This airplane has been around for a few years. World's biggest, it carries 520 passengers.

From Popular Mechanics

"Aboard Lufthansa Flight 8942, March 21—It took a mere 16 seconds for the largest airplane in the world to lift off runway 4L at JFK International Airport. The short takeoff, which we could watch on our individual TV screens thanks to cameras positioned on the plane's exterior, confirmed that the world’s largest jetliner could use less runway than many smaller jets. It also was testimony to the force of the aircraft’s four Rolls Royce engines—which each provide about 70,000 lbs. of thrust.

The plane’s normal takeoff weight is 1.2 million lbs. It was a little less today because of the light payload: This plane, A380 model number 007, is configured to hold 520 passengers, but carried fewer than 200 on this flight.

“Wow—that was fast,” I heard someone mutter from a couple of rows back. And that is another feature that Airbus loves to talk about: The fact you can eavesdrop on conversations is possible because the plane cabin noise level is lower than on the competition. Airbus has claimed that the cabin noise is 50-percent less than what you would experience on a 747. (Not everyone might agree that the ability to hear people’s chatter more clearly is an advantage, however, although Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy claims the reduction in background din can help reduce jet lag.)

Touring the two full decks gives the impression of being in two separate planes: It is, as one airline insider remarked, as if someone had dropped an Airbus A330 on top of a 747.

The upper deck on this model seemed more spacious: The coach seating is eight-abreast, versus ten abreast on the main deck, because the fuselage is narrower. But there’s more floor space per passenger, enough for small side storage compartments.

The view looking out from the top deck is unimpeded by the wing—rather, passengers can get an unusual perspective on this component of the plane, whose total span is longer than the plane’s fuselage.

As we descended to a lower altitude for a swing past the Manhattan skyline, I didn’t experience the usual ear-popping effects: The plane is pressurized at about 5000 ft., around 3000 ft. lower than most commercial airliners. In theory, the lower cabin altitude will help to moderate almost every ill-effect of long-haul flying, from dehydration to jet lag.

For first-class passengers, an A380 in regular service will likely resemble more of a four-star hotel than a passenger airplane. The rest of us will enjoy the big thrill of flying on such a titanic vessel. "