Emirates generally doesn't offer big sale fares that far in advance. With oil prices still fairly high and the pound/euro continuing their downward slide, it would make sense that prices based in pounds/euros will be going up to compensate. Given the low demand last year the airlines are also trying to take advantage of the demand that now exists to make up for some of the loss of revenue incurred since the start of the financial crisis. If the pound continues to slide, they are going to need to charge more than 600 for a journey that long if they are ever expecting to make a profit. Air travel for long distances has been at bargain basement rates for a long time. When you look at the alternatives, how much do you think it would cost to take a boat? I'd rather pay 1150 and fly than spend my whole holiday on a cargo ship. You have to keep things in perspective. During the volcano's ash episode, it was costing several hundred pounds to get over to Paris from London.