of the airfield — but oddly enough had just one seat! If you have some time to kill at JNB, I highly recommend checking out the viewing deck.

After enjoying the viewing deck, I quickly and easily checked my bag using the Priority Bag Drop lane (available to Oneworld elites as well as first-class and business-class passengers) since I'd already obtained my return boarding pass at LHR.

The agent who helped me at the bag drop counter was extremely friendly and helpful — he even provided directions to the British Airways Galleries Lounge without me having to ask. Security and immigration were both very quick and I was in the lounge within 15 minutes of leaving the bag drop counter.

There are many lounge choices — especially for those with a Priority Pass membership — but I chose the British Airways Galleries Lounge.

Upon arrival, I requested and immediately received a shower room, which was well laid out. I particularly appreciated that a hanger and floor towel were provided and loved the mint-scented shampoo, however the room could have been cleaner — I found short hair on both the walls and the floor. Additionally, I was disappointed that the bath towels weren't very fluffy, the trash can was difficult to open and the hair dryer was broken.

There were no airfield views in the lounge so I settled for a seat overlooking the main concourse. The lounge was small and certainly filled in before the A380 left for LHR. Despite its rather small size, there was an impressive variety of soups, desserts and snacks on offer — among them were chicken and pasta, spinach and squash lasagna, deli meat and cheese platters and take-away sandwiches. There were many vegetarian and vegan options as well, which British Airways always seems to be good about providing and labeling in their lounges.

When I arrived at gates A16 and A17 — yes, the A380 required two gates — I found that the seating area had been arranged to create three separate corrals. One corral — the center one — held the first-class, business-class and Oneworld elite passengers. The other two corrals were separated by row number, where upper level rows were in one corral and lower level rows were in the other. Contract security staff checked passports and boarding passes before allowing anyone into a particular corral. Most people were sitting or standing patiently in these areas, but not forming lines.

Boarding of the priority corral began on schedule at the time the check-in agents had written on my boarding pass. The priority queue then split into upper level and lower level queues once we reached the jetways.

All the flight attendants I encountered during boarding were super-friendly and seemed excited about working on our flight. I was one of the first people in my section — and taking photos for this review — so I was gushing to my section's flight attendant about how excited I was to finally be traveling on the A380's upper deck. With this encouragement, he began excitedly talking about the plane's design, its features and how quiet it is — he seemed really excited to be on this plane too!

Cabin and Seat

I purposely reserved 74K — an upper-level World Traveller economy window seat — in order to obtain a compartment and a two-seat row. As a Oneworld Sapphire member, I was able to select this seat for free at booking — Oneworld Ruby passengers would need to wait until seven days before departure and those without Oneworld status would need to pay extra to reserve this seat before check-in.

Since the airplane's walls slope inward sharply on the upper deck, the World Traveller economy cabin on the upper deck is 2-4-2 configuration with storage compartments located along the windows. The flight attendant said these compartments were installed to somewhat make up for the small overhead storage bins against the windows, which were so shallow that even my daypack needed to be turned sideways! As the cabin was almost completely full, it took some luggage movement and effort from the flight attendants near the end of boarding in order for everyone's larger bags to fit into the much larger center overhead bins.

The storage compartment beside my 74K seat ended up being much deeper than I expected. It easily fit all the belongings I might want during the flight, including my laptop and the provided blanket and pillow. Strangely, but likely to prevent bickering between passengers, every window seat had only one bin — all of the additional bins were locked and in order to open them, you had to push down lightly on the lid. One annoyance was that the passenger behind me kept trying to sleep with his foot on my bin, which prevented me from opening it until he moved his foot.

One downside of the window seats upstairs is that an in-flight entertainment box is placed in the middle of your leg space, and it would have been difficult to put anything of size — like a daypack or duty free bag — under the window seats due to the placement of this box. With a 31-inch pitch, I expected that this entertainment box would significantly impede my legroom, however I found that despite this box, I was generally comfortable enough because I could put my feet on either side of it.

A pillow and a packaged blanket, toothbrush, toothpaste and earbuds awaited each passenger at their seat. I found these earbuds provided good enough sound quality to discourage me from retrieving my own headphones from my carry-on bag.

The seats were comfortable and felt adequately wide — which was surprising for their reported 17.5 inch width. The seat-back pockets were very tight, but they could expand significantly if needed. The seats didn't have adjustable head support wings, but they were contoured to somewhat support your head while sleeping. For those who like to sleep against the wall, I found that it was too far from the window seats to cozy up to. Additionally, the window compartment was too low to serve as a comfortable headrest — although a couple of my fellow passengers did manage to fall asleep this way. I found that the surface of the storage compartment served as an excellent "extra" table.

One of my favorite features of the A380 cabin was the lighting. All lighting changes in the cabin took place very gradually. After dinner the lighting in the cabin simulated a sunset and darkened until the cabin was completely dark. As dawn approached before breakfast, several light blue ceiling lights became illuminated. Shortly before breakfast, light pink lights illuminated near the windows to simulate a sunrise. The changing lighting was very peaceful and gradual enough to have likely gone unnoticed by most passengers.

In-flight Entertainment

I was excited to see large, crisp entertainment screens for this flight. The in-flight entertainment system included the normal features expected on newer British Airways planes — a wide variety of movies, television shows, audio books, music and games.

From trivia games and sleep mixes to the chat network and an entire kids' module, no one should get bored unless they travel a lot. There was even a selection of daily news, including an entire show with Premier League soccer highlights.

My in-flight entertainment system was very responsive and only required soft touches. The handset was stowed in the seat-back, but I never had the need to use it. I was happy with the size, height and definition of the screen as well as the fact that it could tilt to improve the angle when the passenger in front of me reclined. There were USB outlets at each seat and universal power outlets between every two seats.

Food and Beverage

The dinner options — beef tips or chicken — were announced shortly before the beverage service began, about 40 minutes after take-off. Note that no vegetarian options were available without pre-ordering — the flight attendant said this was unfortunately common for departures from places other than LHR, so vegetarians should remember to request a vegetarian meal ahead of time.

Dinner was served one hour and 40 minutes after take-off. The meal started with a salad that was fresh and tasty — outside of a few pieces of wilted lettuce at the bottom of the salad — as well as room-temperature plastic-wrapped bread and commercially packaged crackers and cheese.

The main dish — chicken for me — is where the meal really began to impress! The squash, broccoli and potatoes were all well cooked and seasoned. The white meat chicken was the highlight though, as it was tender and perfectly seasoned. The chocolate cake with lemon sauce provided the perfect combination of zest and sweetness.

Tea and coffee were served 20 minutes after dinner, but most people didn't partake.

Breakfast service started with special meals being delivered first. After the special meals were passed out — about 90 minutes before landing — the rest of us were given a choice of a vegetable omelet or a sausage omelet. Either choice came with creamy fruit yogurt, a moist chocolate muffin that was cold but not overly sweet and a small mixture of excessively sugary apple and orange juice.

