The A321 is not really an option as the policy is to use them only from terminal 4. The real problem seems to be having gone down in capacity (from a 757 to a 320) on a route which must have one of the strongest growth rates on the "short-haul" network. The only hope for any new capacity at BA this/next year appears to be to India, where other routes are being cannibalised to provide no end of extra services there. Let's do a Ryanair and rename Domodedovo as Delhi North :)

This Monday there are 3 flights to DME. My waitlist just cleared for the last one (BA874) on a 320 :td: :td: The earlier 2 are practically full.

How much does BA make on this route ???

It depends entirely what time you come in. It's not as bad as it used to be. I usually arrive off the AY at 12.05 and it is empty at that time. Arrive just after Air China and you are in for a LONG wait...

The same as their operating profit (if any).

My arrival tine is 17:45 - you are correct. the earlier in the afternoon the better, I guess I wil be arriving at the same time as a lot of other ex-euro flights.

More Moscow Flights
 

BA seems to be running 4 return DME flights on Saturdays at the moment and 3 on some Mondays - anyone know if this is a permanent move or just for the next two weeks? The numbers seem a bit random - BA0526 today?

I used to fly this route a lot and it really seems that the longer SH routes get the worst deal on everything - it is at least an hour too far for a commuter service and the AV equipment very rarely works.

I also notice that SU have re-instated IL96's on the London route, a week after they re-gained their safety licence having been grounded due to brake problems. According to Expertflyer, my flight back on Sunday has gone from an A321 to an IL96. Having experienced the joys of the IL96 before on a 10 hour flight from SVO to BKK, think I'll change my flight to the earlier A321.

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.

the A320 came in during my last 6 months in Moscow and I avoided it like the plague. I mostly used to fly in Y and was always amazed that J passengers put up with being jammed in for their £1700 return. Not only that, but the 320 was nearly always delayed. I hear the J seats on the SU A321s are pretty good and it's £700 less for a return...although you do have the problem of SVO and dodgy food.

Try Swiss

They have a very civilised flight leaving for ZRH at 1715 with only a 45 minute connection on to Moscow. And they fly into DME.

Fares are way, way lower than BA. My most recent trips have been in Y, where return flights are less than GBP200 return. And you get full miles - at least for now.

I'm a BA Gold card holder, but no way will they get a single penny from me on the Moscow route unless I'm absolutely desparate.

PS The Aeroflot seats are indeed a vast improvement on BA's. Their service is also much better. My problems with SU are (1) their schedule and (2) Sheremyetevo.

The problem I have with Swiss are that to go to Moscow, you're either leaving at the crack of dawn or you get in at 2am. Also, I would currently get zairo miles and LON-MOW is too far to give up miles :) It may become more an option once LH swallows them up and I get my *G bennies.

And I do have to agree, it is silly to pay those fares on BA, even the full Y when you can get C on others for the same price.

agree with that - I used to go with LX to DME quite a lot - good connections, few delays and a decent price. I never understood the poor service on BA to SVO and then DME, given the price they charge and the number of J paying customers. I spent more than 4 years in BUD flying most weeks on BA with barely a problem the entire time - then I moved to Moscow and it was like flying a different airline - hardly had a problem free flight in 2 years..

I am off to DME tomorrow on the lovely 874.

I too am expecting the normal late departure/arrival, no storage space, no IFE etc etc.

I am in Y as refuse completely to pay the J fare.

To address some of the points above:

I too have flown Swiss to DME and do so when I have to pay myself, otherwise I don't relish having to catch the 0620 to GVA or getting in at 2am.

Regarding the fare, most corporate companies will not allow the employee to get round the system by taking at similar price trip but in a higher class. If I obey the rules, its eco at any price regardless if its 3 times the price of J on someone else. Stupid in the extreme but useless to argue with the TA idiots. (as an aside, the stupid computer suggested I go via Armenia to get the lowest fare!!!!!!)

I would agree that the 767, tatty as it is, is much better than the A320. You also have the chance in Y of getting off before the J crowd as door 2 is always used.

Two final Points:

1) its due to go below freezing for the first time this coming weekend. The snow is late again this year, but we now have 6 months of de-icing to look forward to as well as the cr*p service

2) The VISA requirements are slated to get much worse. Apparently for me to renew my 1 year multi entry visa I will need another HIV test, as well as tests for Leprosy (LMAO), Tuberculosis and a few other things. Seems the Gov't is intent on making doing biz in Russia even more difficult.

The J seats on the A321s are similar to F on AA's MD80s in the US. I find SU's food to be less salty but somewhat blander than BA, with a better wine selection and more friendly service (at least if one is a non-native speaker of Russian). I think the price difference has narrowed somewhat, though.

Unless yet another pronouncement has recently been made, my understanding is that this only applies to work permissions/work visas. Nothing has changed with respect to the standard multiple entry business visas (which have always formally required an HIV test, though seemingly not enforced when issued in the UK).

They did relax the requirement that such tests be conducted at state-run clinics.