Experience flying on the world's largest passenger aircraft.

By: Brandon Lee Jun Yao, student.

I vividly remember it being in December 2009 that I first sat the A380 on a Singapore Airlines flight. It had been over two years since the first commercial flight on that airplane (Singapore to Syndey, October 2007), but the plane was spick and span. As I boarded the plane and was greeted by the world-famous cabin crew, I thought about how the national carrier of such a small country like Singapore got to where it was. Also, I felt extremely lucky that I had the opportunity to see the world, and in the process, having a safe and pleasant ride on an engineering marvel.

As I got to my seat, in economy class, things pretty much looked the same. As a gadget lover, I was pleased to see a USB port next to the inflight entertainment screen in front of me. This allowed me to use my then iPhone 3GS (in airplane mode, of course) without the fear of landing in London with a flat battery. In this connected world, more thoughtful features like these will be necessary in order to stay competitive. Indeed, some airlines around the world already offer in-flight WiFi, with many others planning to do so.

I wish I could give a more in-depth review, which I believe is possible given the opportunity to fly First or Business Class, which have private cabins, and other luxurious features. What I can say though, is that facilities and features are only part of the picture, and a memorable service experience on the flight may be even more important. Singapore Airlines, in my case, definitely lived up to their reputation and delivered a well-coordinated performance on the long flight to London. In this tight economy, maybe airlines should pay more attention to their "economy" class, even though the lion's share of revenue actually comes from business and first class.