The vegetable omelet main dish contained some plain but well-cooked mushrooms, overcooked yet cold unseasoned potatoes and a delicious egg, spinach and cheese mixture on top of tomato paste.

There were two flight attendants serving each side of the upper deck World Traveller economy cabin and I was impressed with both their friendliness as well as the level of service provided. When a communication issue arose with a French-speaking woman during beverage service, the flight attendant knelt down to the woman and sincerely attempted to understand what she was trying to convey.

I thought it was a very caring gesture, especially in comparison to the kind of passenger treatment I've seen on other Oneworld long-haul flights recently . Across multiple interactions, the flight attendants provided very solid customer service and certainly went above my expectations for economy.

It was so dark through the night that the flight attendants carried discrete little flashlights when they brought juice and water through the cabin. In general, the flashlight-toting flight attendants passed through quietly offering water and juices every 45 to 60 minutes throughout the night.

I visited the rear galley multiple times during the night to stretch and obtain drinks and snacks. The flight attendants had set up — and seemed to replenish throughout the night — a snack box as well as a few trays of water and juices. Each time I visited the galley two flight attendants were present. In each case, they seemed surprised to see me. Despite this, they offered to get me anything I needed — but I almost felt like I was intruding when I stood around for an extended period of time and stretched.

Overall Impression

I'd 100% fly in the upper deck World Traveller economy cabin of a British Airways A380 again. The A380 has a slick, thoughtful design — even in economy. I enjoyed sitting in an upper deck window seat because of the large compartment between my seat and the window, which was great for storage and served as an additional table.

Additionally, all the British Airways staff I interacted with on this JNB to LHR route — from check-in agents to contract lounge workers to flight attendants — were wonderful and provided an experience you normally don't expect when traveling in economy. It certainly made the trip enjoyable.

Have you flown on a British Airways A380 yet? How was your experience?

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British Airways' Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet manufactured known as the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft. Despite the size, the A380 delivers lower community noise and carbon emissions per passenger than the Boeing 747-400 despite having almost 50% more floor space and 60% more headroom.

Carbon fibre, a strong and light material, is used on key parts of the A380. Roughly 25% of the plane's overall structure is made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.

Fleet and Cabins There are 12 A380s in the British Airways fleet with each aircraft accommodating 469 customers across four cabins:

British Airways’ A380 has a total of 469 seats over two decks with four cabins:  •    First – 14 seats  •    Club World (business class) – 97 seats  •    World Traveller Plus (premium economy) – 55 seats  •    World Traveller (economy) – 303 seats    First: 14 suites (main deck)  The First suites aboard the A380 offer customers a stylish and intimate experience with tailored, personalised service from a dedicated team of cabin crew. Each seat converts into a fully-flaf 6ft 6" bed, offers a 15.4 inch inflight entertainment screen, USB/AC power and plenty of storage space. Each seat offers direct aisle access. 

Club World: 97 seats (44 main deck and 53 upper deck) 

The Club World cabin is split across the main deck (2-4-2 configuration) and the upper deck (2-3-2 configuration). Each seat converts into a 6ft fully flat bed with an adjusable footstool available for additional comfort, a 12.1 inch inflight entertainment screen, USB/AC power at every seat and plenty of storage space. Customers travelling in a Club World window seat on the Upper Deck of the A380 can benefit from additional stowage bins which run the length of the aircraft, or additional interior storage within the rear-facing seat.    World Traveller Plus: 55 seats (Upper deck)

The World Traveller Plus cabin aboard the A380 is exclusively located on the upper deck and offers customers 20% more legroom than World Traveller, with a footrest, increased recline position, hammock headrest and cocktail table. Each seat features a personal inflight entertainment screen and power at every seat. Customers located by the window benefit from additional stowage bins which run the length of the aircraft.    World Traveller: 303 seats (199 on main deck and 104 on upper deck)    The Airbus A380 features two World Traveller cabins, located on the main and upper decks of the aircraft. Each ergonomically-designed seat maximises comfort and space and features an 8.9 inch inflight entertainment screen and USB/AC power. Similar to the World Traveller Plus cabin, customers seated by the window on the upper deck benefit from additional stowage bins which run the length of the aircraft. 

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Review: British Airways A380 Business Class from London to Miami

Wednesday  newsletters  always feature a  hotel  or  flight  review.

Today (February 17, 2021): British Airways A380 Business Class from London to Miami

Early 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic forced international travel to shut down. While in lockdown, I ‘discovered’ some unpublished material of flight clips and photos on my computer, recorded over the past years. Since most of us miss flying longhaul, I decided to upload some of it on my YouTube channel and my travel blog (despite the so-so quality of the footage) to boost our morale in times of never-ending travel restrictions (it almost feels like 2021 is worse than 2020 for travelers).

In spring 2019, I flew with British Airways in Business Class (dubbed ‘Club World’ by the carrier) onboard an Airbus A380 from London to Miami. The A380 is British Airways’ largest wide-body plane and flagship aircraft. The airline has 12 A380s in its fleet, which have remained grounded for the duration of the pandemic. Contrary to other airlines, British Airways still considers the A380 to be a valued part of its fleet and has currently no plans to retire the jumbojets. In fact, the airline is currently finalizing details for their A380 cabins to be retrofitted with the new terrific Business Class seats that you find on the carrier’s A350 and retrofitted Boeing 777s (meaning an excellent 1-2-1 layout in Club World, with direct aisle access and sliding doors for all passengers).

While I am still impressed by the A380 (and feel honored every time I can fly in one), I was not impressed by the Business Class service provided by British AIrways on this flight (e.g. mediocre food and broken seat features). That said, since I took this flight, British Airways has dramatically stepped up its game with the introduction of new and impressive service concepts (e.g. catering, bedding, etc …), which I wrote about in this trip report featuring a British Airways flight from the Seychelles to London.

Have you ever flown with British Airways? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment .

• Trip : London (LHR) to Miami (MIA)
• Airline : British Airways
• Aircraft type : Airbus A380
• Aircraft registration number : G-XLEI
• On time departure : Yes (1.30 pm)
• On time arrival : Yes (6 pm)
• Miles : 4410 miles
• Flight time : 9 hours and 30 minutes
• Class : Business Class (Club World)

In this review (more information & photos below my YouTube video):

• Cost of my ticket
• Business Class cabin
• Business Class seat (+ best & worst seats)
• Amenities & bedding
• Entertainment
• Onboard internet
• Other inflight experiences
• My verdict (score)

1. COST OF MY TICKET

I paid this one-way ticket with miles. Total price: 57,500 AAdvantage miles (= American Airlines miles) + $150 USD. Read my review of AAdvantage here .

I have previously reviewed the British Airways Lounge at London Heathrow Airport here .

