Also, historically, if you buy a flexible non-Sat night stay ticket then you got C class. Period. SK changed this very recently, for example, and now offer flex economy tickets with up to 25% discount or something like that.

This is much better than the US option of buying full Y on an airline where you don't have any status and getting stuck in a middle seat. Plus access to a nice lounge is an added benefit.

OS CAI-VIE is a long flight but the C cabin was really empty so I could lie across and sleep. They put the divider so that Y was relatively packed. (First time I got some real shut eye on a plane in years and years. I can't sleep sitting up in a fancy business seat.)

The complaint about Euro C is that the pitch is still poor even though they have the convertible seats on the newer planes. On the SK 321 the config is 2+3 in C. On the 2 side there is what appears to be a mini seat between the two so that you don't rub elbows. On the 3 side the middle seat becomes extra wide but I think the aisle and window seats are the same width as Y. Thus they contract the left side and expand the right side -- in the process eliminating one seat.

I don't agree that LH longhaul Y is as bad as any other airline. The poor seat design and tight pitch combines to make it really bad. There is also this ambiance and attitude that you are dirt because you are flying Y -- it's hard to put a finger on but it's not there on US carriers or SK.

In fact flying Y on SR (Swissair) some 3 years ago on a 340 for $2500 was so bad and really got me ticked off, especially at that price, that I changed my flying habits. It included avoiding carriers like SR (LX), LH and BA......