Airbus A380 vs Boeing 747-400

The Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-400 are the two largest passenger aircraft most people will ever fly, separated by eighteen years and a different philosophy about what size is for. The 747-400, in service from 1989, is a 70.7 m four-engine jet with a partial upper deck, seating around 416 in three classes, flying about 7,260 nautical miles and built to a total of nearly 700. The A380-800, the only A380 variant built, entered service with Singapore Airlines in 2007: 72.7 m long with a full-length upper deck, seating around 525 in three classes and up to 853 in theory, flying about 8,000 nautical miles on four Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, with a maximum weight of 575 tonnes against the 747-400's 397.

The A380 was designed to beat the 747 on cost per seat at hub airports, and it did, but the market moved to point-to-point twins and only 251 were built before production ended in 2021; Emirates owns nearly half. The 747-400 was retired by most passenger airlines in the 2010s, hastened by the pandemic, and survives mainly as a freighter and in a few passenger fleets such as Lufthansa's. Both remain in service in 2026, the A380 with Emirates, Singapore, Qantas, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar, Etihad and Korean Air among others.

Passenger experience

The A380 is the quieter and more spacious aircraft by a wide margin. Its economy is 3-4-3 on the main deck with seats of 18 inches or more, and 2-4-2 on the upper deck on many airlines; the 747-400's 3-4-3 economy seats are about 17.5 inches, and its cabin is louder, especially behind the wing. The A380's upper deck is a full cabin, often business and premium economy, with storage bins beside the window seats; the 747's upper deck is a small, club-like space that frequent flyers prize. Airlines fitted the A380 with showers, bars and lounges that no 747 ever had. For the best seat on an A380, take the upper deck wherever your fare allows; on a 747-400, the upper deck or the nose.

Which to choose

As an airline, the question was settled by economics, and neither will be built again. As a passenger, the A380 is the more comfortable flight and the 747-400 the more historic one; both are worth seeking out while they still fly.