The Frankfurt-Bangalore run

Flying

Aboard the second Lufthansa jet, I make conversation with the pretty Indian flight attendant. I'm in the last row of a 747, so I ask "Is it always full?"

"Always," she affirms. "Every day."

She says she has been doing this run for over four years, and it's been packed all the time. In fact, it used to be 7 days a week and now that it's only 5 days a week, it's sure to be even more packed. When I ask if she is from southern India, which is where Bangalore is located, she is momentarily taken aback. "No, no. North India. Dehli. You should be able to tell."

"How does one tell?"

"Northern India people are lighter. Southern are darker. And the face..." She paused, perhaps realizing it was impossible to go on without being pejorative. "You will be able to tell," she said, gesturing at the rapidly filling plane, the Indian passengers of which, it was true, were generally darker-skinned, with less European features.

After this conversation about how full the plane would be, I felt extremely lucky when the boarding finished and the seat next to me was left unfilled. I could use both armrests -- quelle luxe! I slept much more on this leg than on the first one.