Thanks for the suggestion. It does sound an attractive option when you put it like that !

However, I would think it's far from certain that they will offer to switch me from LGW to LHR (?). There is an alternative departure at a similar time from LGW (EK012) and perhaps they will direct me to that. Then again, there is every possibility that I could be affected by a post-booking equipment change on EK012 in the same way that I have already been affected by EK016.

My itinerary actually involves a stay for a few days in UAE (and Jordan) anyway, so the "longer layover" you mention would not be an influencing factor in this case.