Having flown 
British Airways
many times across the Atlantic, I was surprised it took me this long to try one of the legendary Airbus A380
aircraft operated by the oneworld Alliance carrier. So, for my trip back to the UK from Washington, DC, I was able to book a flight on the iconic superjumbo using my Avios points.
Arrival and boarding
The inbound service from London was delayed, which I was able to track before even leaving the house. Upon arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport
(IAD) via the Metro, I walked over to the terminal and went straight to security as I was not checking any bags. I missed the signs for TSA PreCheck and ended up in the regular queue, with almost no wait time, given it was after 20:00.
Upon arriving at the gate, I was called up to have my documents checked (as I skipped check-in), and the staff on the ground was quite gracious and kept us regularly updated about the status of the incoming plane. We used biometric boarding, which consisted of just facing the camera, which compared my face to the driver’s license photo they had on record and recognized me instantly.
Related
Biometrics At The Airport: The Future Or A Hollywood Dream?
Many airports around the world are talking about launching biometrics, and this seems to have been somewhat of an industry buzzword of late. One airport that is well on the way to implementing biometrics is Frankfurt Airport, which offers the service in Terminal 1 in partnership with the Star Alliance app.
I have found that the service is pretty under utilized in Frankfurt, but I have used it. Most recently I used my face at the pre-security check when traveling to the UK for the Farnborough Airshow. What I found most surprising was that the attendant stopped me for not scanning my boarding pass, and I had to then stop and explain to them how the biometric system works.
Do you think that biometrics will become the norm at the airport, or flop?
Boarding was organized, and people lined up across B44 and the gate beside it, B42, as the A380 had two jetbridges for boarding. My seat was a window on the right side (so you can see the views landing in London) and was one of the unique backward-facing seats.
Scoring the seat
The crew came around shortly after I got settled with drinks and dinner orders. When I arrived, headphones, a pillow, and a bedding bundle were on the seat. A water bottle was already placed in the drawer next to the seat alongside the amenity kit. Inside the kit was a selection of essentials, including a dental kit, earplugs, a sleep mask, hand cream, socks, and an aromatherapy pulse point roller.
On the aisle side was a table that folded out from the side wall, which could be used folded or expanded to cover the seat for meal service. An inflight entertainment screen was also folded out from the side and was stocked with a good selection of music and films.
There were notably two USB-A charging ports in different locations. One was near the floor next to the power outlet, and the other was located near the head of the bed next to an RCA input.
The seats are arranged so that every other seat faces backward. This may require stepping over the person in the seat, but it affords a large, expansive space with three full windows. The footrest and a retractable privacy divider could be folded up when not in use.
Following our pre-flight checks, we were on the way to London.
Sampling the snacks
After reviewing the menu, I decided on the Roasted carrot soup for my starter and the roasted salmon teriyaki for my main, which was accompanied by a roasted pepper and purple sticky rice. I found the carrot soup to be quite delicious and appreciated the substantial portion of the salmon. I also liked how the tray could be slid up and down the track to be close when needed and out of the way at other times.
I found the bed folded down quite intuitively, which is not always the case in lay-flat seats. Once settled, I found the space to be ample. As a traveler over 6 feet tall, I struggle with hotel beds, so airplanes are often challenging. What I like about this configuration is that my feet were tucked down in a cubbyhole. Thanks to the rounded design of the seat behind me, I could stretch my legs out along the window side without bothering them.
I went to sleep immediately and was awoken to the gentle whispers of staff coming around asking if we wanted breakfast. I got the breakfast wrap, which was accompanied by warm danishes and a coconut chai pudding that I especially enjoyed.
Jonathan E. Hendry | Simple Flying
Before too long, the captain announced over the loudspeakers that we would be landing soon and invited us to look out at the views of London.
Overall, I really enjoyed my transatlantic hop. Gaynor and the rest of her team were courteous and professional, and I found the lie-flat bed more than comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep.