They seemed pretty decent at Düsseldorf, welcoming and friendly. I find that can be quite rare at check in these days. The gate agent at DUS who scanned the boarding passes was too. And being greeted by a senior cc member upon boarding the aircraft was a real hark back to the old days. Often, when I board an American carrier, I wonder why I bothered booking a flight with them. It can be frankly terrible.

I will experience ground handling at Dubai airport tomorrow. I will be checking in at the airport without doing it online, but I managed to select seats. That's another thing: I'm amazed that I was able to do that for free. Most airlines charge you for that now.