9 ms·

I recently travelled on one of BA's "refurbished" 747's and I hated every minute of it. Noisy, cramped facilities, find the A380, 777 and 787 far more comfortab

I recently travelled on one of BA's "refurbished" 747's and I hated every minute of it. Noisy, cramped facilities, find the A380, 777 and 787 far more comfortable for a long haul flight. The 747 was amazing, when it was introduced, but it has now reached an age where it needs to retire gracefully, and point to point with twin engines is seeing to that.

epanchin 9y ago
Have you been on BA’s 777? I find it little better than the 747. IMO, BA’s entire transan fleet is cramped and uncomfortable. AA’s (business) seats are a league ahead.
- Cthulhu_ 9y ago
  What (if anything) is the price difference between the two?
- matthewmacleod 9y ago
  Absolutely agreed. BA's 777s are quite unpleasant, especially the older ones.
nolok 9y ago
I travelled on both the A380 (Emirates) and the 787 (Oman Air) in the last year and they are really a big step forward. I would put them above the 777, maybe it's the specific configuration used by Qatar Airways (777-300ER) but they simply weren't as good as the other too. Also flown a A350-900 with Qatar Airways and it was really close to the A380, seat were very pleasant. As for the noise in planes: if you travel a lot by planes, buy active noise reduction headphones. Bose QuietComfort 35 or 25 work very very well. Try them out first if possible, a small amount of people dislike the feeling they give with noise reduction active, but for me it was a world changer as I take about 2 planes a month, my 35 were one of the best purchase I ever made.
- mythmon_ 9y ago
  I very recently got a pair of QC35s. The noise cancelling was neat, but didn't seem that useful in every day situations. Then I took a flight with them, and they still didn't seem that interesting. Until I took them off for the first time after take off. I was amazed at how loud the plane suddenly become. Now I'm very impressed with how much of a difference they make, and will definitely be bringing with me on every flight.
  - dzhiurgis 9y ago
    I use them: In car for long drives In office In bed when someone snores next to me In bed when street outside is loud On a boat when motoring On every flight
    - oliv__ 9y ago
      This sounds like the beginning of a Dr Seuss
    - jacquesm 9y ago
      In the car sounds like it might cause problems. There is important information in sound and when you wear noise canceling headphones you are actively making yourself deaf, which classes as a disability that would normally require some extra training before you'd get your license, and that is with a person who is already trained to be more aware of other cues.
      - kiwijamo 9y ago
        Deaf people don't need extra training before getting their license in most countries.
      - irrational 9y ago
        This also applies to the radio. I typically have my radio cranked up. Any time I turn it off, I'm astonished at the noises my car is making. It always occurs to me that I would probably notice mechanical problems earlier if I was used to just listening to the car so I could detect changes in what it sounds like. Then I say, "screw that" and crank the tunes back up.
DrJokepu 9y ago
The BA Club World (business class) upstairs in the 747 is pretty decent though. It’s not “luxurious“ compared to the standards of the Middle Eastern carriers, but it’s a fairly quite and intimate space, traveling there makes crossing the Atlantic an almost relaxing experience.
Joeri 9y ago
I found the 787 a horrible experience. I’m not a broad person, but I found the seats uncomfortably narrow.
- jwagenet 9y ago
  Typically, seating is outfitted by the airline not the plane.
  - waqf 9y ago
    But the seat width is determined by the seating configuration and the plane is designed so that one or two particular seating configurations will work well. (Although it matters less for widebodies where there's enough wiggle room to say "this plane will fit 8 reasonable economy seats or 9 ridiculously narrow ones".)
    - zeusk 9y ago
      Nope, airlines decide on the width too. The entire internal layout is up to the airline including the lavatory design. 747 has both 9 and 10 seat wide configuration.
      - waqf 9y ago
        That's why I made an exception for widebodies, although I accept that "making an exception for widebodies" more or less undermines my point. But I claim that, for example, you can't realistically have a 737 layout that isn't 6 seats wide in coach — and that means the width of your coach seats will be whatever width fits 6 seats plus one gangway.
        zeusk 9y ago
        You can and they did. Air India and KLM operated 737s with 5 seat config in economy (flew in them) up till last decade.
  - exidy 9y ago
moz23 9y ago
