Mid-Flight Musings

Just flew on Lufthansa from Munich to Brussels and continue to be amazed with the German airline. On this very brief flight (barely an hour), they still find time to feed you a snack and free drink (including beer or wine). In the Munich airport there is all-you-can-drink free coffee and a half-dozen kinds of tea. As well as over 10 English and German newspapers, all there for you without charge. Where have we gone wrong in America?
In the tiny john there was an interesting sign, in effect telling you not to throw newspapers, spoons, or bottles down the toilet. Newspapers? Harry Houdini couldn't get a Times down that downspout. As for spoons and bottles, I guess it's time to come clean: on those long flights where a full meal is served, I've often sneaked my "dinner" tray and drink into the john, always finding the dining arrangements there so much more cozy and intimate. But what to do with the silverware and bottle when I'm done? Well, I guess now I've been found out, so I'll have to resort to eating in my regular seat, like everyone else.
The Lufthansa magazine announced that as of next month the super-jumbo-mondo-massive Airbus airliner, the A380, will be flying non-stop from Frankfurt to San Francisco. I found it interesting how the classes are broken out on these planes: out of a total of 526 seats, guess how many are First Class. Only 8! Now, Business Class holds nearly 100 which seems huge, but that still leaves 420 folks flying in Peasant Class. I don't know what will be more interesting: the boarding or the waiting for luggage:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will begin boarding Cattle Class at this time, so we invite all heifers seated in rows 140 and higher to board at this time."
And, can you imagine the wait for luggage, just you and over 500 flight buddies? After a 13-hour flight. Where they don't even let you dine in the bathroom...
Finally, in Europe they generally do not board shorter flights by rows and, guess what, it doesn't seem to slow things down at all. Of course, this being Europe, even if they did attempt to get you to board by row it would never work. That would require patience, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to be Number Two, for just a minute. It just won't work on this continent, folks.