It's not called airbus for nothing. Flying in it is as boring as riding a bus. I'd rather have that cup that Joe flew.
I've had the pleasure of flying on the A380 three times, a return trip (economy class) from London to Singapore on Singapore Airlines in 2009 and this year with Quantas flying from London to Sydney in their 'economy plus' class.
I found it to be very clean, comfortable, quiet, the service was superb and it was, by some margin, the best way to fly distance I have yet experienced.
I was lucky enough to book seat 48D going to and from Singapore, on the lower deck. This seat doesn't have one in front of it so you have all the leg-room you could want.
As for Quantas?
Well, let me put it like this, if I'd paid the (huge) premium for business or 1st class over their economy plus I'd have been seriously pi**ed off.
This was on the upper deck and the seats were excellent once again the service was superb.
I came back from Sydney on a British Airways 747-400 and it really was so obviously a full generation behind.
It was noisey, a bit old grubby, the seats were not as spacious, the in-flight entertainment was nothing like as good but BA did their best with the service.
Frankly I want my flights as a passanger to be 'boring' - if by that you mean a quiet aircraft having excellent seating, modern in-flight entertainment and big enough to support service that keeps the food drink coming as and when you want it.
The thing that strikes me about A380 is the size of that wing 'wing box'.
It is very obvious that there is a huge degree of stretch available to the makers/airlines as and when they want it.
1000 seats is not beyond possibility.
They are merely waiting for the rest of the infrastructure to catch up....although I did not find waiting on bags etc an issue either.
The supposed debate over hub or point to point is in my opinion to miss the point.
Both are necessary in todays travel.
Boeing is just getting the bad rap
I think a large slice of this is down to the anti-A380 PR work Boeing did.
The A380 was slated left, right centre.
Now the boot is on the other foot in my opinion, at least to some degree, Boeing are a victim of the game they tried to play on Airbus.
Their wrapping this up in a US v Euro's patriotic theme, whilst understandable perhaps, is a nonsense.
Both are full of components parts sourced from other countries.