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This is a multi-part trip report that started here.

After being escorted to our seat from our stellar private car ride, we met two pursers who were extremely friendly and professional. They both offered to show us to our closets and because the flight was 4/8 full today, they insisted that we use the window seats to watch the takeoff and the middle seats to sleep in.

Personal Locker

After sitting down in a window seat, the purser came by and handed me my Ginger Ale and Macadamia Nuts. Both were delicious as usual. After the doors were locked, the attendants came around and handed each of us a pair of pajamas. She asked if we needed anything else and promptly proceeded to fill my glass up with Ginger Ale again. Unlike the 747, this flight didn’t run out of Ginger Ale!

The A380 First Class is what Lufthansa calls their “New First Class.” Lufthansa has changed their first class multiple times over the past few years and although I didn’t understand why they didn’t put beds in all of the planes, I soon realized why people prefer the new layout over the older one. The seats on the A380 are actually very comfortable. They’re made of the same material as the 747 seats but have a bit more padding. There is an ottoman at the end of the seat and it can be controlled to move forward for shorter people like me. The ottoman also acts as a massive storage unit that can fit a purse, camera or other essential items.

The Storage Ottoman

I started playing with the seat controls and throughout the entire plane ride; I couldn’t figure them out fully.

 

The Seat Controls
Extra Storage

The captain came on the air and said that today’s flight would be about 10 hours and 20 minutes. That gave me ample time to sleep, eat, and watch movies. Unlike the 747, the A380 has a bigger multimedia system. There were more songs, movies, and TV shows. However, the coolest part of this plane was the tail view camera. This camera was showing the plane in real time and I got to watch the entire takeoff roll!

 

The TailCam

The A380 also comes with Bose noise cancelling headphones. This is a major plus compared to the other headphones supplied in Lufthansa planes.

Although I forgot to take a picture of it, the noise cancelling curtains ACTUALLY work. I don’t know what it is made out of but it works wonder because you don’t hear the constant clamoring of the galley right behind First Class.

Soon after pushing back, we were cleared for takeoff and got into the air pretty quickly. After the seat belt sign was turned off, the attendants sprung into action. They brought by menu cards, which didn’t have anything appealing in it. They also continued to refill my glass of Ginger Ale and offered me more Macadamia Nuts.

The First Class Cabin
Automatic Window Shade

I went into the bathroom to change and was immediately blown away by the sheer size of it. Someone can actually sleep on the bench that is in the bathroom! The A380 bathrooms are huge. The sink is also quite massive and so I had no problem washing my face without fear of water dripping everywhere. There is a covered urinal in the bathroom that no one uses. The toilet is my only gripe with this plane because they made it feel extremely cheap. The bench that is lined across the entire wall is a nice place to just sit and ponder at how this bathroom is so big. LEDs light the bathroom and it looks amazing!

The Massive Bathroom

After getting over my initial shock, I walked out and saw that the purser was taking orders for dinner. She insisted that I eat with my sister by using the ottoman as a chair. I didn’t even know that was possible, so it was surprising to me that two people can eat together almost like a restaurant table.

Things went from cool to weird in a matter of seconds when the flight attendant gave our “table” a rose and said “all you need now is a candle.” I don’t know about you guys but I’m not one to go to candlelight dinners with my SISTER.

Soon after taking our orders, I started to get sleepy. The purser kind of noticed this but still brought out the courses one by one. EVERYTHING on this flight was disgusting. The worst of all the courses was the “Air dried beef.” Honestly, I have no words to describe this. I didn’t keep track of the menu because it was taken away as soon as our orders were placed. The following are pictures of all the courses:

Seared Salmon
Prawn Sprinkled with Saffron & Kimchi
“Air Dried” Beef
Sushi Sampler
Beef Tenderloin

After eating bits and pieces of bread, I was off to sleep. At first, I didn’t like the A380 cabin because I thought it lacked privacy. This was my initial thought when I chose the middle seat because you have a clear view of the person next to you.

Not Too Much Privacy from People Who Stare

When I asked to have my bed made, the purser and another attendant came and started pushing buttons. Before I knew it, my seat had magically turned into a suite. The middle partition had come up and so had the side partition. By the end of the process, it was actually more private than the 747 seat! The bed is supported by a separate mattress cover that is put on by the attendants. The blanket is actually a duvet!

Before Privacy Dividers
After Privacy Dividers

I slept for a good 7 hours and was awoken by the attendant for breakfast service. I never have slept longer on any other flight! The breakfast was a little bit more tolerable than dinner because they had fresh eggs and cereal. I still wasn’t in the mood to eat much after dinner left such a bad impression. I asked for some orange juice and one glass became five.

With 30 minutes left to go, I changed back into my normal clothes and sat at the window. The purser came by and thanked us all for flying Lufthansa and took some time to talk to me about my crazy journey.

I watched the A380 approach Tokyo-Narita from the tail cam and soon after, we were parked next to the Thai Airways 747 that was to take us to Bangkok. Deplaning was smooth as we had our own door to exit. We left the plane and headed through security to the ANA Suite Lounge.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the A380 product over the 747. The plane is just so much quieter and more comfortable. Even the pillows and blankets given on the A380 are better than the bedding set on the 747.

Stay Tuned for my next post!

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