3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

British Airways’ Airbus A380 has a total of 469 seats: 14 seats in First (which I reviewed here ), 97 in Club World (Business Class), 55 in World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), and 303 in World Traveller (Economy). The 97 Business Class seats are spread over 3 cabins: one on the lower deck (between First and Economy Class) and two on the upper deck in the plane’s front section (with a galley in between them). The lower cabin contains 44 seats, while the two, more intimate upper deck cabins contain 25 and 28 seats respectively. All 3 Business Class cabins offer a sophisticated and contemporary atmosphere, giving a reassuring sense of wellbeing and comfort.

On the lower deck of the A380, the cabin has a 2-4-2 layout (similar to what is found on British Airways’ B777s). On the smaller upper deck, the cabin has a 2-3-2 layout, so there is more space for fewer passengers. All Business Class seats are arranged in an innovative “Ying/Yang” layout which   is unique to British Airways: window and middle seats face backwards, while aisle seats face forwards. Because of this unique concept, passengers seated in seated in a backward facing seat may have to jump over another passenger’s legs to reach the aisle.

For a seating plan of British Aiways’ A380, click  here .

4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)

The British Airways A380 Business Class (‘Club World’) seat is located within its own cocoon or suite. It has a pitch of 72 inches (182 cm) and a seat cushion width of 20 inches (50 cm). In front of the seat is a foot rest, which needs to be manually tilted in order to use it for comfort or as an extension of the flatbed. The angle of maximum seat recline is 180 degrees, and the overall length of seat when fully reclined into a flat-bed is a 6 ft (183 cm). The seat also has a reclined Z-position for relaxing and watching films in a near-recumbent position.

Each seat has its own private entertainment screen, which swings out from the suite’s side wall. With 12 inches or 20 cm, the screen is considerably larger compared to the TVs you find on British Airways’ older wide body planes. The screen tilts up and down, so watching the entertainment selection from the near or fully flat-bed position is perfectly possible. A decently sized tray table (18×14 inches or 45×35 cm) with bi-fold design is located below the screen. This side of the suite wall also features a power port, the seat controls, a handset for the inflight entertainment, and – at floor level – a storage compartment that can be used to stow away your shoes during the flight.

One of the most talked about (and unpopular) features of British Airways’ Business Class is the retractable privacy divider between adjoining seats. This screen can be lowered or raised, depending on the fact whether you are traveling solo or with a companion. The divider needs to be lowered during the safety briefing, and in addition, the crew will also lower it when they serve you meals & drinks; this can feel very awkward when you are seated next to a stranger because you are directly looking at him/her.

The main question is how to choose the best Business Class seat onboard the British Airways A380? Using this seat plan helps to understand the information outlined below:

• The two upper deck cabins feel more intimate as compared to the larger cabin on lower deck (because they contain less seats), so choose an upper deck seat. In addition, the upper deck is higher above the massive Rolls Royce engines and thus quieter.
• For solo travelers: the rear facing, window seats are more private and the ones you want to be seated in. In addition, the seats on the upper deck have a couple of side lockers, which are very useful for storing personal items.
• For solo travelers: if you cannot secure a window seat, your next best choice is the middle seat in the 2-3-2 upper deck configuration as it has an extra storage compartment. Note that you will have to step over the feet of the passengers either side unless you are in the rearmost row (in each cabin).
• For couples: the “honeymoon” center seats on the lower deck, where you’re basically seated as close to the person next to you as you would be in economy, are great if you’re traveling with someone you want to be that close to, though it would be downright awkward when you end up next to a stranger in that configuration.

What are the  best Business Class seats on British Airways’ A380?

• Row 53 (upper deck, front cabin): the window seats A & K are the single best seats on the plane since they offer direct aisle access without having to jump over the feet of other passengers. While the window seats on row 15 (lower deck) and row 59 (upper deck) also offer a clear exit route, they are less than desirable (cf below).
• The middle seat in the 2-3-2 upper deck configuration on rows 53 and 59 not only has an extra storage compartment, but also offers direct aisle access.

What are the  worst Business Class seats on British Airways’ A380?

• Row 50 (upper deck, front cabin): the windows seats A & K are missing a window.
• Row 50 (upper deck, front cabin): aisle seats B & J are to be avoided at all costs since other flyers tend to bump into these seats when they return from the lavatory.
• Row 59 (upper deck, second cabin): the Club World seats A, B, J & K are aligned with the middle seats of the first row in World Traveller Plus, which means that you are an aisle width and just a cloth curtain away from the baby bassinets against the cabin divider on the other side.
• Row 56 (upper deck, second cabin: the Club World seats F, J & K are located close to the lavatory, which may be bothersome to some flyers.
• Row 15 (lower deck): the Club World seats A, B, J & K are located close to the lavatory, which may be bothersome to some flyers.

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT: FLAT BED POSITION

5. AMENITIES & BEDDING

I received the following amenities on this British Airways A380 longhaul flight:

• An amenity kit, which was presented a drawstring bag (one for men and one for women) designed to double up as a shoe or lingerie and underwear bag. Both the men and women’s versions included Elemis spa products (moisturizer and lip balm), as well as an eyeshade, earplugs, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste and a pen for filling out arrivals forms.
• Sleeping amenities, which included a thin blanket and a decently sized pillow
• Noise-cancelling headphones

Upon boarding, I was offered a welcome drink (choice between a glass of Champagne, water, or orange juice). Shortly after take-off, I received a hot towel (with a disappointing texture). I was also served a soft drink (with ice & lemon) and a small bag with an assortment of cold salted & roasted nuts. Soon thereafter, lunch was offered (served on a single tray). I choose the following selection from the menu:

• Starter: Rosary Ash goat’s cheese mousse with pickled vegetable salad and samphire
• Main course: Chettinad chicken with coriander rice and tadka dal
• Duo of desserts: Mango & chocolate tower + berry cheesecake with raspberry compote

90 minutes prior to landing, I was served afternoon tea. I am not a big fan of British Airways’ afternoon tea & snacks concept (especially not of the sandwiches served in a plastic container), and it was not different this time. The afternoon tea service comprised the following items:

• Sandwiches featuring sliced British pastrami with Emmental cheese, gherkin and mayonnaise dressing; oak and apple smoked salmon with lemon and crème fraîche dressing; and sliced French brie with caralamized onion chutney, apollo lettuce, and mayonnaise.
• Sweets featuring buttermilk and fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry preserves, Victioria cone, and chocolate and salted caramel fondant.

7. ENTERTAINMENT

The British AIrways A380 Business Class seat is equipped with a private screen, two USB sockets, a power port, and a video RCA connection for your camcorder, DVD player or camera. The private screen (12 inches or 20 cm) swings out from the side of the suite’s cabin wall, and it also tilts up and down, so watching the entertainment selection from the near or fully flat-bed position is perfectly possible. The in-flight entertainment offers dozens of movies and box sets, alongside a range of other content, including an interactive flight map and chat sessions with other passengers (so if you fancy striking up a conversation with someone six rows or even a cabin away, now is your chance).

