Emirates orders 50 more 380s

[9V-JKL]

What's ex-PIA? It can't be the airport...

Pakistan int'l airlines

[Kyo]

Awesome, what could possibly be holding them back

[SilverChris]

As much as people loathe the 3-4-3 77Ws and ungodly connecting times in DXB, most of my friends - students and business travellers alike - fly EK between KUL and Europe. At the end of the day, money talks

[MAN Flyer]

As much as people loathe the 3-4-3 77Ws and ungodly connecting times in DXB, most of my friends - students and business travellers alike - fly EK between KUL and Europe.

To be fair BA has eight across in JCL so that's probably even worse. I dislike those cabins as well, and I say this as a BA Gold who is almost half way to re-qualifying again less than two months into another year. But as I am fortunate enough to not be flying in Y at the moment the 3-4-3 doesn't affect me, it's DX****ingB. And while I can understand those flying EK from Europe to Aus/NZ as wherever you connect you have a shorter leg and a longer leg, flying them to and from S.E. Asia just breaks the journey up slap bang in the middle. Understandable if you are in Y I suppose but not if in premium cabins.

But as you say, money talks...

[Jumbojet Lover]

It's unbelievable how meteoric the growth of EK, EY and QR have been. According to this chart, just 8 years ago EK's fleet was smaller than SQ's, with EY and QR's fleet size trailing EK's. Now EK has since exceeded SQ by more than 50%, while QR already has a bigger fleet than SQ.

[FN-GM]

Can EK fill all these A380's?

IThe 380s are better a they did not do 3-5-3 and stuck to 18+ inch seats rather than about 17inch in their 777s.

Apparently EK are looking at 3-5-3 on the A380's

They still fly some old 1990s era A343s too... so the fleet is not necessarily new either.

Am i right in thinking those A343's are ex SQ?

[eminere™]

I could not agree more. EK's 777s are a joke, with 3-4-3 for long haul. The 380s are better a they did not do 3-5-3 and stuck to 18+ inch seats rather than about 17inch in their 777s. And the 777Xs will be the same as thier 77Ws.

Until recently, there were not even lieflat beds, but the usual 7-abreast business seats... this was years after many airlines got angled lie flats - and as a result, SQ followed suite for SIN DXB, which means hardly any sleep for the 6-7 hour sector (the sector is bad enough - the seats made it worse)

They still fly some old 1990s era A343s too... so the fleet is not necessarily new either.

Plus, you end up arriving or departing in DXB at odd hours. The EK lounge in DXB T3 is also not terribly nice - actually I have never been to a nice lounge in DXB....

I suppose we are too informed and most people just look at the fares .....

And to think that they started off only 20+ years ago with ex-PIA staff....

That is what being cash rich can do

Interesting perspective. I am considering flying with them SYD-CDG and vv in Business, but only on the A380-operated flights.

The alternative (OneWorld) airlines to fly would be Qantas and Cathay Pacific. Perhaps I should relook these...

[scooby5]

I'm watching a series on either History or the Discovery Channel now about the behind-the-scenes at Dubai, building and opening their new terminal, running the dual runway airport, helping passengers etc.......

Insightful but doesn't make me fly through Dubai, probably for what MAN Flyer said and I've been telling people for years, flying between S.E.Asia and Europe should be done in a single hit and especially in JCL.

I think the whole perspective will change again once their new airport opens, seven runways and a mega-terminal.

[dj_jay_smith]

I guess this locks out almost everyone else from getting it for a few years

I wouldn't be surprised if this is what spurred LH to become launch customer. I think that they like the performance and cost of the 777's for LX and OS, and regret not taking it for LH mainline and the fact that such large orders were looming might have prompted them to take the plunge to get it otherwise they would have to play second fiddle to EK (again!) and wait their turn.