Anything on BA is unpleasant though. First class on the United 747 was a fairly pleasant experience. You could tell it was an old plane, but the seat comfort was amazing and the view (in rows 1/2) was even better. And also the quietest flight I've experienced (except for takeoff/landing since you're right over the nosewheel). Slightly small toilets for first class, but other than that an overall great experience. The 787 and 777 suffer from airlines using terrible seats in economy, which the A330/340/350/380 generally don't suffer from, but if you're flying premium economy or better the A350/787 are equally good, and the other aircraft aren't far behind.
- amorphid 9y ago
  I've flown on 737s for years & recently flew on a couple 10 hour flights on a 787, and mostly I like those planes well enough. My most miserable flying experience was on a couple 14 hour flights on a 747. I think short haul flights on a 737 never bother because they are short. The 787 flights were nice because the plane was new, and the person in front of me didn't recline their seat into my space. Maybe I just don't like long haul flights on old & crowded planes, which the 747 most certainly was.
- irrational 9y ago
  >First class on the United 747 was a fairly pleasant experience. That's because United only has security break the nose and teeth of the plebes in the back.
jessriedel 9y ago
The noise is partly determined by the airframe but the size and design of the lavatories is not. And for most people, the size and shape of the seats are overwhelmingly the most important factor affecting comfort. And like the lavatories, seat design is set by the airlines, not the airplane model.
Stranger43 9y ago
interestingly the A380 dont seams to be flying with any american airline either(according to airbus http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a380-family/airlines-destinations.html#operations http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a380-famil...). And looking at the published customer lists for the 777 and 787 the list is dominated by non US based airlines. Particularly Asia seams to be emerging as the dominant market for air travel.
- cc439 9y ago
  The A380 is hardly flown by anyone, never mind US carriers. Airbus is likely going to end production if they can't land another large order in the next year or two. It's an amazing aircraft that just doesn't fit the modern market. Airbus read the preexisting market trends correctly when deciding to build the A380, hub airports were becoming incredibly crowded and increasing the passengers per plane seemed to be the obvious solution at the time. However, they didn't foresee the market reacting to overcrowding by paying a premium to fly out of smaller, more local airports. My local airport is a perfect example of this. It has gone from hosting just single digit numbers of regularly scheduled flights a day, with all of them being ~20-30 minute connector flights to nearby hubs on regional jets, to hosting well over a dozen 737-sized flights each day. All of that has happened in just ~15 years and it's partially down to the growth of my area but also how dissatisfied passengers were with driving 90-120 minutes to the 2 nearby, overcrowded, oft delayed hubs. I held off from committing to using my local airport up until this year as the price difference was $200 or more, but demand has risen to the point that the difference has fallen to around $100. The convenience alone is a winner but the savings in parking alone make up a third of the difference even if I park at the airport instead of taking an uber. Article: https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/15/the-airbus-a380-is-dead-airbus-just-hasnt-admitted.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/15/the-airbus-a380-is...
cylinder 9y ago
I agree. When I fly Qantas A380 to LAX and then their 747 on to JFK, the difference is striking. The engine noise and cabin pressure alone were painful and more uncomfortable on that 4.5 hour flight than my 13 hour flight on the A380.
- rconti 9y ago
  Is the cabin pressure different from A380 to 747? I wouldn't expect so.
  - exidy 9y ago
    Yes, the A380 has the same ~6,000 ft equivalent cabin pressure as the 787, compared to older jetliners that maintain ~8,000 ft.
cycrutchfield 9y ago
Fly on one of the new 747-8i planes (I think only Lufthansa and Korean fly them). They are incredible. Quiet, comfortable, modern. It's a shame that nobody is buying them.
- ldrndll 9y ago
  Came here to say the same thing. I have travelled on BA 747s and didn't enjoy the experience (which was a disappointment to me, as I had fond memories of flying on the 747 as an early teen). The Lufthansa 747-8 stood in stark contrast, and was a lovely plane to fly on.
namlem 9y ago
A380 sales are also way down. Airlines just don't want giant planes anymore.

epanchin 9y ago

Have you been on BA’s 777? I find it little better than the 747. IMO, BA’s entire transan fleet is cramped and uncomfortable. AA’s (business) seats are a league ahead.

