Another nighmare 320 flight to DME
That's my 3rd trip this month and today's flight (874) on the Airbus was the worse yet.
Q- What's worse than sitting on a packed 320 for 4 hours with nowhere to store luggage, nowhere to hang jackets, not enough loos, no immigration forms on board, no IFE, miserable stressed crew ?
A - Sitting in the emergency exit row in a bolt upright seat that doesn't recline for 4 hours with nowhere to store luggage, nowhere to hang jackets, not enough loos, no immigration forms on board, no IFE miserable stressed crew !
I think I've finally had it. 3 trips this month @ £1700 a time for such a miserable way to travel. I will stick to the 767 flight, or else take AY.
I did a quick calculation on board today:
12 rows of club, all full = 60 passengers, paying average £800 one way = £48,000
The 320 seats 149, less 13 rows with the middle seat taken away, means 136 seats in today's config, meaning 76 seats in Y, and there was one empty seat. So 75 seats in Y, with average fare of £200 o/w = £15,000.
Total revenue on today's flight could have been £63,000.
I don't know what the cost of flying, crewing and catering a 320 for 4 hours. But I reckon that the revenue on a LCA flight would be about £20-25,000, and I assume they don't operate that flight at a loss. Assuming DME costs less for full, but a little more for the tablecloth and the champagne drunk on board, it must cost no more than £20,000-ish to fly there.
I realise this is all very back-of-envelope stuff, but I am glad I contributed to a £43,000 or more profit on one shorthaul flight today! At least I got 40 TP's for my trouble.
Seriously though, I hate the Airbuf flight on this route, and will do anything to avoid it from now on.
PS - Really seriously avoid row 9 and 10 on the Airbus. I've never experienced a more uncomfortable way of sitting for 4 hours.
PPS - AY fares ex Moscow are £800 for fully flexible ticket to LHR. And you can use the codeshare on BA for HEL-LHR, as well as codeshare on SU for SVO-HEL.