This necessarily has to be OT, given that BA has abandoned SSH as a destination since my last trip down there. But there seems nowhere else to get the relevant information ....

Which would now be the best option from a London airport to SSH ? As I will have luggage and am not a fan of stressful short connections, a flight with transfers would likely double the journey time given how (relatively) short a direct flight would be. So I have largely discounted options with a transfer in CAI or elsewhere.

That seems to leave the low cost carriers and a non-LHR departure.

In terms of accessibility, LTN is more convenient than LGW. but on my last arrival into LTN (on a private jet no less) I was staggered by the immigration queue (which we were deftly shephered to the front of), and I have read terrible things about congestion arriving at the airport by car for check-in. Some recent experiences of Channel Islands flights from / to LGW S did not seem too painful. I am not really interested in flying from STN for a whole number of reasons.

The airline choices are uninspiring: Sleazyjet, Monarch, Thomson, Thomas Cook.

Any recommendations from those who have also made the trip since BA pulled out ?

Avoid TCX like the plague. Unless of course you are a child or double amputee below the knee. Because for an adult, you will feel like one given the horrendous seat pitch.
Monarch are reasonable. Sleazy are hit and miss. My best bucket and spade flights non BA are usually with TOM. Friendly and experienced crews in my experiences.

I have two recommendations for you:

1. Avoid transfers at CAI. International and domestic flights go from different terminals and there is no (intelligent) way to connect between the two. I ended up taking a taxi, which actually leaves the airport and then comes back in. The domestic terminal is not very nce. Things may have changed in the last three years, but I doubt it.

2. Try Condor from DUS. I flew to Hurgahda once (another airport that is a bit of a bit) on my way to Soma Bay and my one charter experience was actually pretty decent.

TOM seems to offer extra leg room at �85 pp per sector, which comes to a substantial �340 for 2 of us for the return trip, and a significant amount more than Sleazyjet charges. That seems a lot, but I would be happy to pay it if it offered me a reasonable degree of comfort. Are the extra legroom seats actually significantly better, and is one reasonably assured of getting the seats one has booked (I am sure I saw somewhere that this is very hit and miss).

Can anyone comment on how TOM extra leg room compares with Sleazyjet extra leg room ?

We did BD A330 reward to CAI and then a 3 hour connection down to SSH using MSR Express. Return was only about a 1.5 hour connection. Going was comfortable and yes we did have to get a taxi to the domestic terminal which took about 5 minutes. Return was all within the same terminal. all was OK despite having to pick up bags both ways.

Doesn't Air Berlin fly to SSH?

We did Easyjet from MAN to SSH, and it was fine. In fact, it was preferable to the BA flight we did a year earlier on the LGW-SSH route.

Nice new planes, pretty good legroom (I'm 6'3"), and pay-on-board for food and drink. I'd much prefer to pay for something I want rather than get some crap for free.

The flights went out early morning from MAN, and returned early evening from SSH. I suspect LGW and LTN will have similarly timed flights.

Royal Jordanian for TPs and Crown (business) class. That's an Embraer 175 (!) for the last leg, the seats are 1 + 2 across. 2+2 across in Economy. AMM is a relatively reasonable place to transfer.

I have flown EZY MAN-DLM and paid for speedy and bagged the overwing exits. But still no recline and a long time for the bar to reach you. On the outbound leg lots of bacon sarnies etc, but the Easy never load enough and the return leg was.......well from friends who travelled on it, they said it was a sparse affair. We paid for new tickets from an agent selling last minute on TOM, whom we tried to book the outbound with.

TOM on the 757 and 767 have better legroom on bulkheads and exit rows than EZY A320s. The Above types also have reclinable seats at exits. not sure about the 738-800 but I imagine it is the same deal as the BA 737-400.
Better stock control also. Buy onboard hot meals (when overstocked) cheaper than pre purchase option online. Bar prices are the same give or take 10P here or there for all the aforementioned carriers. They specifically compete in this regard. Still would go for TOM over EZY. More experienced crews as well.

I have been warned off RJ over flight safety concerns. Specifically 'flight crew mentality'. They have a small pool of pilots who are not the happiest bunch apparently. Lots of distraction issues and lack of adherence to SOPs and several violations of procedures in the US leading to warning letters from the FAA. Will avoid for a few years.
I did enjoy their Crown service on the A330 ex LHR-AMM a few years ago.^

I'm afraid your first recommendation is grossly misleading (international and domestic flights do not necessarily go from different terminals), and judgemental (things have changed in the last three years).

1. If one flies MS - or, for that matter, any Star Alliance airline into CAI (e.g. LH, LX, OS, SQ, TK) - international arrivals and domestic departures (and vice-versa) use the same terminal - CAI T3.

2. Not that I've tried it, but at CAI there is an elevated automated people mover between T1 and T3.

For what it's worth there is a newly-opened CAI hotel - Le Meridien.

Interesting to see the Meridien is now open it looked well placed and reasonably decent from outside last time I passed through CAI.

Is the people mover the rail track thing that runs from the side of T1? When did that go operational?

MS used to operate a direct flight to SSH (horrid 737 config IIRC) has that now been scrapped?

I used TOM in July as BA had no flights and I found them to be very acceptable indeed. Nice new 738 from LGW, I pre ordered champagne and it was delivered. Food was acceptable and no delays or issues.

Has the SSH route been discarded forever do you think? Whilst the timings of previous route weren't great I can't believe BA couldn't make a twice weekly day trip from LGW work. I am sure there are plenty of us who are drawn by the Four Seasons but find the idea of the orange scum shuttle most unpalatable.

It does look as though the SSH route has gone forever, and it is agreat shame. One might have hoped that the FS would be a sufficent draw to generate some decent revenue on the route.

Nobody has commented on Monarch as an option. I can currently get exit rows for my chosen dates on EZY and Monarch, but not on TOM.