Cthulhu_ 9y ago
What (if anything) is the price difference between the two?
matthewmacleod 9y ago
Absolutely agreed. BA's 777s are quite unpleasant, especially the older ones.

nolok 9y ago

I travelled on both the A380 (Emirates) and the 787 (Oman Air) in the last year and they are really a big step forward. I would put them above the 777, maybe it's the specific configuration used by Qatar Airways (777-300ER) but they simply weren't as good as the other too. Also flown a A350-900 with Qatar Airways and it was really close to the A380, seat were very pleasant. As for the noise in planes: if you travel a lot by planes, buy active noise reduction headphones. Bose QuietComfort 35 or 25 work very very well. Try them out first if possible, a small amount of people dislike the feeling they give with noise reduction active, but for me it was a world changer as I take about 2 planes a month, my 35 were one of the best purchase I ever made.

mythmon_ 9y ago
I very recently got a pair of QC35s. The noise cancelling was neat, but didn't seem that useful in every day situations. Then I took a flight with them, and they still didn't seem that interesting. Until I took them off for the first time after take off. I was amazed at how loud the plane suddenly become. Now I'm very impressed with how much of a difference they make, and will definitely be bringing with me on every flight.
- dzhiurgis 9y ago
  I use them: In car for long drives In office In bed when someone snores next to me In bed when street outside is loud On a boat when motoring On every flight
  - oliv__ 9y ago
    This sounds like the beginning of a Dr Seuss
  - jacquesm 9y ago
    In the car sounds like it might cause problems. There is important information in sound and when you wear noise canceling headphones you are actively making yourself deaf, which classes as a disability that would normally require some extra training before you'd get your license, and that is with a person who is already trained to be more aware of other cues.
    - kiwijamo 9y ago
      Deaf people don't need extra training before getting their license in most countries.
    - irrational 9y ago
      This also applies to the radio. I typically have my radio cranked up. Any time I turn it off, I'm astonished at the noises my car is making. It always occurs to me that I would probably notice mechanical problems earlier if I was used to just listening to the car so I could detect changes in what it sounds like. Then I say, "screw that" and crank the tunes back up.

DrJokepu 9y ago

The BA Club World (business class) upstairs in the 747 is pretty decent though. It’s not “luxurious“ compared to the standards of the Middle Eastern carriers, but it’s a fairly quite and intimate space, traveling there makes crossing the Atlantic an almost relaxing experience.

Joeri 9y ago

I found the 787 a horrible experience. I’m not a broad person, but I found the seats uncomfortably narrow.

jwagenet 9y ago
Typically, seating is outfitted by the airline not the plane.
- waqf 9y ago
  But the seat width is determined by the seating configuration and the plane is designed so that one or two particular seating configurations will work well. (Although it matters less for widebodies where there's enough wiggle room to say "this plane will fit 8 reasonable economy seats or 9 ridiculously narrow ones".)
  - zeusk 9y ago
    Nope, airlines decide on the width too. The entire internal layout is up to the airline including the lavatory design. 747 has both 9 and 10 seat wide configuration.
    - waqf 9y ago
      That's why I made an exception for widebodies, although I accept that "making an exception for widebodies" more or less undermines my point. But I claim that, for example, you can't realistically have a 737 layout that isn't 6 seats wide in coach — and that means the width of your coach seats will be whatever width fits 6 seats plus one gangway.
      - zeusk 9y ago
        You can and they did. Air India and KLM operated 737s with 5 seat config in economy (flew in them) up till last decade.
- exidy 9y ago

moz23 9y ago

Anything on BA is unpleasant though. First class on the United 747 was a fairly pleasant experience. You could tell it was an old plane, but the seat comfort was amazing and the view (in rows 1/2) was even better. And also the quietest flight I've experienced (except for takeoff/landing since you're right over the nosewheel). Slightly small toilets for first class, but other than that an overall great experience. The 787 and 777 suffer from airlines using terrible seats in economy, which the A330/340/350/380 generally don't suffer from, but if you're flying premium economy or better the A350/787 are equally good, and the other aircraft aren't far behind.

