Clark Howard's Tips

A380 takes its inaugural flight

April 27, 2005

Clark watched with great fascination when the A380 airplane took it's inaugural flight today.

The double decker plane can seat 850 in the bargain class section alone and is the first of its kind.

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Clark thinks its going to be a huge hit.

Of course, many people will be concerned about terrorism because plane holds many more people than a typical airplane. But it's also a great progression in making air travel more comfortable and affordable.

The planes will have gyms, full sleeper cabins and lounges in which people can walk around.

We don't know if the product will enter into commercial service next year as planned. But we'll keep you posted.

Also launching in the next year will be ultra low-cost jets such as the "Atom" and the "Eclipse." They seat five or six people and most likely will be used as "air taxi" services for people in a hurry. A ticket on one of these air taxis will be about the cost of a coach ticket, but it will get people where they want to go much faster and without having to go to a commercial airport.

We'll see if there is a market for these, as well.

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