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When he bought his ticket he agreed that he would board every flight at the scheduled time or else pay a cancellation service charge.

Terms of agreements have to be agreed to by both parties. Sounds like a German court found that such a contract was not valid for some reason. My guess is that it was thrown out at least in part because the airline cannot show that they were harmed in any way. And just because they have a contract does not automatically mean that contract is legally valid. There are lots of reasons why a contract might be held to be unenforceable.

It's part of most airlines terms and conditions.

Here are Lufthansa's terms and conditions. I see nothing about the passenger incurring a service charge if they fail to board. Perhaps I've overlooked something but a quick reading seems to reveal no such terms.

You pay a cancelation fee only if you choose to be refunded for the flight you missed.

It's part of most airlines terms and conditions.

Here are Lufthansa's terms and conditions. I see nothing about the passenger incurring a service charge if they fail to board. Perhaps I've overlooked something but a quick reading seems to reveal no such terms.

Here it is:

If you have chosen a tariff that requires observance of a fixed ticket sequence, please note: if carriage is not used on all individual legs or not used in the sequence specified on the ticket with otherwise unchanged travel data, we will recalculate the airfare according to your altered routing. The airfare will thereby be determined in accordance with the fare you would have had to pay for your actual routing in your price group on the day of your booking. This fare may be higher or lower than the fare you originally paid. If the price group you originally booked was not available for the altered routing on the day of the booking, the cheapest available former price group for your altered routing will be taken as the basis for the recalculation.

When he bought his ticket he agreed that he would board every flight at the scheduled time or else pay a cancellation service charge.

Terms of agreements have to be agreed to by both parties. Sounds like a German court found that such a contract was not valid for some reason. My guess is that it was thrown out at least in part because the airline cannot show that they were harmed in any way. And just because they have a contract does not automatically mean that contract is legally valid. There are lots of reasons why a contract might be held to be unenforceable.

It's part of most airlines terms and conditions.

Here are Lufthansa's terms and conditions. I see nothing about the passenger incurring a service charge if they fail to board. Perhaps I've overlooked something but a quick reading seems to reveal no such terms.

And the A380 is about 3 liters per 100 kilometers per passenger (approx. 78 mpg).

But then, you have to fill the plane up with people to make that work.

source: http://a380.lufthansa.com/en/html/technik/umwelt/index.php

...has had wifi on its flights for a over a year now.

You are right.

You're lucky if you get 32".

According to Lufthansa, they are now at 32".

See also http://cms.lufthansa.com/fly/de/en/inf/0,4976,0-0- 1144177,00.html

According to the same source, the only German airport that is ready for the A380 is Munich's. However, some "minimal modifications" will be made to the terminal building to make simultaneous boarding of both main and upper decks, via a number of bridges. Modifications are also underway at the Frankfurt-Main airport. These include 9 parking positions and enlarged waiting rooms. Fraport (the company that manages the airport) has already "set aside" about 50 million euros for the modifications. However, it is still "not clear" whether simultaneous boarding on both decks will be possible in Frankfurt.

Lufthansa has ordered 15 A380s (most likely all of them in the 500-passenger configuration, Rolls-Royce engine option) and will start flying them in the summer of 2007. The destinations have not yet been completely decided, but will be chosen by the end of 2006 among 19 "potential destinations." It looks like it will be mostly long-haul flights to the "emerging markets" in Asia.

Also related:
Airbus Beluga "Super Transporter"
This is used to transport some of the "smaller" parts---I guess, if you want to build the largest commercial passenger plane, it helps if you have already built the world's largest freighter plane! :-)

And a last tidbit: the diameter of the A380s jet engines is the same as the diameter of the A320 fuselage. What the...?

Finally, in other news, one other first for Lufthansa (BTW, no, I don't work for them, I'm not even German :-) is FlyNet, which uses Boeing's Connexion to offer live Internet via on-board WiFi (11Mbps) and a satelite link (1Mbps). Lufthansa is already offering it on many flights. Connexion was ditched by the US companies initially involved, citing "financial concerns" after 9/11 (and this, only a couple of weeks after 9/11... hmm :-). Of course, this is also a first for Boeing (which will be outfitting some Airbuses as well).

Lufthansa offers both. Right now.

I don't see what effect this FCC ruling has because I can already fly from Frankfurt to American cities and get Internet access (either CAT-5 or 802.11b) on the flight.

Details

Shhhh...don't tell Lufthansa that their overseas internet access doesn't work, they might get very upset :P

Lufthansa also offers wireless access on some of their flights. I flew from Munich to Los Angeles two weeks ago and used it. They have a free portal you can use or complete Internet access for $30 (which was too much for me to pay).

Anyway, they are offering the service in both Airbus and Boeing planes. Boeing apparently sells the service for all planes. See http://cms.lufthansa.com/fly/ca/en/inf/0,4969,0-0- 1180835,00.html

I wouldn't think so. I know of at least one airline (Lufthansa) who offer WLAN access on long haul flights.

read their shpeel here

I can't beleive that Lufthansa, one of the crappiest airlines i've ever flown on...

All airlines have shitty airplanes. They put the really nices ones on the high-profit routes. I've flown on Lufthansa, KLM, United Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and some others that don't come to mind immediately. They all have stellar planes like the one you flew on British Airways. Also, they all have crappier, older planes. You just got unlucky on your Lufthansa flight(s).

It seems that you don't fly much...