amorphid 9y ago
I've flown on 737s for years & recently flew on a couple 10 hour flights on a 787, and mostly I like those planes well enough. My most miserable flying experience was on a couple 14 hour flights on a 747. I think short haul flights on a 737 never bother because they are short. The 787 flights were nice because the plane was new, and the person in front of me didn't recline their seat into my space. Maybe I just don't like long haul flights on old & crowded planes, which the 747 most certainly was.
irrational 9y ago
>First class on the United 747 was a fairly pleasant experience. That's because United only has security break the nose and teeth of the plebes in the back.

jessriedel 9y ago

The noise is partly determined by the airframe but the size and design of the lavatories is not. And for most people, the size and shape of the seats are overwhelmingly the most important factor affecting comfort. And like the lavatories, seat design is set by the airlines, not the airplane model.

Stranger43 9y ago

interestingly the A380 dont seams to be flying with any american airline either(according to airbus http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a380-family/airlines-destinations.html#operations http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a380-famil...). And looking at the published customer lists for the 777 and 787 the list is dominated by non US based airlines. Particularly Asia seams to be emerging as the dominant market for air travel.

cc439 9y ago
The A380 is hardly flown by anyone, never mind US carriers. Airbus is likely going to end production if they can't land another large order in the next year or two. It's an amazing aircraft that just doesn't fit the modern market. Airbus read the preexisting market trends correctly when deciding to build the A380, hub airports were becoming incredibly crowded and increasing the passengers per plane seemed to be the obvious solution at the time. However, they didn't foresee the market reacting to overcrowding by paying a premium to fly out of smaller, more local airports. My local airport is a perfect example of this. It has gone from hosting just single digit numbers of regularly scheduled flights a day, with all of them being ~20-30 minute connector flights to nearby hubs on regional jets, to hosting well over a dozen 737-sized flights each day. All of that has happened in just ~15 years and it's partially down to the growth of my area but also how dissatisfied passengers were with driving 90-120 minutes to the 2 nearby, overcrowded, oft delayed hubs. I held off from committing to using my local airport up until this year as the price difference was $200 or more, but demand has risen to the point that the difference has fallen to around $100. The convenience alone is a winner but the savings in parking alone make up a third of the difference even if I park at the airport instead of taking an uber. Article: https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/15/the-airbus-a380-is-dead-airbus-just-hasnt-admitted.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/15/the-airbus-a380-is...

cylinder 9y ago

I agree. When I fly Qantas A380 to LAX and then their 747 on to JFK, the difference is striking. The engine noise and cabin pressure alone were painful and more uncomfortable on that 4.5 hour flight than my 13 hour flight on the A380.

rconti 9y ago
Is the cabin pressure different from A380 to 747? I wouldn't expect so.
- exidy 9y ago
  Yes, the A380 has the same ~6,000 ft equivalent cabin pressure as the 787, compared to older jetliners that maintain ~8,000 ft.

cycrutchfield 9y ago

Fly on one of the new 747-8i planes (I think only Lufthansa and Korean fly them). They are incredible. Quiet, comfortable, modern. It's a shame that nobody is buying them.

ldrndll 9y ago
Came here to say the same thing. I have travelled on BA 747s and didn't enjoy the experience (which was a disappointment to me, as I had fond memories of flying on the 747 as an early teen). The Lufthansa 747-8 stood in stark contrast, and was a lovely plane to fly on.

namlem 9y ago

A380 sales are also way down. Airlines just don't want giant planes anymore.