Flying high on an A380 double-decker

KNOCKIN’ ABOUT: HOW the other half live.
Can you imagine paying 3,500 euros for a seat on an aeroplane?

Thought not. Try to imagine paying 8,000 euros then!

The first is the price of a business-class ticket to San Francisco from Frankfurt, the second figure is the price of a ticket for first-class service.

I got to sit in those seats last week aboard to the new queen of the skies, the A380 double-decker developed by Airbus in Toulouse.

Britain is part of this project and the wings are designed and manufactured at Broughton, near Chester, and at Filton, near Bristol.

How on Earth they transport these gigantic pieces of kit to southern France for assembly is an engineering feat in itself — for this aeroplane is simply enormous.

Not only did I sit in the first-class cabin and visit the first-class loo — there are two and they are both bigger than any six seats in economy on a normal plane — I also got to sit in the pilot’s seat as the leviathan sat on the runway at Frankfurt Airport.

I was in the city as a guest of Lufthansa, who have taken delivery on seven of these massive aircraft and have eight others in the pipeline. First we enjoyed supper in the dedicated first-class lounge, which has an a la carte restaurant, private offices, restrooms with showers, massage facilities and, as you would expect, a dedicated check in.

The cars which take you to the aircraft — you seriously can’t expect these people to walk there can you? — include a Porsche Cayenne, an incredible four-door sports car. Oh, and in reception, just for edification, there is one of those MacLaren road cars the Formula One company developed with Mercedes Benz.

The next day we visited a low-key, anonymous building in downtown Frankfurt where a development team uses specially-built wooden models to put feedback from customers on how to improve the service into effect - from seating and lie-flat beds to carpeting and sound insulation. Even electrically-operated screens that offer a degree of privacy from the other first-class passengers.

Given that there are only eight seats, in a huge space, you have to have had a serious row with the missus to want to put up the screens as well.

Next we chatted with the specially-trained cabin crew who look after the people who populate the top deck of this simply incredible aeroplane.

And then it was on to the aircraft itself. The scale of this thing is difficult to describe.

Lufthansa have built a special hanger to service the aircraft and a simply magnificent piece of engineering, with its own lift, for service personnel to reach the tailfin, 27 metres above floor level.

We went up there and it’s scary. A 747 jumbo jet was parked below us!

The highlight of a superb trip was sitting in the A380 flight simulator with Thomas, a senior instructor.

I was allowed to taxi and then take off and land at JFK airport in New York. It was the most exhilarating theme park ride imaginable...