[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Ansgar:

Have you had a bad experience with Lufthansa? ("LH") Yes, they're more expensive. On the other hand, with Delta, you can see that the lower fare really isn't worth the aggravation.

While Lufthansa ground staff can be just as abrasive as the workers for US-based airlines, LH staff also pride themselves on being accurate. Accordingly, if there had been a later LH flight, that day, you would have been told.

Your story is another example of the advantage of booking a business class ticket. If there is a problem--such as arriving late at the airport--your ticket is fully refundable, and any additional fare payment, resulting from a change in flight plans, is either non-existant, or substantially smaller than what you paid. It sounds like you wound-up paying at, or near, business class fare--for coach service.