How many storeys does a 777 have? In my article How To Tell Any Plane Apart, I said it has one storey. However, strictly speaking, excluding the uninhabitable luggage deck, there’s actually another level: the crew rest area.
Ever wondered where the crew mysteriously vanish to mid-flight when the lights are dimmed? The lie-flat beds of the crew rest area, equipped with inflight entertainment screens and plug ports, just like any other seat. They are generally in a bunk formation, and the crew take shifts depending on the length of the flight to have a break/nap.
It’s accessed either from the front or back of the plane, depending on the configuration and plane model, and, in a 777, a small spiral staircase leads up to a windowless second deck, which stretches over the length of the plane. Other planes like the A380 have crew rest areas below deck.
In the event of an emergency, however, the crew need a quick escape route, which leads to some cool hidden trapdoors. In a 777, one of the overhead lockers in Economy is actually a disguised escape hatch, whilst on the A380, a popular seat in Economy is 25D, due to the absence of a seat in-front of it, and thus far more legroom. This is because where the seat would be is an escape hatch from the crew rest area below deck.
The A380’s crew rest area has 12 bunks, more than catering for the maximum of 22 crew onboard an ultra long-haul flight, while the 777 has 8 berths. In addition to this, the pilots have their own crew rest area the the front in their own section, including their own toilet, though this is locked and separated from the main cabin for security reasons.
final thoughts
Nothing profound here, just a bit of AvGeeky trivia for you all. Know of any other cool plane trivia, or facts about the crew rest area? Share with the community down below!
