I would like to point out that this idea of reducing the fuel load so that you can take more people
would be a good idea if the a/c wasn't 180yrs old.
The problem with this plan is that due to the reduced endurance and the extra planned stop this is exactly the time when something will break. So far, I have had 4 separate occasions where the a/c has gone t*ts up. These planes are great if you can start them up and keep running, it's when you stop that you get the problems.
Fuel them up and keep them going I say.
As for crew duty, the crew need to think who's in the audience when they pull that card as the last lot I encountered had nearly twice the crew rest period before turning up for work the next day. This, after skipping down the pan to the awaiting taxi for the hotel without the Captain even uttering a word to his weary self loading freight!!!!
