EK 6th Daily LHR-DXB service

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    TimFitzgeraldTC
    Participant

    Good Afternoon

    As widely anticipated EK have announced 6th daily LHR flight (and I think 7th isn’t far behind).

    From start of summer schedule 27 March, extra flight DXB-LHR 1130 /1610, LHR – DXB 1950 / 0550 +1.
    777-300ER until 31 May, then becomes A380 like the rest of the flights. Flight Numbers EK31 and EK32.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    I wonder from whom EK has acquired the slot ?


    MarkivJ
    Participant

    Wow! And how soon will that get upgraded to an A380!

    Edit: Just read the whole post, it is getting upgraded to A380!


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Interesting Tim.

    One of the EK staff at LGW told me Tuesday they were looking at a 4th daily from LGW. I wish they would hurry up as the flights are rammed.


    TimFitzgeraldTC
    Participant

    Hi SimonS1

    Yes I have also heard EK are looking at a 4th daily soon from LGW. I guess another evening departure to onward connect following morning to Africa, Australia & Asia.

    That would only be 5 evening flights from LHR/LGW for onward connections!


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    I’m keeping my fingers crossed at MAN for EK21/22 to go to A388 from 77W. Such a better experience, in every respect.


    HedgeFundFlyer
    Participant

    Very soon, every day, there will be more EK A380s flying out of the UK than BA A380s!


    superchris
    Participant

    I imagine now they have 2 class A380’s they have a lot more flexibility regarding configuration by route. Now if only they put Y+ on I might be tempted to give them a go!


    rferguson
    Participant

    There has been rumours going around for a while that EK plan on opening a Cabin Crew base @ LHR which I thought was just that – a rumour. I couldn’t really see the benefit an airline like EK would have in basing crew anywhere but DxB.

    However I was chatting to an EK FSM (or whatever they call the in-charge) down route and she did say that this is in fact EK’s plan. When I enquired as to how it would benefit EK she said that in DxB EK can barely recruit enough to cover the turnover + growth. They believe by having a base in a city like LHR and recruiting ‘locals’ that turnover would be much less. Also, that EK would save on the cost of accommodation at LHR (i’m guessing they must need upwards of 120 rooms per night?

    Six flights per day would definitely justify a base!


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    And a base offers other options (like LHR-NYC-LHR.)

    I have no information (or even rumours) to generate this line of thinking, but given the oil price and the growth plans of the UAE, you never know.


    TimFitzgeraldTC
    Participant

    Good Point RFerguson

    If they could base to cover LHR and LGW (possibly BHX as well) then might make life easier for them. I think they will soon have 7 LHR and 4 LGW flights – so 11 in total (and 3 more if they took people up to BHX from local base).

    I wish they’d extend one of the LGW services onto JFK/EWR as I think would very popular. But that maybe is just a bit wishful!

    I think MAN will also be all A380 soon.


    rferguson
    Participant

    Timfit – of course that would make perfect sense! Forgot all about LGW. Dual basing them at LHR/LGW as VS does would work well.

    I’m not sure if they’d have the traffic rights to pick up passengers UK-US though?


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Good point, referguson.

    There might have been a slim possibility of EK gaining traffic rights. But not now that BA has announced it’s returning to the route.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    rferguson

    Dunno about 5th freedom rights, as Air India and Kuwait Airlines had these.

    I used Air India on this route and it was great if you liked curries – upstairs on the 744, 2×2 old recliners, but fantastic Indian food, loads of Cobra/Kingfisher and a very convivial atmosphere!

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