8. ONBOARD INTERNET

Unfortunately, WiFi was not available on this flight. British Airways is currently rolling out WiFi across its fleet and it is expected that 100% of the carrier’s aircraft will be connected by the end of this year. At present, there is no way of knowing for certain if your flight will have WiFi (you will only be notified once on board a connected flight).

9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES

# CREW : As always, the British Airways cabin crew did a terrific job. I am a huge fan of the carrier’s crew, which ranks among the most experienced in the air. Pilots and cabin crew have an average of 15 years’ experience. That is a reassuring thought for a nervous flyer like myself .

# BAR : Contrary to other airliners, British Airways did not install a fancy bar on its A380s for premium flyers. Why would they when they can pack the plane with paying passengers? Nevertheless, the plane has a walk-up “Club Kitchen” onboard, where Business and First Class fliers can graze between meals. During this flight, the walk-up bar offered retro sweets, Cadbury chocolates, and Kettle chips.

# LAVATORY : the two A380 upper deck Business Class cabins have two lavatories in total: one between the two cabins, and two in the nose of the plane. The latter are pretty large. All lavatories were kept very clean during the flight.

10. MY VERDICT

• Seat comfort (upright): 8/10
• Seat comfort (bed position): 8/10
• Food (quality): 5/10
• Food (quantity): 6/10
• Inflight entertainment : 7/10
• WiFi: 0/10 (not available)
• Service: 9/10
• Cabin design: 8/10
• Overall experience: average 7/10

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I traveled from Johannesburg to London Heathrow in 2019 and I wasn’t impressed with business class no alcohol and for food it came in a cardboard box, a finger roll with a slice of cheese and a lettuce leaf,a bag of mini cheddars and a bottle of water, breakfast was no better.It was the last flight out of Johannesburg because of the pandemic but to be charged £3848 for 2seats in business class disgraceful.

It seems like you’re a moaner, change the airline or stay at home don’t waste the space with your comments

Thanks a ton, you helped a lot with seat selection!

Thank you Kenneth for your review. It helped a lot. Larry is an idiot

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Airbus A380-800

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet manufactured by Airbus Industrie, the European consortium.

It is the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft and the upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. It is also one of the greenest, with lower community noise and emissions per passenger than the Boeing 747-400 despite having almost 50% more floor space and 60% more headroom.

Carbon fibre, a strong and light material, is used on key parts of the A380. Roughly 25% of the plane's overall structure is made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.

Making your journey a little bit smoother

• Choice of First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller
• On demand audio and video systems for all seats
• Spacious and quiet cabins

Technical information

Did you know.

• During take-off the A380 wing will flex upwards by over 4m.
• The 4400m2 surface of the A380 is covered in three layers of paint weighing around 500kg.
• The wings of the plane are 54% larger than the wings of a Boeing 747 aircraft.
• If all the wiring in the A380 is laid end to end, it will stretch from Edinburgh to London - 320 miles.

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British Airways A380 Club World upper deck Review

• 15 October 2017

At the end of September Roving Reporter and I used our Lloyds Avios card upgrade vouchers to go to Las Vegas. He went direct on a B747 and I went on an A380 via San Francisco. Next week I will be comparing our journeys side by side with his B747 review.

BA ‘s A380 Club World has never been my favourite Club World cabin but it has been a couple of years since I flew in one. The last few times I have flown on the A380 it has been in First when they were still doing the tasting menu which I really enjoyed. Now that the tasting menu has been “enhanced” I thought I would try Club World again to see if I still had the same opinion.

I flew Heathrow to San Francisco which, along with all routes except New York JFK, still has the old Club World catering and bedding. If you want to read about the new Club World catering you can read my review here . The new service will be rolled out to all long-haul routes in 2018.

In this post:

I used the First Wing check-in area which is available to Gold Cardholders and First customers. If I had used the Club check-in, it has a separate area which is now fenced off and there was virtually no queue there on a mid-week morning.

At the First wing, I encountered possibly one of the most miserable individuals working for BA I have ever met. He said all the standard things with the enthusiasm of someone who had just been told they were going to be sacked! How this individual was allowed on First check-in I have no idea. After a very slow process to check-in my one bag I made my way into the lounge with zero wait at First security.

Lounge and Elemis Spa

The A380s go from the C Gates, so if you don’t have access to the First lounge, I would recommend the Galleries Club lounge at the B gates as this is usually quieter than the main lounges. You can read my review of all the T5 BA Club lounges here . I popped into the First lounge and enjoyed a glass of Bolney English Sparkling wine which BA has been serving on board in First for a while.

First order of business was the Elemis spa. I had arrived around 2.5 hours early but was still expecting there to not be a spot available. There was nothing available at the A gates but when I asked them to check the B gates spa they could do a massage providing I went straight there. I decided not to bother as I didn’t want to wait the whole time at the B Gates as I was planning on visiting Plane Food . I probed again as to whether they had chair massages available and they had several slots available. I chose one of these at 12.40pm, in about an hour’s time. If ever you can’t get an appointment, it is always worth checking the B Gates or asking if they have a chair massage available as I have never failed to get one of these.

When I returned for my massage I watched as 2 of the staff were having their photo taken with one of the customers, who turned out to be Pierce Brosnan! Unfortunately, in all their excitement they forgot about me and I was left sitting there for nearly 15 minutes until someone came to collect me. I was offered a warm wrap for my neck which I accepted and I actually really enjoyed the chair massage. When I came out the place was deserted so I was unable to get any samples to take away. The service was perfunctory at best by the therapist.

BA have been looking at the Spa as an area for improvement, so I can only hope that they have got something planned. My personal recommendation would be that they go for a similar style to the Virgin Clubhouse where you can get a free short treatment but pay for others. Hopefully, the revenue from these would allow them to invest in more therapists and better treatments.

Seat, cabin and service

The boarding area was fairly civilised when I arrived and I walked through the Priority boarding channel and then the doorway for the Upper deck, which was sign-posted by seat number. This led up a ramp to the Upper deck where I was greeted and directed to my seat. The cabin crew member looking after me was pretty good. He had a slight no-nonsense approach but he was very polite and proactive throughout the flight and I had no real complaints.

The Club World seats are set across 3 cabins on the A380, 2 upstairs and 1 downstairs. I went for 53K upstairs as it had direct aisle access and was a window seat with extra storage. The drawback with this seat is that it is by the galley and I could hear noise during the flight. As it was a day flight I had decided this wasn’t really an issue. Another good option can be row 59 A&K depending on whether the bassinet is being used in World Traveller Plus just behind them. I shall review those seats next weekend when I compare it to Roving Reporter’s B747 trip.

