The whale is back! On board the first post-pandemic British Airways A380 flight
Monday marked a huge day in U.K. aviation with the U.S. opening up again to fully vaccinated international travelers and was celebrated with an epic dual runway takeoff by Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.
Perhaps even more exciting for aviation enthusiasts is that the British Airways A380 superjumbo also finally took to the skies after a pandemic inducted hiatus.
With TPG senior writer, Ben Smithson, on board BA1 heading to New York-JFK, I assumed the position of head AvGeek and boarded the very special first A380 flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
Much of the fanfare was reserved for the flights to New York and at the boarding gate, there was very little to mark the return to service of this aircraft, although the A380 parked up at Heathrow's C gates was still a sight to behold.
Related: Jubilant scenes across the US as travel ban is lifted
On board, things were noticeably different.
Ordinarily, British Airways has one inflight manager on each flight, denoted by the silver replacing the usual red markings of flight staffs' ties and cravats. But on this flight, there was silver everywhere you looked. There were two inflight managers and many more additional supervisors on board amongst the 22 crew.
Half of the crew operated the flight out, servicing passengers on the lower deck. The upper deck was closed to passengers and so the remaining crew was able to spend their time upstairs reacquainting themselves with the aircraft.
For the return flight from Frankfurt to London, the crew swapped over so that both sets of 11 crew members had the full experience of both decks.
Inflight manager Aiden was clearly excited by the A380's return. He had flown throughout the pandemic including on the taxing "there and back" routes to Asia, mainly carrying cargo. This flight, he said, felt like a true return to normality.
It was not just the crew that were excited. There were a number of bloggers and vloggers on board, including prolific aviation vlogger Josh Cahill.
This four-class aircraft, registration G-XLEF, flew in from Shannon (SNN) to Heathrow just six days ago. The aircraft has 469 seats across four cabins, including 14 first-class seats, 97 older style business-class Club World seats (rather than the newer Club Suite), 55 premium economy and 303 economy seats.
On the outbound leg from London to Frankfurt, I enjoyed the Club Europe experience. It was European business class in terms of service, but of course, the seat and cabin were far more impressive than what is usually expected on an intra-European flight.
During the flight, I was lucky enough to briefly check out the First cabin, right at the front of the lower deck. The last time I flew in this cabin was when British Airways launched its new soft product in First and I was one of the very first people to experience it on a hop over to Chicago.
The memories of that wonderful flight came flooding back as I took a two-minute rest in the most spacious first-class seats in the BA fleet.
Related: The best ways to redeem miles to fly on an A380
I also couldn't resist checking out the two unique staircases on this double-decker aircraft.
On the return flight to London, I headed down the back of the plane to economy. Even in this cabin, it was an incredibly comfortable way to spend an hour in the sky. BA offered complimentary crisps and water on this hop.
My view from seat 28A included the stunning approach over central London.
If you want to enjoy a similar experience, British Airways will continue to fly the A380 to Frankfurt and Madrid daily for the next few weeks until Dec. 2 and provides a great option for those looking to burn some Avios on something fun. Buying or redeeming a business-class ticket will net you a lie-flat bed on a short-haul route.
Here are the flights you are looking for (ensure you check the aircraft type states A380 before booking):
Frankfurt
Sunday to Friday:
BA902 London Heathrow (LHR) 7:10 a.m. departure to Frankfurt (FRA) 9:55 a.m. arrival
BA903 Frankfurt (FRA) 11:25 a.m. departure to London Heathrow (LHR) 12:15 p.m. arrival
Saturday:
BA902 London Heathrow (LHR) 3:55 p.m. departure to Frankfurt (FRA) 6:40 p.m. arrival
BA903 Frankfurt (FRA) 8:10 p.m. departure to London Heathrow (LHR) 9 p.m. arrival
Madrid
Sunday to Friday
BA462 London Heathrow (LHR) 3:15 p.m. departure to Madrid-Barajas (MAD) 6:45 p.m. arrival
BA465 Madrid-Barajas (MAD) 8:15 p.m. departure to London Heathrow (LHR) 9:30 p.m. arrival
Saturday
BA462 London Heathrow (LHR) 6:10 a.m. departure to Madrid-Barajas (MAD) 9:55 a.m. arrival
BA465 Madrid-Barajas (MAD) 11:25 a.m. departure to London Heathrow (LHR) 12:15 p.m. arrival
Related: Here’s what it takes to get planes back in service after they’ve been in storage
What really shone through during my trip was the excitement of the passengers and the crew on this return flight for the superjumbo. While flying on this aircraft is always a special experience, it was a vote of confidence and commitment to the future of travel provided by British Airways in reviving such a large passenger jet that made this flight so meaningful for everyone on board.
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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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.