Photos: the Airbus A380's secret hangout zone for cabin crew

Ever wondered how cabin crew pass the time on those 14-hour flights and look as refreshed on landing as they did before take-off?

Step below decks and into the ‘secret’ crew rest area of the Airbus A380 superjumbo – the world’s largest passenger aircraft – and see for yourself!

In this illustration provided by Airbus there are eight bunks beneath the lower deck of economy with handles and small steps to assist the crew, in what reminds us of a Japanese capsule hotel…

… while on selected Emirates’ A380s, the crew rest is on the same level as economy – tucked away at the rear of the cabin:

Inside there’s room for an impressive nine bunks...

Emirates' Airbus A380 crew rest bunks
Sergey Dolya

... with each boasting a curtain for privacy and a personal entertainment system to help pass the time.

Inside the Qantas A380

All 12 of Qantas’ superjumbos have a downward staircase at row 66...

Head below decks on the Qantas Airbus A380
David Feldman

... hidden behind a discreet door that only the crew can open:

Down below, Qantas' bunks are a tad more traditional with just two per stack rather than Emirates' three:

The crew rest area on Qantas' Airbus A380s
David Feldman

You may have also spotted the missing seat in row 70, as seen here on Korean Air’s A380s which use the same type of crew rest...

The cabin crew's escape hatch on Korean Air's A380
Brian Sumers

That’s actually the somewhat-subtle home of an escape hatch, available for the crew in cases of emergency or when exiting via the normal door isn’t possible, as seen here on the Qantas A380:

Sitting in 71D on the Qantas A380? Mind the escape hatch!
'eoinnz'

The pilots aren’t forgotten either, although their beds (and private bathroom facilities) are located at the very front of the aircraft in the same secure area as the cockpit:

Australian Business Traveller had a rare sneak peek at the captain’s quarters on a visit to the Qantas A380 flight deck, and found there to be ample room to stretch out – even for pilots over six feet tall:

The aviators also have their own entertainment screen when they’re away from the cockpit, and unlike the tight-squeeze crew bunks, there’s extra headspace if they’d prefer to sit in bed and read a good book.

But if they’re guiding a Qantas A380 to Dallas on what is the world’s longest flight by distance, chances are they’d rather put the fully-flat bed to good use for some much-needed shuteye along the way.

More crew lofts revealed:

• Inside the Airbus A350's secret loft
• Cool photos: the Boeing 787's funky crew rest 'loft'
• The best seats on a Boeing 777? Try the upstairs bunk beds!