Malaysia Airline crew.
The plane: Airbus A380-800.
Class: Economy (top deck).
Price: I was on my way to Paris from Auckland. This leg of the route is now served by Emirates under a codeshare agreement. One-way, Economy Class tickets start from $637.
On time: Delay of about an hour, they blamed traffic problems.
My seat: 4a (with a spare seat next to it, bliss).
Fellow passengers: A pretty relaxed lot. When the pilot announced he was skirting Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, adding 20 minutes or so to the flight time, I did not hear any complaints.
How full: About half in the parts of the plane I could see.
Entertainment: Wide selection of movies, games and so on. Big screen.
The service: Exemplary.
Food and drink: Good quality and plenty of it.
The toilets: Clean and fresh.
Luggage: Lots of space in the overhead lockers.
The airport experience: KL was busy and efficient. Before boarding we waited in a lounge that had cigarette smoke wafting into it. Yuck. Paris Charles de Gaulle was not too crowded but surprisingly lax with passport controls and no biosecurity checks.
Would I fly again? Yes. Modern planes, friendly service; just what you need on longhaul flights.
Allow us to inspire your next dream holiday with these epic travel deals.