Dubai based Emirates places $11.5 billion Airbus A380 order

by Scott Carmichael on

Dubai based Emirates just placed a whopping $11.5 billion order for 32 Airbus A380’s. This is in addition to the ten they currently own and the 48 they still have on order – which instantly makes them the largest customer of the super jumbo. Once all their orders are delivered, Emirates will operate a fleet of 90 A380’s – worth about $30 billion.

This news comes hot off the heels of the news that Airbus delivered their 30th A380 – and are well on their way to turning the plane into a huge success.

The order was placed at the Berlin Air Show where Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum signed the paperwork – $11.5 billion in paperwork.

The massive order is not only good for Emirates and Airbus – it is also a sign that the trouble aviation world may be well on its way to a full recovery.

The most over-the-top first class cabins

by Katie Hammel on

While most coach flyers would kill for a little extra leg room and a free bag of peanuts, first class passengers are often living the good life with free-flowing drinks and fully-reclining seats. But there are some first class cabins that go beyond simply luxury and begin to cross into the land of excess.

For example, according to a post on Divine Caroline, Singapore Airlines offers its first class passengers Givenchy sleepwear, Ferragamo toiletry kits and personalized turndown service. Jet Airways welcomes passengers into their own private room with a door that shuts for privacy, while on Emirates, they get their very own suite, complete with personal lounge and shower.

On Lufthansa, the VIP service starts before you even board, as a Mercedes Benz chauffeurs you to the plane. Qatar Airways’ first class lounge has a Jacuzzi and full-service spa.

Some airlines turn your seat into a cinema or a four-star restaurant. Qantas Airlines’ first class seats offer a 400-channel entertainment center and an eight-course meal with wine pairings. Seats on Cathay Pacific have built massagers and flight attendants cook each passenger’s breakfast to order.

And here I was just hoping for a good in-flight movie and a few free drinks. . .

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Inside the Emirates A380 First Class shower

by Scott Carmichael on

Last week, I wrote how smelly passengers are among the most annoying people to be sitting next to on a flight. For passengers in First Class on Emirates flights serviced by their Airbus A380, body odor can be a thing of the past (and I don’t mean though copious amounts of Drakar Noir).

The Emirates Airbus A380 is the first commercial plane in the world to feature full shower facilities. Passengers in First Class can request the use of the shower, and are allotted 30 minutes of privacy, along with 5 minutes of water.

The shower facility is massive when compared to most bathrooms in the skies, and the room is thoroughly cleaned between each visit. In fact, this flying shower has more features than most of us have at home, including a flat panel TV and several integrated closets and hangers.

This photo was taken inside the shower cubicle. You can clearly see the water timer to the left of the shower head, which should help prevent you from a nasty surprise when your 5 minutes are up.

A beautifully arranged sink area with a marble counter top and a real faucet, unlike the crappy faucets us commoners get on most flights. Other amenities include a hair dryer and of course various toiletries.

I’m not an aviation specialist, but I can imagine the design hassles involved in carrying enough water for all these showers are immense. Still, when you are paying upwards of $4000 for the pleasure, a little luxury goes a long way.

Many thanks to Flyertalk member Flyingfox for granting us permission to use his fantastic photos.

Booking an Emirates flight? Save $100 today only

by Grant Martin on

If you’ve got any transoceanic travel coming up in the next few months, today is a great day to buy tickets. Why, you ask? Because Emirates, one of the best airlines on the planet, is having a one day sale where they’re taking $100 off any online booking.

This could be your opportunity to try out one of the hottest carriers for a discounted price, or maybe get $100 back on the primo-expensive first class tickets from New York to Dubai. Emirates is also one of the only two carriers flying the A380, so if you’ve been itching for an excuse to fly one of the giant creatures of the sky, you’ve got it. And for those of you in Australia and New Zealand, Emirates offers very competitive service between your two countries (in addition to the A380 SYD-AKL route.)

Check out details and book your tickets at Emirates.com.

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Flight attendant pleads guilty to bomb hoax

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It was a bad week for Australians, it seems. A naval officer was physically restrained on a flight to London. Not too long after, Matt Carney, a flight attendant from Melbourne, was sentenced to 18 months in jail in England. It was his own fault: he left not one but two(!) notes on a plane to London, “warning” of a bomb. Of course, he was working the flight.

The 23-year-old soon-to-be-former flight attendant is from Melbourne, but he’ll have a new home for a while. As soon as his Emirates Boeing 777 landed at Gatwick Airport, Carney was arrested. No explosives were discovered. One note was found in the lav, the other in the flight attendant’s luggage.

The note was “discovered” when Carney found wires in the lav. Though they weren’t connected to anything, the crew monitored this smallest of spaces. A passenger later found the note, which included: “We have the Taliban to thank for this.”

In pleading guilty to making a hoax threat (he denied endangering the safety of an aircraft), Carney said through his lawyer that he was stressed and tired. If Dubai to London wore him out, let’s see how he handles 18 months in the slammer.