The seat and surrounding area were very clean and still felt new, even though BA has had the A380s for quite a while now. The main reason I didn’t like the A380 was still there – the narrow gaps between the seats. It was quite tight getting my case through the gap with the footstool, even though my case wasn’t that big.

Other than the tight gap I was pleased with my seat. There was a huge amount of room for my things and I love it when I can virtually empty my hand luggage into the side bins so I don’t have to get up for anything during the flight. I had 3 side bins and the usual drawer too. Unfortunately one of the bins decided to stick shut with my handbag and passport inside it at the start of the flight so once I had finally wrestled them free, I decided not to use that one again!

I found the seat comfortable and the footstool was definitely far more robust than some of the older aircraft ones which collapse easily. The seat covering looked smart in the stitched dark brown. I will cover the seat for sleeping in next week’s review.

The only negative I could find about being on the upper deck was the view wasn’t as good since the windows have 2 layers of glass that are far apart. They are also at an angle, as well as being slightly misaligned with the seat so you have to lean forward.

The usual pre-departure drinks were offered where I was cheeky and asked for water and Champagne, which wasn’t a problem.

After take off I was offered a washbag, menu and then a hot towel. The wash bag was still the Elemis one. The new White Company ones are due to launch shortly on JFK but it is unclear if they will roll any other routes out this year or wait until 2018 when the new service starts being delivered on other routes.

One of the things I really like about the A380 upper deck is the enormous toilet at the front. Perfect if you want to change into different clothes for a flight. You can see why some airlines have put in a shower!

Food and drink

Having sampled the new Club World food earlier in September I was expecting to be disappointed but actually, the food was better presented than previously and overall pretty good. I found the choice on the menu a bit disappointing as until they introduce the new beef cooking method with the new Club, I shall be steering clear of the shoe leather!

The service started as always with a drinks round which was delivered by hand. I would normally go for a glass of wine but since they had the same wines as my previous JFK trip, I decided to try the rosé Champagne. BA currently have 3 Champagnes available in Club which I never quite understand. Personally, I would rather have a dessert wine and less choice of Champagne. The Champagnes on offer were:

• Henriot Brut Soverain NV (served as pre-departure drink)
• Castelnau Brut Réserve NV
• Castelnau Brut Rosé NV

Since I have never got round to trying the Rosé, I thought I would give that a go. It was probably my favourite out of the BA Club Champagnes but I don’t know if I would bother with it again. I was offered a top up after about 10-15 minutes which was good .

I chose the prawn starter. The prawns were well cooked and not rubbery, although they could have perhaps done with a bit more of a kick from the cayenne and paprika for me. I thought that the seaweed somewhat overpowered the prawns and made it too salty. The plate looked good and was almost at restaurant standard presentation. I particularly enjoyed the side salad which came with deep-fried crisp fava bean slices and olives with an olive oil and Pedro Jimenez sherry vinegar dressing.

I had a glass of Chardonnay with the starter which was OK but I enjoyed the Malbec more. These were fairly typical BA wines retailing at around the £8-10 mark; reasonably enjoyable but nothing special.

Next came the chicken curry. Although not the most attractive looking dish, there is only so much you can do with a curry. The main thing was that it was very tasty and quite filling. I liked the fact that the naan bread had coriander on it and it hadn’t gone soggy or dried out during the cooking.

To finish I went for the cheese as usual so I could enjoy a glass of the new six Graham’s Six Grapes port, although the menu was still wrong. Here is the full drinks list:

The presentation didn’t look great but I enjoyed the cheeses which were a good size and both tasted very good quality. Although, I prefer the new Club cheese plate with it broader range and accompaniments.

Club Kitchen

Later in the flight, I went to have a look at the Club Kitchen since I haven’t included many photos before. As a longer flight, this had a pretty good selection of food. These included in the fridge: ice cream, yoghurts, fresh fruit, pasta salad, cakes, sandwiches and a hummus snack pack. Outside the fridge were salted caramel popcorn (my favourite), crisps, chocolate, fruit, drinks and wine.

Before landing another full meal was served. Often I don’t bother with this since I am still full from earlier. This time I decided to have it as I knew I had a fairly tight connection onto Vegas and wouldn’t get anything to eat again that day.

The menu was:

Although the starter sounded odd, it was actually very enjoyable and beautifully presented. The only thing I could criticise was having fava beans in 2 meals was a bit much. The dressing was particularly nice although I had an enormous battle to get it out of the bottle as it was very thick.

I then had the sandwich which was fairly small but that wasn’t an issue for me. Again, it tasted better than it looked. The dessert was rather odd though. A rather eclectic mix of fruit including redcurrants with some sort of sauce. I gave that a miss after a quick taste of the sauce.

Entertainment and charging

The screens on the A380 were good. The definition was much better than the older aircraft and there was a good selection of new and older films, TV shows and games. The only thing I think could be improved was the selection of music which seemed a bit random. I watched the Wizard of Lies about Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, which defrauded his clients of billions starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. Although the film was interesting, it was also incredibly depressing, so it’s not one to watch if you want something light-hearted.

The controls were easy to use with a fairly standard remote and there was a USB and AV sockets for connecting your own equipment or charging. There was also a universal plug socket near floor level. This was useful as it meant I could charge 2 devices at once using the socket and USB. The usual noise cancelling headphones were supplied but I still prefer my own.

Overall I found this an enjoyable flight compared to some of the older BA aircraft I have been on. As you will know if you have read previous reviews, I, like many people, have been avoiding BA for long-haul flights after all the cost cutting and the lack of any new seats. BA are obviously investing money in their business class product again and are beginning to win me round, although I am not 100% there yet.

The seat was comfortable, everything was very clean and in good condition and the service was good. The food was all tasty and well presented. Having done the new service fairly recently it didn’t compare to that but I am beginning to come around to BA on routes where I can get an aisle access upper deck seat with extra storage once the new bedding and catering area in place.

Youn can find more information about BA’s A380’s on ba.com

Related Topics

• british airways executive club
• business class

Sky Suites at Aria hotel, Las Vegas review

• 14 October 2017

News: AA new bedding & EU compensation ruling

• 16 October 2017

Hi Michelle – first time in CW (JNB-LHR) would you recommend for a couple upper deck AB or JK? Presumably that’s nicer than a DE or EF combo? Thanks!

Hi Alex. The honeymoon seats in the lower deck are nice for couples as the seats are close together and quite private with the screens up although you will be eye to eye with a stranger for take off! The upper deck is a nicer experience with a small cabin in a 2-2 layout but as a couple you would be facing each other rather than side by side so depends on your preference

I am travelling to Johannesburg BA A380 and I want to travel light, as we are touring South Africa. My question is, will there be enough room in the overhead storage to accommodate my small (AWAY) carry -on case.. I do not want to have to check it in if I don’t have to. It will also save us time as our next flight to Cape Town only allows us 1 1/2 hours to make the connection?

