Billion Air: How Much Would You Pay for a Flying House?

What's eight stories tall, weighs 361 tons, and is two years overdue? The A380 passenger jet. Airbus says it'll fill orders from 14 foreign customers for 156 of the double-deckers. Number 157 is reserved for an undisclosed billionaire, a civilian who'll pay $475 million for the plane — that's the $325 million price tag, plus $150 million in custom upgrades — making it one of the most expensive mobile homes in the world. Though he usually works on land, New York-based industrial designer Ed se Doret was happy to outfit the personalized aircraft, dubbed Project Trinity, with everything from a massive formal dining room to a whirlpool tub. Doret's design is ready for takeoff, but Airbus may not be; the continued financial troubles for the French company might ground the airborne Xanadu. Maybe the mystery buyer wants a couple dozen?

The tour:

Oasis Lounge:
The Oasis Lounge, which takes it design cues from desert palaces, doesn’t do anything to discourage the rumor that the Flying Palace’s mysterious buyer is a Middle-Eastern oil magnate.  The circular room is decorated with Persian rugs, low tables, and pillows on the floor for seating. The linen-draped room creates a tent-like feel, and a desert-scene mural is hand-painted on the wall.

Master Bedroom:
Sure, there’s a 70 inch flatscreen TV (hard mounted with a rubberized shock absorbing isolator so it won’t crash on your head in turbulence) and a vanity with a pop-up mirror.  But more important for those overnight flights is the king size bed with a self-leveling system. It senses the angle of the airplane and an internal mechanism that levels the bed out so it feels like you’re always sleeping (or renewing your membership to the Mile High Club) on stable, even ground.

Master Bathroom:
Since even the uber rich’s planes aren’t allowed to use glass, the bathroom is entirely enclosed in clear Lexan, a shatterproof plastic used in Nalgene water bottles and racecar windshields (there’s a linen shade for privacy). The bathroom also boasts the first in-flight whirlpool—Lexan, square, with room for two. In case of rapid decompression, which could cause the whole enclosure to explode from the pressure, the tub automatically drains to a 60-gallon grey water tank in the cargo deck a matter of seconds…just make sure you’re not still in it.

Office:
So you can write off at least part of the plane as a business expense.

Guest Suite:
Houses dignitaries visiting your flying nation-state.

Cockpit:
Two pilots maneuver the flying Xanadu for 8-10 hours before switching places with a second pair.  The A380 can fly for 16 hours before it needs to refuel—but each of those hours (factoring in fuel, landing fees, and paying the crew) costs about $24,000.  In April, the Airbus made several test flights to prove that though it’s still six tons overweight, it won’t destroying runways—60 airports are making accommodations, including LAX and JFK’s $300 million upgrades.

Entry Lounge and Grand Lounge:
Between fully-reclining seats and sleeper sofas, the two lounges can comfortably sleep 25 (commercial A380s seat up to 853).  Floor lamps and wood-finished seats are bolted to the floor and rated to withstand forces in excess of 15Gs, in case of an emergency.  In case of relaxation, they all swivel, have extension leg rests, face a 70-inch TV, and are in close proximity to the wet bar. 

Dining Area:
Fourteen guests can sit in the main dining room, drinking from crystal glasses and dining off green-rimmed China (to match the seats).  Swiveling pop-up TV monitors are visible from each side, and there’s another 70-inch LCD panel at the end of the table so nobody has to miss the in-flight movie for a measly 10-course meal.  There is also a family dining area on the upper deck, which is used when eating sans entourage.

Galleys:
In the facing twin galleys between the dining area and the staff seating area, flight attendants prepare meals using their old airplane cooking standby: the microwave.  But they also have a refrigerator, freezer, sink, electric hot plate, a dishwasher, and an espresso machine.  Oh, and two wine fridges, housing 40 bottles apiece.

Staff Seating Area:
Accommodates 25 valets, paparazzi, sycophants and other mutants not fit to share the Oasis lounge with you. Still, the digs are on par with commercial first-class.

Crew Rest:
Even the flying Titanic has a steerage section.  Here, the 16 crew members take shifts sleeping on eight bunk beds, and share a single, regular airline bathroom.

--Sarah Z. Wexler