A-380 or B-747-400?

freddie · 11-07-2005, 23:52

I'm in the middle of a predicament. I'm about to purchase a wide-bodied jet airliner. And I simply can't choose between Airbus A-380 and Boeing 747-400 (the infamous Jumbo Jet).

I know what you're thinking - A-380 is a lot more modern in every respect. I'll be a part of the in crowd for decades with that baby. Meanwhile origins of the Jumbo go back to the 60s. But still - despite it's age and obsolete technology (which is relative - for instance you still get a glass cockpit inside a new 747) - it's still a status symbol. Something you proudly point at, when it's waiting for you at the airport, being fueled up.

I'd use the plane primarily to make short hops between European capitals with an occasional weekly leap across the great pond. Don't start with the "you don't need a wide-bodied jet for that" crap. I know that. So spare me with advices to buy a Boeing 777 or an Airbus 340 (what's next? A freaking DC-9?! Sheesh). As I mentioned above an airplace is as a status symbol. The elite. A sign that you made it. Top of the heap. King of the Hill. New York, Neeewww Yooooork... errr, anyway for that you can't go any better than a wide-bodied beauty. So you can safely proclaim without any hint of a doubt that yours is infact the widest and the longest of them all.

As far as the interior is concerned it's not really an issue of differentiation between the two - both maufacturers build in whatever you desire. So my dilemma revolves around technical stuff mostly. I can get a brand-spanking new A-380 for $280 million, while Boeing wants to sell me their 747 for a ridiculously low $210 million (it's like they want to give it away for free, I swear!) - but that price includes the student discount, which is around $5 million. On the other hand there is a lot more maintanence and pure running costs with a 747. The Airbus A-380 is at least 30% cheaper to run not to mention it consumes less fuel. Especially if I go for the optional Royce Rolls Trent 900 jet engines. Which I might - cerosin doesn't grow on trees, you know? Also - Airbus is made in the good old EU. Me as a pround European should prefer "our" stuff before American, right? Besides - my pilots are all trained on Airbus platforms, so they wouldn't have to adapt a lot, since an A-380 cockpit is practically identical to A-320/330/340 (I'm having a small staff crises otherwise - all my crews are complaining for getting just canned corn and 2 pieces of bread each for lunch. I can't help it - I can get planes on credit. But pilots want cash. Damn bastards - let them go to Lufthansa if they please. I'm sure they'll never ever allow them christmas vacations, like I do. I'm soft, yeah, I know.)

Anyway... I almost made up my mind already for the A-380 but darn those Boeing boys - they sweetened the deal and made it tough to decide for me once again: now they're offering me the 747-400 ER (Extended Range), for the SAME price. And that's not all. They'll also throw in a 100 tons of cerosin, a ton of vaseline and an air-freshner for the cockpit. And there's another downfall to Airbus - I could get it in 2008 the soonest, while I'd be glidding with a brand new Jumbo by the end of next year already. I swear I don't know what to do. Honestly it's so hard to choose that I just might continue riding my bicycle for a while. It's THAT tough to choose.

teeny · 12-07-2005, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddie

those Boeing boys - they sweetened the deal and made it tough to decide for me once again: now they're offering me the 747-400 ER (Extended Range), for the SAME price

sounds like a bit of a bargin. I'm pretty sure you can convince then to throw in a few european airmaps.. make the deal even sweeter..
Yeah I'm voting for the Boeing. It looks more impressive. Not sure it can fit Lolland-Falster airport but it'll fit the one in Copenhagen I hope..

KillaQueen · 12-07-2005, 10:32

I vote for the Boeing too

But freds, for that amount of money (or even half), I can turn into an airplane! Honestly!

haku · 12-07-2005, 14:25

I'll choose the A-380 without hesitation, the 747 is an antiquity and much smaller, with the A-380 you get the highest technology and a full double deck.

But different people like different things, it's like having to choose between a 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood and a brand new Bentley Flying Spur, American vintage luxury against European high-tech luxury, personally i'll go for the Bentley.

marina · 12-07-2005, 14:49

You can never go wrong if you purchase BOTH !!!
I would do this if I was you ...

crni · 12-07-2005, 18:59

of course i'd choose airbus a380... it's OUR (european) product and i believe it's better in every aspect... but primarily because it's 'made in eu'

and haku, bentley would be my choice too, but if we were in usa (or somewhere with wide enough and long enough roads) i would certainly like to try out that cadillac

DinoBora · 13-07-2005, 19:59

As an airline employee I prefer A-380.It's a huge step in aerospace technology.Sure,Jumbo is old good fella who shook the airline business once upon a time...but he is becoming obsolete. Le roi est mort! Vive le roi!

Quote:

it's OUR (european) product and i believe it's better in every aspect

Buy European!?...definately, I like this way of thinking

ypsidan04 · 18-07-2005, 03:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddie

So spare me with advices to buy a Boeing 777 or an Airbus 340

I dont know if you knew this or not, but the 340 actually has a longer range than the 747-400. It just holds like 2/3rds as many people, so its not used often for long hauls - because if you're going that far, you might as well bring along as many people as you can.

Yes, the 747 is a status symbol. Those pilots get paid a ton of money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddie

So you can safely proclaim without any hint of a doubt that yours is infact the widest and the longest of them all.

Yes. Just like cars. Those who lack in a certain area try to make up for it in another by using large transportation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddie

now they're offering me the 747-400 ER (Extended Range),

Basically a direct competitor to the A340, to make it even harder for A340s to get into wide usage. If you've never seen one of those, its got the same "hump" up front, but the fuselage is considerably smaller than the regular 747, so it looks pretty funny. Because of what I said in the first paragraph above, even though it has that "ER" suffix, I imagine it gets more use for fairly short hops that have very high demand. In that case they would just fill the fuel tanks up only a fraction. It's all about money, like in any business. So if there's a lot of demand on a short route, instead of having a few flights a day on smaller aircraft, you could just as well have one flight a day on a 747. Like I heard awhile back that Delta Airlines does or did fly 747's between Miami and Atlanta, just because of very high demand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haku

with the A-380 you get a full double deck..

With only one walkway, it's going to take forever to get everyone on and off that thing. If there are more than just a handful sold (which I think is a certainty), the large airports are gonna have to create a gate or two that have two or three walkways that the 380s can go to so people can get on and off quicker. I'm going to be flying in a 747-400 in a litle over a week now, and I'm interested now to see how long it takes to board everyone, because there is only one walkway, I'm sure. The last time I flew one of those was 4 years ago, so I dont remember from then.

Nice thread idea! I'm really interested in jet liners, airports, and other related things.

freddie · 20-07-2005, 12:01

[quote=ypsidan04]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ypsidan04

I dont know if you knew this or not, but the 340 actually has a longer range than the 747-400. It just holds like 2/3rds as many people, so its not used often for long hauls - because if you're going that far, you might as well bring along as many people as you can.

Ya, ya, I know. Infact 340-600 is also LONGER than 747-400 and A-380 as well. So I definitely could not brag infront of my sheik friends, that mine is the longest.

The only other possibility in absolute lenght is probably Antonov An-225 (eventhough I'm not sure if it's really any longer than 340-600). But what am I going to do with a decaying russian military machine?