Many thanks in advance for your help

I would say yes. If not the crew should find space for it somewhere as long as it’s within the permitted dimensions

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Best Club World Seats On The British Airways A380

popular post today

How do you choose your British Airways Club World A380 Business Class seat? You can see our British Airways Airbus A380 Club World Review .

The two upper deck cabins feel more intimate than the larger cabin on the lower deck (because they contain fewer seats), so choose an upper deck seat. In addition, the upper deck is higher above the massive Rolls Royce engines and thus quieter.

For solo travelers: the rear-facing window seats are more private than the ones you want to be seated in. In addition, the seats on the upper deck have a couple of side lockers, which are very useful for storing personal items.

For solo travelers: if you cannot secure a window seat, your next best choice is the middle seat in the 2-3-2 upper deck configuration as it has an extra storage compartment, though note you will have to step over the feet of the passengers on either side unless you are in the rearmost row (in each cabin).

The “honeymoon” center seats on the lower deck, where you’re basically seated as close to the person next to you as you would be in economy, are great if you’re traveling with someone you want to be that close to, though it would be downright awkward when you end up next to a stranger in that configuration.

Row 53 (upper deck, front cabin): window seats A & K are the best seats on the plane since they offer direct aisle access without jumping over the other passengers’ feet. While the window seats on row 15 (lower deck) and row 59 (upper deck) also offer a clear exit route, they are less than desirable (see below).

The middle seat in the 2-3-2 upper deck configuration on rows 53 and 59 not only has an extra storage compartment but also offers direct aisle access. We have also reviewed the worst Business Class seats on BA’s A380 . These are the ones to avoid.

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REVIEW – Conrad Singapore

Review – british airways : club world business class – london heathrow to singapore (a380).

British Airways (BA)

• Flight: BA 11
• Class: Club World (Business)
• From: London (LHR)
• To: Singapore (SIN)
• Duration: 12hr50
• Aircraft: Airbus A380
• Status during flight: OneWorld Sapphire
• Cost: £1300 for TXL-LHR-SIN-HKG-DPS round trip in Business Class
• Date: December 2015

After a mad dash we arrived at the gate only to see that “gate closing” wasn’t quite true. There was still a very large line of  Economy class passengers and a number of Business passengers were still lining up to board.

This was actually my first time flying in Business Class on an A380, after numerous A380 flights in First it felt a bit strange seeing so many people and seats in a space that holds so few on other airlines.

The BA A380, much like their B747, offers a distinctly superior proposition on the upper deck. The seating is arranged in a 2-3-2 formation as opposed to the 2-4-2 found in most BA Club World cabins. In addition to making the cabin feel far less cramped, the removal of the fourth centre seat also eliminates the awkward possibility of ending up in a weird ‘honeymoon seat’ with a total stranger.

The finishes on the A380 are noticeably newer and more stylish than on on the 777

BA A380 Upper deck Club World window seat, with standard BA ‘dog blanket’

Another cool thing about the upper deck is that the seats have a ton of storage space. One of the things that bothered me the most when I first tried BA Business class  was that there is almost no storage and the one small drawer is almost impossible to access in bed mode. Here on the A380 upper deck every window seat gets two giant storage bins which can be accessed throughout the flight.

The view through the divider of my window seat. As you can see, when the divider is down you are up close and personal with the seat mate who faces you.

Immediately upon boarding I was offered a PDB and had my jacket hung. I opted for water, in a bid to rehydrate after numerous G&Ts in the lounge 🙂

The side bins are very deep. I found that there was more than enough space for all of my belongings…

…especially since you get two massive bins per person!

As well as increasing storage and giving you a greater feeling of space (you are no longer pressed up against the windows), the side bins also serve as extra counter space.

Another upper deck advantage: when travelling with a companion, you can take two window seats and the person in front can easily turn back and talk to the other.

Unlike the 777, the privacy screen controls are clearly visible on the A380 (pro-tip: on the 777 the controls are located on top of the dividing wall)

The brand new Thales IFE system controller is very responsive and in some ways I prefer this to other, fancier looking, touch-screen controllers which often wind up lagging or glitching out.

Empower socket and USB socket.

The tiny storage drawer, all you get in a middle seat or downstairs window and very difficult to access once in bed mode. On this flight my drawer lay fallow and unused.

The touch screen IFE system is very crisp and responsive and BA has one of the better selections of entertainment of any airline (up there with AA, CX and EY)

Here’s the thing: people always tout seat consistency as one of the key benefits of BA:

‘Sure I may not get direct aisle access but I’ll always get a flat bed and never end up in a reclining chair instead.’

Fair enough, I agree in principle. Nobody wants to pay for business class and end up in a recliner (although AA will accommodate you on an alternate carrier if you get a last minute aircraft swap – as I once discovered ‘INVOL EQUIP CHG’). However, I would argue that the 777 and A380 Upper Deck products are remarkably different. The A380 cabin is subdivided into various smaller cabins and seats less people across than the 777, this gives a far more premium feel and eliminates the feeling of being in a giant dormitory. The A380 IFE system is also better, the windows are bigger, there’s more storage, the air quality is better, the lighting is better and as I would later find out, even the tableware is better!

After reading countless reviews online I never thought I would say this but my initial impressions of the BA A380 cabin actually put it ahead of my recent experience flying on JAL’s 777 business class . Sure, I didn’t have direct aisle access but I was getting just as much storage (if not more) and all of the finishes in the cabin are markedly superior on BA. The black, silver and grey colour scheme is really clean and modern, moreover the purple and blue lighting adds markedly to the effect.

After our eerily quiet take-off the cabin crew kicked into gear and came around offering drinks and bags of mixed nuts.

Pre-departure beverage: Castelnau 2004 champagne

I went with a glass of the Castelnau 2004 champagne, a lovely drop with a notable Pinot Noir dryness. The FA made a point of saying here is your ‘vintage champagne’ when handing it over. The The nuts were served cold, in the packet. In this regard BA falls behind the likes of AA and QR who serve more copious quantities of warm cashews and almonds, in ceramic bowls.

Conversely, I have always been impressed with hoe good BA are at keeping your glass topped up. Within seconds of reaching the halfway mark on my glass, the FA was leaning over the divider offering me more champagne. I’m not sure what it says about British culture in general but my home airline never lets you go thirsty 🙂

At this stage I was thinking that I had perhaps been a little mean to BA in the past, certainly a good BA crew always makes me feel at home. The conversation flows very easily and things just feel comfortable.

Looking through the menu it seemed like I wasn’t going to be disappointed here either:

[/vc_column_text]

BA185 Club World Menu

For the starter I went with the scallops. Two enormous and delectable beasts, atop a deliciously creamy cauliflower puree, garnished with Oscietra caviar! People berate certain airlines for not having caviar in F and here I was getting caviar in J 😮

Okay, not a lot of caviar but still…

The side salas was large but totally uninteresting. It would have been nice to have some more peppers or sun dried tomatoes in here.

