Maki

Welcome to FT and the EK forum!

Re your upgrade, here's what I would do.

Open a trial account on ExpertFlyer and then set up an upgrade seat alert for the flights you want ie EK127. You might find out that EK wont be able to clear the upgrade until you actually get to DXB. You might also enquire about catching EK125, which is an Airbus 345 (has 2 more J seats, but they're the old config). It means your layover in DXB would be a lot longer, but you could then wait in the lounge.

It's fairly typical of EK not to have upgrade inventory this far out - you'll find seats open up much closer to the date (which is a little stressful for you).

The other thing EF will be able to show you is average load leading up to the flight(s) you want - so you can see what your chances might be like.

Good luck. Let us know how you go...