I've flown the DXB-KBL route 3 times now in J, first two trips were great! Service is good, very friendly, and they serve drinks from take off unlike most of their competitors. On the third trip was traveling with a colleague (and skywards member) who was booked in Y and had a lot of miles under his belt. He did not get an op-up, however when I got into the J cabin they had upgraded a lot of people to J including travelers who I think were not even enrolled in Skywards. I have no idea what the logic was. In any case a guy sat across the aisle from me looking like it might have been his second flight...ever. Immediately the cabin was flooded with the smell of armpit. I flagged the nearest FA and said please can you move me, this guy hasn't washed in two months. She broke out laughing, said "i know" and immediately got me another seat in the J cabin behind the galley. If the check in staff have to op-up and there is a method to their madness, you would expect Skywards members would get op-up'ed first. The EK flight is not difficult to book, and not much more pricey than the other airlines that serve this route and who have very few J seats (which are not real J seats anyways....). Highly recommend.