Singapore Airlines A380 maiden commercial flight

Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 left Singapore for its first commercial flight — a seven-and-a-half-hour journey to Sydney. The huge double-decker jet left Changi Airport with about 455 passengers on board and is expected to arrive in Sydney later in the day. About one-third of the passengers are Australians, with about 12 Japanese passengers also on board.

Passengers bid for the tickets by auction on an Ebay. The auction raised about S$1.9 million (US$1.3 million), which will go to charity. They include an Australian who paid the highest amount of US$100,380 for a pair of tickets in one of the luxurious, private cabins that SIA branded as "beyond first class". Truly for business, the cabins can also be transformed into a fully-functional workstation complete with in-seat power supply for their laptops and USB ports to connect to KrisWorld's office tools.

But if you're thinking that there's nothing for the economy class, you better think again. SIA also upsized its Economy Class with wider seats and a more comfortable leg room. Economy passengers won't feel neglected with a larger LCD screen to enjoy the in-flight entertainment, a wide selection of movies and TV programs. What more can you ask for?

Tags: Singapore Airlines, A380, Airbus