LHR to SYD: A380 or 777?

[S. Scott]

So I am thinking of making a trip to Sydney from London and I am wondering what would be better.

I see that there are lots of flights all with either 777, A380 or both. I am wondering which is more enjoyable overall (mainly seat and noise). I have traveled on the A380 a couple of years ago and enjoyed it a lot, however I read on the SQ website that the 777-300er aircraft have been refurbished so I am wondering which to go for. I have read and heard that the 777 can be quite noisy and feels less spacious during flight. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks for the help.

[yflyer]

Hello S. Scott!

What class of travel are you thinking of?

In a nutshell...

SQ's flights to London use very new equipment, so whether you are on the A380 or 777 (Either 77W, 77WN or 77WR, which refer to different configs of 777-300ER that SQ uses) you will get a fairly similar experience in Y and J, although the 77WN and 77WR have better Y and J products.

If you are in First/Suites, the products are quite different across equipment types, and the folks on SQTalk with more experience up front can comment.

If you are flying in business, the A380 and 77W J hard products are almost identical. The A380 J cabin is quieter, which is good, but it also means any snoring is painfully obvious.

The newest 77WN and 77WR J hard product is an improvement on 77W or A380 J, although the space you get is about the same.

For PEY, the products on both A380 and 77WR are similar.

In Economy (Which is where I spend most of my time), the A380 and 77W Y are good, but in my view the 77WN and 77WR new economy product is outstanding, possibly the best Y product out there. The seat is very comfortable, with recline that subjectively feels very good. IFE is great as well.

There are some reviews of the different products in the Trip Report section of SQTalk if you are interested in more details.

[S. Scott]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I am planning on traveling economy so your advice has been very useful. I will check out those reviews.

Thanks.

[S. Scott]

I am currently looking at going SQ305 to SIN and then SQ211 from SIN to SYD. I have checked on flight radar etc and they all say 77W, but I can not seem to find any flying with the 77WN or 77WR with any of the flights that SQ operate (I imagine it is because the sites can view the exact config)?

Thanks again.

[leops1984]

77WN and 77WR are really terms that are used only here on SQTalk and maybe other frequent flyer forums. They're all flown by 777-300ERs, for which the ICAO designation is the 77W.

The 77WR is the easiest to differentiate - if the flight has PEY, it will have the new economy product. As for the 77WNs, the list of their registries is here, so you can check on Flightradar24. Another way is to check if the seat map has 57H and 57K: the 77WNs have them, the original 77Ws do not.

[w4rd]

The A380s are starting to look a little tired, but I still enjoy the quieter cabin and higher air pressure. The upstairs economy cabin is still great and feels like a much smaller plane.

[nykelaz]

I would prefer the 777s. The 380s are too prone to technical delays.

[flyguy]

the main thing is that the 777 is much more noiser than the A380 - hence if one prefers a more quite ride, then go for the A380