I was late to the A380 party.

It took a move to Australia from the US, a passport itching for some stamps and a steady stream of family Christmases back home before I boarded one of Airbus’s double-decker behemoths a decade ago.

Since its sensational commercial launch in 2007, the A380 has become a ubiquitous travel companion to many Australians, awed to see a twin set of stairs leading to a mysterious upper deck. Even for a nation that is used to long-haul flights, stepping onboard makes you feel a bit like Jonah, riding inside a flying whale at 35,000 feet.

For those living under the flight path in Sydney, its quad engines are known as conversation-stoppers or TV-pausers as the superjumbo roars in and out of town. Where are they going? And how do I hitch a ride?

But those days are numbered after Qantas said it would start retiring its A380s in 2028, four years ahead of schedule, due to high maintenance costs and a new fleet of next-gen jets ready for some gate space.

Plane nerds collect airlines and aircraft like Pokémon cards, and........

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