Kamara went with the Salmon main course which she liked a lot, despite the fish being a little dry.

At this stage in the flight, things went a bit wrong. I waited for my main course for twenty minutes. I tried a bit of Kamara’s salmon in the meantime which kept me somewhat entertained. Twenty minutes later, still nothing. The cabin crew were wandering around clearing plates and bringing people deserts. I tried pressing the call button but got nowhere. It was just ignored. With the table down, I was kind of trapped, not to mention the fact that I was blocked from the aisle by another passenger’s foot rest.

Finally I was able to wave to one of the FA’s whilst her arms weren’t full of trays. I asked her if everything was ok with my main course. The cabin manager heard this and apologised profusely, saying that my main would be right out.

It was brought to me by the junior FA, with the following words: “Sorry about that, we were busy chatting”.

Just like that, all the hard work of her colleagues, the impressive cabin finishes and the great IFE selection were forgotten. This is the one thing that I remember the most from this flight. Being trapped and hungry and being told that chatting to colleagues was more important than looking after a paying customer. Unreal. Once you’ve flown the likes of Singapore , ANA and JAL , you’ve seen the apex of service, the pinnacle of what can be achieved. Those words would never have been uttered by an employee of one of those airlines. Never.

Once I saw the food I was actually a little taken aback. The presentation was fantastic. Not only did the black plate look like something you’d get in a decent London restaurant, the steak had a beautiful maillard crust on the outside and the broccoli appeared to be very well cooked.

Unfortunately, whilst the broccoli had a satisfying crunch to it, offsetting the creaminess of the truffle and artichoke risotto – the steak was a hockey puck. Totally overcooked. You could have used this thing as a shock absorber on the front of a train.

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and always prefer cheese to dessert. However BA always tends to go for bland and milky cheeses. Where is my festering lump of blue delight? Nowhere, that’s where.

I didn’t have any coffee after the meal because BA don’t offer espresso based coffee to business class passengers. The £0.10 Nespresso capsules are reserved for people in First class. So much for Business Class being a ‘premium’ cabin.

Full from the meal, I decided to get some rest. The pillow on this flight seemed a little thicker than the one on the 777 but the blanket was the same scratchy, thin and flimsy thing that I remembered.

On the upside: my window seat was very private, giving me a peaceful cocooned felling for sleep.

After a solid 6 hours of sleep I headed over to the galley to investigate the Club Kitchen.

Not much in the way of healthy snacks, other than the fruit. It would be nice to have some cashew nuts or jerky. Still, it is nice to have a large selection of drinks available at all times.

I sat and watched a movie for an hour or so, at which point I smelled the smell of breakfast being heated up. An odour which permeates an airplane cabin and usually brings with it a slight sense of sadness, as it almost invariably marks the closing stanza of an intercontinental flight.

I went with the Traditional English. One day I’ll get black pudding on a plane… one day.

As you can see from the water glass, there was a fair bit of turbulence during the breakfast service but the staff coped very well. I loved the fruit, it was varied and tasted very fresh. The ‘coffee’ was horrendous though. Much like ordering beef on BA, when you order their insipid brown dishwater, part of you hopes that something will have changed, things will have improved… they hadn’t. For a traveller on business, coffee is a necessity not a luxury. Withholding the good stuff in order to differentiate between cabins is a shitty thing to do, especially when it is such a low cost item to provide.

The omelette and the sausage were decent but the hash browns were completely soggy. The bacon had a fatty rind on it which was as wide as my thumb.

The breakfast may have been underwhelming but how can you remain annoyed when you have these magnificent Rolls Royce engines to gaze upon?

I absolutely love seeing all the ships during the approach to Singapore. 10 miles out to sea, the energy of The Merlion City is palpable. Captivating.

The upper deck window seats on the BA A380 solve most pressing concern that I had with the 777 Club World experience: lack of storage space.

There are plenty of other advantages to the A380, irrespective of your choice of seat:

• Lack of privacy due to being one enormous, undivided cabin is avoided. Club World on the A380 is broken into a series of smaller, more intimate spaces.
• Air quality is better. You feel less eye, mouth and nose dryness and you feel less jetlagged.
• IFE is guaranteed to be the newest HD Thales system

However, the beef is still inedible; the coffee is still undrinkable; aisle seats still have no privacy at all and the crew are still capable of being extremely unprofessional.

For the price I paid for this ticket, I certainly got value for money. honestly I feel like the price is about right for what you get. The thing is that BA, until recently, used to charge double this price (or more). Having luxuriated in the sheer opulence of the Singapore Airlines cabin on this route , I would gladly pay £2k+ to fly to Singapore with them. The memory of each flight with SQ is a delight that lasts a lifetime.

Would I pay £2k to fly BA? No chance.

JarvisMarcos

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7 BREATHTAKING observation decks for spectacular views of Moscow

1. Observation decks at Moscow City

There are two main observation decks in the Moscow City business district. They offer a 360-degree panoramic view of the Russian capital.

The first is located on the 56th floor of the Empire Tower . It can only be accessed with a tour, which takes place every 30 minutes. It is located at a height of 215 meters, occupies an entire floor.

However, the highest observation deck – PANORAMA 360 – is located on the 89th floor of the Federation Tower.  It takes less than a minute to access it by elevator and you can visit it without a tour, but remember to purchase a ticket first!

Presnenskaya Naberezhnaya, 12 

2. Ostankino TV Tower

An excursion to the Ostankino TV Tower includes visits to two observation decks: a covered one at a height of 337 meters and an open one at a height of 340 meters. For a long time (until the PANORAMA 360 was opened), Ostankino Tower offered the highest observation point in Moscow. The viewing platforms here offer excellent views of VDNKh, the Botanical Gardens, the Moscow City skyscrapers and many other parts of Moscow.

Once you are here, it’s worth having a drink or something to eat at the café. It has a revolving floor and makes a full circle every 40 minutes!

Akademika Koroleva St, 15

3. Ivan the Great Bell Tower

Once you are inside the Kremlin, you can climb 137 steps up to the viewing platform at the top of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower , which is 25 meters tall. From the top, you get splendid views of the Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin and the Moskva River embankments.

Kremlin 

4. Observation deck at the Central Children's Store

There is a small observation deck on the rooftop of the newly renovated Central Children's Store in Lubyanka, offering up-close views of central Moscow, including the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, Christ the Savior Cathedral and the city's central streets. You can use the tower viewers installed there to take a closer look at the Kremlin towers or the three-tier gilded inscription under the dome of Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Let us know what you think it says!

Teatral'nyy Proyezd, 5  

5. Sparrow Hills

The viewing platform on the steep bank of the Moskva River can be rightly called one of Moscow's main sites. Entrance is free and it offers panoramic views of central Moscow, the Luzhniki stadium and the famous Seven Sisters buildings.

Since 2018, it can also be reached by a cable car from the Luzhniki stadium – the views that you will experience during the ride in the cable car are no less spectacular!

