SeeBuyFly

I've flown BA to India for years, mainly because most of my miles are on AA, and also because they flew nonstop to CCU. But earlier this year BA pulled out from CCU, leaving LH as the only European airline there. So I flew LH for the first time in many years. (In coach, no less.)

LH and BA are, of course, the two airlines with the biggest footprints in India. LH has the disadvantage of not having a large ethnic customer base in the home country. But it's making up for this with US transfer passengers. I was amazed to see than on the transatlantic leg (ORD-FRA) one of the two regular meal choices was Indian food, and one of the movies was an Indian movie. Why not any other ethnicity (eg. Chinese food/movie?) I think LH has made a conscious decision to attract Indian transfer passengers.

I was impressed with onboard service as well. It's still coach, but service was consistently pleasant and helpful; attitude was not variable as it is on BA. Drinks were available in the galley at all times, and served courteously rather than with a slight edge. Food was airline food (invariably chicken or veg) but in reasonable quantity and never inedible. I've been on 10-hour BA flights from India that start with a snack and then there's breakfast at the end, nothing in between ("this is a night flight so catering provides less food"). There seems to be less penny-pinching on LH.

The food and the service was quite uniform on all four legs (ORD-FRA, FRA-CCU and return). All flights were absolutely packed but no hassles, no delays and no disorganization.

The A340s with downstairs toilets are really nice, lots of toilets and rarely a line, plus a water dispenser to fill up my water bottle from.

I was traveling at the last minute, but I always got good seats (aisles near the front), and seats were assigned without an OLCI hoop to jump through.

So now I wish there were a way to transfer my miles and lifetime AA status to UA. Can't be done, of course.