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It's Official: The Airbus A380 Is Dead

Feb. 14, 2019
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3 min read
Emirates 100th A380 Tour Economy Business First Class Suites
It's Official: The Airbus A380 Is Dead
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Just months after celebrating its 10th anniversary, the end is in sight for the world's largest commercial jet. Airbus' struggling A380 program won't be saved by British Airways, nor any other airline. Emirates will take delivery of 14 further A380s over the next two years, but "given the lack of order backlog with other airlines, Airbus will cease deliveries of the A380 in 2021."

Rather than order more A380s, Emirates has ordered 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s, which are far smaller aircraft. Airbus CEO Tom Enders shot straight when announcing the news: "As a result of this decision we have no substantial A380 backlog and hence no basis to sustain production, despite all our sales efforts with other airlines in recent years. This leads to the end of A380 deliveries in 2021. The consequences of this decision are largely embedded in our 2018 full year results."

An Air France A380 awaits passengers. (Photo by Wallace Cotton / The Points Guy)

Of course, the demise of the A380 superjumbo shouldn't discount its grandeur. Some of our favorite cabins are housed within its massive fuselage. In fact, Emirates First Class on the A380 was named Best International First Class of the year at our inaugural TPG Awards.

More than a dozen carriers still operate the A380, and at least for now, Airbus is still operating a website dedicated to helping you book a flight on one. Emirates, the airline most closely associated with the A380, will keep the jet in its fleet "well into the 2030s."

We've devoted a guide to utilizing your points and miles to fly on the A380, and have rounded up a collection of reviews below.

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Thankfully, Emirates will operate A380s for at least another decade or so.

The decade-long run of the A380 will go down in history as one of the briefest in commercial aviation history, and it's bound to impact Airbus for years to come. While it recently pulled (almost) even with Boeing in terms of annual deliveries, it'll be dealing with other matters in the weeks ahead.

Closing the A380 program will negatively impact up to 3,500 jobs over the next three years. And while Airbus believes that the A320 ramp-up and the aforementioned widebody order from Emirates will "offer a significant number of internal mobility opportunities," nothing is written in stone.

More broadly, we may well be watching the end of the quad-engine commercial superjumbo era. With more efficient widebody planes such as the A350 and A330 in existence, it'll be tough to justify ever building another whale such as this.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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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)

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  • 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.