AvGeek alert: Airbus A380 parts for sale, including the Emirates bar
While there are plenty of Airbus A380s still rumbling through the sky, there’s no doubt the superjumbo’s future is in question, at best. After all, it’s been nearly a year since an airline took the last delivery of four-engine aircraft, and Airbus isn’t planning to make any new ones.
With the possibility of the giant jet someday becoming an air travel relic, Airbus seems to be leaning into its popularity among aviation enthusiasts with an auction you may want to check out.
From Oct.13-15, Airbus will auction off parts of an A380. You’ll have a chance to bid on pieces of the superjumbo, ensuring that when fewer of these much-beloved planes fly in the future, you can forever have a piece of one in your own home.
Airbus A380 auction
Airbus announced its plans to auction off parts of an old A380 earlier this year, with plans to donate proceeds from the sale to charity. As part of the auction, you’ll be able to put in bids on almost any part of the plane you can imagine.
There’s equipment from the outer part of the plane up for sale, but Airbus is also auctioning off the vast majority of the cabin as well — with nearly 500 items for sale.
From portions of the fan blades in the jet’s four enormous engines to actual seats, lights and even equipment from the lavatory, you’ll have a lot to pick from.
One of the marquee items may well be the iconic bar from an Emirates A380’s business-class cabin. That’d be quite an item to have on display and talk about while entertaining guests, especially if they are AvGeeks.
It won’t come cheap. In order to win this item, Airbus estimates it will take a bid of 20,000 to 30,000 euros. Given the dollar’s strength against the euro right now, though, that means just under $20,000 to $30,000 as the likely cost.
And the bar is far from the only A380 part that could soon grace your basement, garage or home lavatory.
Items for sale
Most of the parts Airbus is auctioning off come from a retired Airbus A380 MSN13, which entered service in October 2008 and, while in use, could carry as many as 489 passengers in a three-class configuration. The business-class seats up for auction were taken from different A380 aircraft, noted Airbus.
There are many items for sale so it’s hard to even list them all. But we’ll name a few that caught our eye.
For starters, if you’re getting that bar, your guests will need a place to sit, won’t they? The Emirates bar seating is also for sale.
That bench is poised to come in at around a tenth of the cost of the bar itself, but will still cost you a few thousand dollars.
If you’ve always wanted an airline beverage cart in your house but haven’t been able to get your hands on one, now is your chance. Airbus estimates the bidding at several hundred euros, which is nearly the equivalent amount of dollars given the current exchange rate.
In the $1,000 to $2,000 range is a row of three economy seats equipped with seatback screens.
Adding to your potential collection of AvGeek memorabilia is a reactor blade from the jumbo jet’s propulsion system. Airbus will kick in a metallic base to allow you to display the blade vertically. You’ll likely pay one or two grand for this.
You could serve your dinner guests water in one of the metallic inflight serving jars for just a hundred or two.
There are pieces of the fuselage and overhead bins available for several hundred euros.
You’ll also find signage and business class-style lamps for sale for a bit more.
It’s a vast list of items for sale, and there are multiple versions of the same item available in a lot of cases, so if you miss out on the one you’re really interested in, you may still have hope for winning an auction bid on others.
How the A380 auction works
Airbus is auctioning these items over the course of three days between Thursday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 15. Keep in mind that Airbus is headquartered in Toulouse, France, so the timing will be based on Central European Summer Time. The auction kicks off at midnight CEST Thursday, or 6 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
There are different items available on different days during the auction, so you should start checking now to see what you might want and on what day it’s being sold.
Follow Airbus’ page for the auction to register and leave a bid.
Bottom line
At least one airline executive has expressed hope about a renewed future for the Airbus A380, but it doesn’t appear likely given that Airbus ceased production on any new versions of the superjumbo; in fact, this summer the manufacturer told TPG it is now using its former A380 hangars for A320 production.
There are still plenty of them plying the skies in the meantime and they will be for years to come.
But with the iconic aircraft’s eventual demise forecast, if you’re looking for a way to remember it there's no better way than owning a piece of it.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.