Universitetskaya Square   

 7. Observation deck at Gorky Park

A walk in Gorky Park would not be complete without a visit to its observation deck situated on the roof of the Main Entrance’s arch. From there you can see many interesting things, and if you make use of the tower viewers, you’ll be able to take a closer look at the park alleys, as well as the Krymsky Bridge, the Seven Sisters buildings and Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Krymsky Val, 9

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• Moscow for two: 5 romantic spots in the capital
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• 24 or 48 hours in Moscow: Where to go and what to do in 2019
• 7 urban observation decks in Russia that offer the best views
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PANORAMA360

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PANORAMA360 - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Viral Video: Inside World's Largest Double-Deck Airliner -Airbus A380

T he Airbus A380, renowned as the world's largest double-deck airliner, has captured attention on social media with its expansive and distinctive interior design. Recent viral footage shows the unique layout of this aircraft, which features two levels to accommodate a large number of passengers. On the lower deck, passengers find a spacious main cabin area with rows of seats in various configurations, catering to the economy, premium economy, and business class travelers.

Wide aisles facilitate easy passenger movement throughout this section. Upstairs, accessible via stairs, the upper deck offers additional seating areas, often reserved for premium classes like business or first class. This upper level exudes exclusivity and tranquility, providing a quieter and more private setting for passengers. Both decks feature essential amenities such as lavatories, galley areas for food preparation, and ample storage for luggage. The A380's interior design prioritizes comfort and convenience for long-haul travelers, with modern styling that includes ergonomic seating, ambient lighting, and durable yet visually appealing materials.

The aircraft's spaciousness is a standout feature, affording broader seats and ample room for passengers to move about compared to other planes, thereby enhancing overall comfort during the journey. The atmosphere inside the A380 is described as lively during boarding and meal services, transitioning to a serene ambiance during quieter flight phases. Notably, the design minimizes noise and vibrations, contributing to a pleasant in-flight experience. The A380's interior represents a blend of functionality and modern aesthetics, offering a comfortable and memorable travel experience for those aboard this iconic airliner.

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A video that showed the inside view of the world’s largest double deck airliner (Airbus A380) went viral on the internet.

The Airbus A380, renowned as the world’s largest double-deck airliner, has captured attention on social media with its expansive and distinctive interior design.

Recent viral footage shows the unique layout of this aircraft, which features two levels to accommodate a large number of passengers.

On the lower deck, passengers find a spacious main cabin area with rows of seats in various configurations, catering to the economy, premium economy, and business class travelers.

Wide aisles facilitate easy passenger movement throughout this section. Upstairs, accessible via stairs, the upper deck offers additional seating areas, often reserved for premium classes like business or first class.

This upper level exudes exclusivity and tranquility, providing a quieter and more private setting for passengers.

Watch video here

What the world’s largest double-deck airliner, Airbus A380, looks like inside … pic.twitter.com/IrUZLtBPef — Figen (@TheFigen_) April 16, 2024

Both decks feature essential amenities such as lavatories, galley areas for food preparation, and ample storage for luggage.

The A380’s interior design prioritizes comfort and convenience for long- haul travelers, with modern styling that includes ergonomic seating, ambient lighting, and durable yet visually appealing materials.

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The 10 Best Places for Panoramic Views of Moscow

The city on seven hills, Moscow is quite a view from above. No matter how much you walk around Russia’s capital, no Moscow experience is ever complete without a visit to one of the city’s observation decks. From Michelin-star restaurants , to 16th-century bell-towers – here are Moscow’s best places with panoramic views.

White rabbit.

Located on the 16th floor of the Smolensky Passage shopping mall, White Rabbit is a restaurant with Michelin-star winning menu and breathtaking views. Discover the latest food trends, while enjoying fantastic views of the Kremlin walls, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and two of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers – Hotel Ukraine and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

White Rabbit, 3 Smolenskaya Square, Moscow, Russia, +7 495 782 62 62

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVm-W8XgdB-/?taken-by=whiterabbitmoscow

Ivan Velikiy Bell Tower

Built in 1508, the Ivan Velikiy Bell tower had been Moscow’s tallest construction up until the 17th-century. To marvel at the views from the height of 25 meters, you’ll need to climb 137 steps, which might be quite challenging. The observation deck is open from April to October. Children under 12 are not allowed there, even when accompanied by adults.

Ivan Velikiy Bell Tower, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, +7 495 697 03 49

Time Out Bar

One of the most famous panoramic bars in Russia’s capital, Time Out occupies the 12th and 13th floors of Peking Hotel Moscow. Apart from its glorious location, the bar is known for its unconventional cocktails, featuring a very eclectic combination of cold stock and vodka.

Time Out Bar, 5 Bolshaya Sadovaya, Moscow, Russia, +7 495 229 01 80

https://www.instagram.com/p/Si_rbQEBRE/?taken-by=timeoutbar

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Built in 2004, Patriarchy Bridge commands the magnificent vistas of the Kremlin, Moskva river embankments, the island of Red October, the Peter the Great statue and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour . The latter, in its turn, has four observation decks of its own, set 40 meters between the cathedral bell towers, 40 meters above the ground. Available only as part of a guided tour, they offer amazing views on Gorky park, Krymsky bridge, Poklonnaya tower and Kotelnicheskaya embankment building.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, 15 Volkhonka Street, Moscow, Russia

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc-WHCll8fL/?taken-at=639573152

The highest altitude restaurant in Europe, Sixty is the pinnacle of Moscow’s panoramic places. Located on the 62th floor of the Federation Tower of the Moscow International Business Center, this place seems to have it all: head-spinning views, great food and vibrant atmosphere.

Federation Tower, 12 Presnenskaya emb., Moscow, Russia, +7 495 653 83 69

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYxlO2jF648/?taken-by=sixtymoscow

Imperia Tower

Another panoramic place of the Moscow city, this observation deck draws crowds looking for futuristic views. Here you can take a closer look at the skyscrapers of the Moscow International Business Center and enjoy the views of the Moscow State University, Ostankino Tower, Moscow’s White House and Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Imperia Tower, Presnenskaya emb., Moscow, Russia, +7 495 236 72 90

Vorobyovy Gory

Opened in 1953, Moscow’s most famous observation deck is on every first-time visitor’s must-see list. Here you can spot almost every important landmark in the city: from all the seven Stalinist skyscrapers, to Ostankino tower, and Peter the Great statue – now you can take a closer look at each of them using free binoculars.

Observation Deck, Vorobyovy Gory, Moscow, Russia

Ostankino Tower

Completed in 1967, Ostankino Television Tower was the world’s highest building at the time of construction. The 540-meter-tall tower features two observation decks: the open-air one, which is open from May to October and the one with glass walls, which you can visit all year round.

Ostankino Tower, 15 Akademika Koroleva Street, Moscow, Russia

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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