The Qantas A380 is configured with 450 seats in four cabins – 14 in First Class, 72 in Business Blass, 32 in the Premium Economy cabin and 332 in Economy Class.

Features include:
- 14 single private suites in First Class featuring a 17 inch LCD wide screen video monitor, a unique touch screen control unit, and a seat (manufactured by B/E Aerospaces’s VIP jet group) that swivels into a comfortable armchair and a fully flat, extra long and wide bed;

- the next generation of Qantas’ award-winning sleeper seat Skybed in Business Class, which now offers an extra long and fully flat bed with ergonomically enhanced cushioning, a larger in-arm entertainment screen, additional storage options and more privacy;

- a private lounge area in the upper deck Business Class cabin featuring leather sofas, a self-service bar, large video monitor with laptop connectivity and a feature display cabinet;

- Premium Economy seats by Recaro, with fully adjustable, in-arm, digital wide screen television monitors, and a self service bar dedicated to the upper deck Premium Economy cabin;

- Recaro seats in Economy Class featuring a sliding base that moves with the seat back to create a more comfortable, ergonomically tested position to aid sleep and eliminate pressure points and a foot net to stop sliding during sleep;

- four self-service bars in Economy Class;

- state-of-the-art Panasonic inflight entertainment system with more than 100 on demand movies, 350 television selections, 500 audio CDs, 30 PC style games, and a selection of audio books, language tutorials, destination information, business education and radio channels; and

- in-seat laptop power and connectivity in every class allowing passengers to send and receive emails directly from their personal webmail and hotmail accounts via laptop or seat monitor.

The first Qantas A380, named after Australian pioneer aviatrix Nancy-Bird Walton, aged 92, departed Toulouse at 23:55 and operate via Singapore to touched down in Sydney at 09:00 on Sunday, 21st September.

Were it is flying?
The Qantas A380 will undergo a series of pre-entry into service, training and promotional activities ahead of its first commercial passenger service, operating from Melbourne to Los Angeles on 20 October 2008. The first service from Sydney – also to Los Angeles – will operate on 24 October.

Qantas A380 services between Sydney and London via Singapore will commence in January 2009.

Qantas will take delivery of three A380s by the end of 2008, with eight by the end of 2009 and all 20 by the end of 2013.

Source: Qantas PR Department