There is a flight planning issue here which we are trying to address through our ops organisation. Obviously, if our planners are aware of routine level restrictions, these will be incorporated into the computer flight plans. For some reason, that wasn't the case the other day, and at the moment I don't know why not.
Unfortunately, the crews rarely do a particular route frequently enough to become familiar with regular ATC restrictions so, if they aren't notamed or otherwise notified to the crew, there's no way of anticipating them when deciding on the fuel load. On this occasion, we were aware that there may be level restrictions, but we had no definitive indication as to what they would be.
We do, of course, build into the fuel planning a contingency factor, but this is easily used up in the cut and thrust of level changes over the great Russian FA (which is procedurally controlled with large gaps between same-way levels), never mind the vicissitudes of the wind and weather! That contingency fuel equates to 15 minutes' holding at destination. If it's been used en-route, there isn't a lot of flex before a stay/divert decision is pressing.
Scroggs