I will NEVER fly on the new Airbus A380......anybody else watching the

[Gloria]

TLC show about the construction of this thing??? It's huge...and so many places to screw up!!

What unnerved me was the tour around a model interior......complete with waterfall and two full decks...God, think of the electrical problems! The original Airbus had bigtime electrical problems ....wonder if they're using the flame retardant electrical wiring??

Reminds me of when I flew on a 747 on United about 20 years ago...they had set up a buffet of all things. As I strolled back to my seat with food, I envisaged what would happen if turbulence struck...

All that luxury and complacent comfort........gives me the creeps!

Plus, the parts come from all over the world........just too many chances for error or quality concerns, as far as I'm concerned. Then, it's partially assembled in various places before it's finally put together outside Toulouse ( I think it's Toulouse.) .........Scary.........

The team is under incredible stress... plus EACH AIRLINE wants a customized interior!! God, customized vans create enough of a problem with electrical modification, etc.

[pagerbear]

1. Is that the double-decker jumbo jet?

[Gloria]

3. Yes! It is just out of control.....

They're showing all the pressures of designing things like the overhead compartments...something as "simple" as that....

I am NOT impressed, although John Travolta is in love with it...

Gosh, they have clips of it ....it looks like a huge DOLPHIN....

[Castilleja]

2. I agree, I think it is way too big

and just not a good idea. By ther way, was that part of a pun there? "Put together outside of Toulouse (I think it's Toulouse) ;)

[AngryAmish]

4. A380 is way cool

They used to have bars on 747s, but took them out for more seats. These things will hold tons of people. I am a bit of an aviation geek - I like looking at airplanes.

I also beleive each airline now gets a custom interior on any airplane. If I was hundreds of million per unit down, I certainly would want it customized.

[foo_bar]

5. the Hindenburg had great service

God doesn't want us to fly and eat buffets concurrently.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. It's pretty big...

and complicated, but most commercial liners are built from parts from all over the world now, and use technology that could screw up. Me, I'm still more afraid of dying on the NJ Turnpike than any airplane being built.

As far as interiors go, that's big business. Should you ever have the money to buy a new Gulfstream V for about 80 million bucks, you might be tempted to compare that with what airlines pay for their planes.

Over half the price is in the custom woodwork, appointments, and those big, comfy leather seats.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Luxury and comfort my crammed into a tiny little box @ss...

Oh, yeah. I love how they try to sell those things by showing how you can have a health club, spa, basketball court, whatever inside. The minute I read about it, my reaction was- "yeah, right. Like when the time comes, the bean counters aren't going to jam it wall to wall with seats.." The more they blather about how this one will be extra roomy and comfortable the more certain I am that it's going to be the worst flying %@(*()%ing cattle car yet. Like the "extra roomy" 777? They built that thing huge, and what did we get-- Anyone have the special pleasure of flying one of those bastards for a really long international flight in coach? If you're really lucky, you can get stuck in that middle seat of urinary doom in the center of a row of 5, so every time you have to pee you have to climb over not one, but two of your neighbors in either direction. Jesus, they've made flying total, utter torture, unless you're a midget or have the foresight to sedate yourself into not caring.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Fly economy in a 747 from SF to Hong Kong if you want to see

crammed-in conditions....and you enjoy that for 17 hours straight.

I got upgraded once and flew Business class in the top deck....big difference. But, I'll never forget landing in Taiwan. A dining cart, chock full of dirty china plates, got untethered and dumped about 200 plates and cups that crashed and broke up in the aisles. The noise was so bad, I though the plane was busting up. What a mess. I'll never forget the look on the stewardess's faces when they surveyed the damage...