Of course we wouldn't do LHR-BOS-LHR. I was making a comparison in an earlier post with Jetstar operating MEL-DPS-MEL as one duty, back of the clock. Another posted suggested that BA should do the same. That was my rebuttal.
Flexibility has also been mentioned and I take your point about supervisory grades. I am well aware of the costs involved with our crew and why they are higher than other airlines. My point regarding crew ratio to service classes is still valid - it is mathematics. For example, we have more crew on a Friday night FRA than say, easyJet because we could have around 100 or so Club Europe passengers. Our service requires extra crew to be able to deliver the product within the time constraints. easyJet can go with minimum crew because their product allows for it.
Out of the UK, only BA and QF have a First product with a UK based crew. You need 3 crew to operate a decent First service with 14 pax. A combined 'business/first' product as offered by Virgin and Air New Zealand can be operated with a slightly lower crew per pax ratio. Then again, ask anyone who flies for Air New Zealand and they will all say that an extra crew member is drastically needed. Qantas have their dedicated crew in the premium cabins, which BA is trying to copy with it's 'Premium Academy'.
You also have to factor in the physical limitations of the upper deck of the 747. 20 club pax to two crew members does distort the whole crew to pax ratio. As the services run simultaneously downstairs, it's not like one of them can break away and help in another cabin until their own service is finished.
Our crew costs are high because of the nature of our service and flying. If easyJet, for example, decided to go long haul, they would also have to pay their crew allowances. If they threw in a business cabin, they would need another crew member. What is all that going to do to their crew costs? Is anyone who stays at easyJet longer than 10 years going to be branded an 'easyJet dinosaur'? Are people going to be calling for them to retire because they earn too much?