Airbus A380 experience

Just returned from Singapore flying on an A380 for the first time.

It's a big plane, two stories throughout, and getting on and off takes a little while. Interior is modern and LED lighting is used throughout to good effect. The big feature for me is the back of seat entertainment system.

The screen is much larger than anything I've seen before, pretty good quality and has a very directional filter so you hardly see your neighbour's picture.

As you can see above, the controller mounts in front rather than in the arm rest, there's a cup holder which is really handy, not sure what you do in that cavity behind it. On the right is the panel you see here with analog video in, USB port for plugging in a key drive containing audio or video and an ethernet port - I think. (In the instructions there's a diagram that kind of suggests there is a cable available for iPods that plugs in here).

To fit all this, the tray table is folded in half but it works well.

There's a good selection of movies and TV shows plus heaps of on demand music to play. I enjoyed The Hangover and a Flight of the Conchords.

I flew with Singapore airlines, checking in on-line is very worth while, I skipped the long queue and joined the few clever internet users to check in my luggage.

On the way back my new ePassport is fantastic now in Sydney. You poke it in to a machine that scans it and asks a few questions, then you go straight to a machine that takes your picture, although it's rather confusing which camera to look at as they all ask for attention, and then you're through.