And Speaking of Flying …
The several airlines that have purchased the huge new Airbus A380 have been bragging about the amount of space and the luxurious accommodations enjoyed by first class passengers.
Well, OK, they have a right to do that because, depending on each airline’s specified configuration, passengers in business class and especially those riding in first class are indeed surrounded by unprecedented amounts of space and luxury.
But, with first class fares for trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flights running upwards of $800-$1,000 per hour-in-the-air, how many of us normal folks will actually be able to enjoy all that luxury?
As a visual reminder, here’s a look at where most of us will be riding if and when we find ourselves on one of these winged behemoths.
I am unashamed to admit that the thought of being one of 700-to-800 passengers – again, depending on how each individual airline configures their version of the A380 – does make me very uncomfortable. Of course, back in the late 1950s when American Airlines first introduced the Boeing 707, I clearly recall a friend and veteran traveler saying, “I will never get on a plane that can carry 150 people!”
Such timing, Jim! CNN is reporting that Boeing’s Dreamliner will have its first flight today.
Something about the Airbus’s first class seems rather like the old Pan Am Clippers.
I wish them well but in the days of TSA and the profitable 31″ seat pitch, I think I’ll let someone else have my share.