Dear Flowman, when you write (post #35) to play with the levels, you are perfectly correct, but we can imagine that flow management in Eurocontrol has more efficient tools to suggest the best routes than pilots or some ops offices.
For instance, one colleague filed this route from LSMP to LFMP (kind of "obscure city pairs") F080 FRI G5 WIL/N0352F180 W110 LUMEL T10 TORPA V40 LUL G4 RLP G21 MOU A27 MEN J27 KELAM
The crew asked for a shorter and upper route, which was an understandable request (great circle 300nm, route 540nm, all way Low level).
Colleague called to central flow, and someone told that it was the best route available ! and promised to call back if he found a more suitable routing.
Roughly one hour after, he indeed called, to say that nothing was found.
But in the meantime, i refiled this flight plan with the following routing :
F120 DCT SPR Z65 MILPA DCT 4608N00553E DCT GIRKU/N0398F240 UN852 DIVKO/N0357F180 G7 BGR A27 KANIG which was almost 100nm shorter, and most of the route was in UPPER level !
I must admit that it was very hard to find, but it is quite difficult to understand that central flow could not find this route, or maybe even another cheaper / cost effective one that i still could not find.
If you enter the first route in IFPUV, of course it will say that there is no better route since it just finds routes at the same level. But humans from central flow could play with the levels as well !
Thank you for participating in Pprune and giving us the opportunity to explain some of our concerns to involved/concerned people at Eurocontrol !
Best regards