In Flight Entertainment (IFE)

BA

The video monitor is always in an upright position; you can't hide it, but you can swing it out of the way. We were offered a choice of about two dozen movies, all in English, all pretty much current. The cartridge is slid into a recessed slot in the side of the seat; it's not obvious, and I had to ask where to put it. Getting it out was also a hassle, but we finally sorted it out.

In addition to the First Class choices, you can also watch the regular channels, which includes more movies, selection from Discovery and the History Channel, and various other entertainments. And, of course, the audio selections.

The headphones (complementary, of course) are detachable, and seemed a bit cheap for the class of service. They were serviceable, but a bit of external noise filtered through. Also, the frequency response was not "hi-fi"; I would sometimes have difficulty understanding the dialog. All in all, not bad, just not top grade.

US

I must confess my memory is a bit fuzzy here. I do recall the monitor could be hidden, and the movie selection was acceptable. Again, I'm not sure if we got cartridges or just made a menu selection; I think it was the latter. Anyhow, it was enjoyable and I recall that the selection was good and the sound quality was certainly no worse than on BA.

LH

On LH, the monitor folds up and can be slid into the seat, out of the way. The movie selection had films in both English and German (along with a number of other languages, depending on the movie). Some were in only one language. The player is inside the seat; pop open the arm rest and pull down the player. Both our cartridges had to be rewound. The control panel on the other armrest enabled you to select AUX, VIDEO, or AUDIO. You select AUX for the player. It all seemed a bit makeshift, but it all worked well.

Program (channel) selection was made on the keypad, and each selection had two positions; one for English and one for German. Watching a Scrooge McDuck cartoon in German is a hoot.

The headphones were by Sennheiser and (IMO) were of decidedly better quality than either BA or US.

Service

BA

BA service is very, very nice. World class. They knew our names, they seemed to always arrive at just the right moment whatever you wanted or needed, and whole atmosphere was one of elegant competence. Whatever you wanted, you just had to ask. At least two FAs on duty at all times; sometimes more. Very nice.

US

US's service was a good cut above pedestrian, just not as complete as BA's. No complaints. In fact, because they did not hover over you, I was able to sleep and relax quite pleasantly. Those who prefer constant pampering may be a bit put off, but I consider the service, overall, to be very good to excellent.

LH

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Maybe it was because we were in a lightly-loaded cabin, but it seemed to me that the FA's were trying a bit too hard to be accomodating. They just kept coming around with food, etc., and if I were in a poorer mood, it might have gotten on my nerves.

All in all, though, it's hard to fault them for trying. And it was very accomodating and of a decidedly first class (Teutonic-style) level. No serious complaints.

Food

BA

The BA food was, what can I say, superb. All the choices were explained, suggestions were made, drinks were provided, the menu was fairly extensive (if a bit effusive) and everything was done exactly as I would like it. Along with the service as described above, it was a most pleasant experience.

And, of course, the all-day English breakfast and coffee went down quite nicely after my nappies.

US

I do recall having one of the best pieces of beef in my life on the US flight. Even my wife commented on how delicious it was. Along with the various wines, spirits, etc. made available, it was all very enjoyable.

Breakfast was also a treat, and we arrived quite full and refreshed. No problems here; US has always had a bit of a reputation as providing excellent food and service on their transatlantics, and they lived up to it in fine style.

LH

Although the service was prompt and the food was well prepared, I was a bit put off by the selections. I wound up not eating part of the meal. A lot of things like lettuce and other greens, and not a lot of the main course. Almost nothing on the menu (except the delicious shrimp) was an item I would have ordered were I in a restaurant. Maybe it was because I was just a tad put off by the service issues mentioned above; but if you like what that offer, you'll find it well prepared and tasty. It was a selection issue, not a quality issue.

Breakfast was hot scrambled eggs and bacon. The bacon was a bit strange; each piece had what seemed to be a bit of bone in it. Not sure if this is a German/European thing or not. In any event, if you avoid eating that little bit the bacon was crisp, hot, and delicious.

And, of course, lots of breads, oceans of coffee, gallons of juice, etc. Brekkies was the best meal of the trip, IMO.

Bottom Line

I would rate the products as:

1. BA
2. Tie - US and LH

I would have no hesitation in flying F on LH again, but if price were a consideration, US would be my choice. I just think they provide more bang for the buck, especialy if you get row 1.

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Business Class

We flew Biz class (Club Europe) NCE-LHR on BA, FRA-FCO-FRA on LH, and, because I screwed up in checking in, LGW-PHL on US (i.e., we didn't get row 1 on the return leg.

BA

Club Europe (CE) was a treat. It's like domestic First Class used to be.

The a/c was a 767, and the seats were 2-2-2. The center section actually had three seats, but the middle one was sort of sawed-off, and a real person couldn't fit in it. They don't sell it anyhow.

The seats were quite comfortable for the flight's duration, and the meal and service was very good. I would have no hesitation about flying CE on BA intra-Europe, especially on a flight less than 3 or 4 hours.

US

Transatlantic Business Class is essentially the same as their First class, except the seat does not recline to a full 180 degrees; it stops at 160 degrees. Also, the IFE is slightly less complex.

Having said that, I found I could snooze just as well at 160 degrees as at 180, and the food and service are the same. So even though I felt a bit bummed because I didn't get row 1, it turns out the difference was not enough to make all that much difference. Still a very nice ride. Arriving at PHL however...

LH

The legs from FRA to FCO and back were on LH Business Class. The trip down was on a 737, and the other leg was on an A321. On both a/c, the business class seats seemed identical to the coach seats, and they were configured indentically, too. That is, 3-3. They just don't sell the middle seat. It's a compromise, and not a good one.

The meal service was strange. Both my wife and I agreed that there wasn't a single item on the tray on the outbound leg that we recognized. I think there was some liver thing on there, but I'm not sure. We wound up leaving most of it uneaten.

The return flight was a breakfast flight, and the food was decidedly better, though still not quite on a par with BA's English Breakfast! But, it was streets better than the flight down.

Overall

Admittedly, the comparisons aren't completely apples to apples, so take it for what it's worth:

1. BA - by a country mile (intra-Europe)
2. US - transatlantic only
3. LH - a poor third (intra-Europe)

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So that's my take. Feel free to lambaste me at your leisure, especially if I've stepped on your sacred cows. :