It's the world's largest passenger plane. But he still fit some of it inside his home

In our roundup of travel stories this week: Aviation's strangest four-engine giant passenger plane, the luxury 1980s private jet you can book for a private stay, plus the A380 superfan who has outfitted his home like a first-class cabin.

In love with a superjumbo

It wasn't love at first flight for aviation superfan Arun Rajagopal and the Airbus A380.

The turning point came on his fourth journey aboard the world's largest passenger plane, flying business class to Singapore. "The seats were huge, and you have a bar in the back of the plane," he said. It gave him a "wow" feeling, like "experiencing comfort on another level."

Soon, he was flying A380s as often as possible. So far he's clocked 220 times and counting, covering roughly 715,000 miles across six continents.

In recent years, he's brought the A380 experience into his own Dubai apartment as well. He has two first-class seats from Emirates' first A380, first-class cabin lamps, and an A380 wheel upcycled into a coffee table.

The pièce de résistance, however, is the meticulously restored and customized living-room from The Residence – Etihad Airways' luxurious three-room private suite – which he spent a year constructing in his living room. See more of his A380 treasures here.

The commercial flop that won hearts

The Airbus A340-600 broke records as the world's longest passenger plane when it was launched in 2002, but for most of the decades it's been flying, it's been a commercial flop.

Its four engines are thirsty and its 247-foot-long fuselage requires special runway clearance. On top of this, its quirky design includes a downstairs lavatory tucked away in space usually reserved for cargo – which apparently has made it a tempting proposition for would-be members of the Mile-High Club.

While it never was a hit with the airline industry, the Airbus A340-600 has a strong cult following among aviation fans and aircrews, many of whom turned out at Washington Dulles International Airport this month to see the arrival of a flight that would mark the end of German carrier Lufthansa's relationship with the aircraft. Auf wiedersehen, jet (subscribers only).

Low-cost private jet experience

For an in-the-clouds experience at very grounded prices, vacationers in Bristol, England, can stay in a vintage Boeing 727 with a luxury 1980s retro interior.

Known as PytchAir, the retired airliner has been converted into a 1,000-square-foot, fully micro-grid-powered stay by local entrepreneur Johnny Palmer.

Resting atop a stack of shipping containers and generating more solar and wind energy than it actually uses, the property offers aviation enthusiasts full access to a Miami Vice-era time capsule, complete with two lounges, a main bedroom and an open flight deck where guests can push every button in sight.

Despite the excessive 1980s opulence of its interior, it is unlikely, as rumors have it, that it ever belonged to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

In 2013, Anthony Bourdain visited Colombia for his series "Parts Unknown," to see how the country was recovering from the stereotypes of earlier decades. CNN subscribers can watch here.

Endless cruise comes to an end

The cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, which has been sailing around the world continuously for more than two years in what its residents hoped was a "forever" cruise, has abruptly halted operations. Passengers were evicted in Cambodia after the company Villa Vie Residences said the Iran war made fuel prices too expensive to continue its voyage

In case you missed it

Sadly, it's not just cruise companies affected by higher fuel costs.

Airfares are expected to soar this holiday season.

It's nearly 90 years since aviator Amelia Earhart disappeared.

Our interactive story follows the enduring quest.

She set off traveling alone at age 13.

And now she's visited nearly every country. (Subscribers only.)

A campaign revelation. A cancelled cruise. A baseball showdown.

What do you remember from the week that was?