FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Flying EK for the first time- what to expect
Old Mar 30, 2014 | 3:16 pm
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eternaltransit
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Originally Posted by pdxasflyer
We are also flying EK for the first time in the next month and on one of our segments (LHR-DXB), there are a total of about 15 people (including us) booked on the entire airplane according to the seat map on ExpertFlyer. We have also noticed this on the same flight with departures within the next two weeks. Is this normal? Will they undoubtedly fill up in the week before departure?

If the plane is that empty, but realizing the flight is departing LHR back to their home base of DXB, what are the chances they would cancel the flight due to light loads?
Originally Posted by pdxasflyer
We have heard that despite all of our flights being on A380's, that doesn't necessarily mean we will be arriving into the A gates of T3. Is there truth to this? If so, is there anyway to tell if some flights more typically arrive at the A gates vs others? Asked another way: we'll be arriving on EK216 from LAX; does that flight typically arrive at the B gates or A gates, or is it a complete guess? We ask because we have a room at the airport hotel in the A gates, and wanted to get a sense of navigating airside. Thanks!
Are you in J or Y? In any case, loads on LHR-DXB are generally very high in all classes, but many travellers don't assign seats until it is done for them when check-in opens. I can assure you that it would be very, very, very unlikely that the flight would only have 15 people on it...! The flight isn't going to get cancelled due to loads.

Regarding your arrival concourse - it is correct that A380s do not exclusively park at the A concourse. It probably isn't worth scouring flight and gate histories as 1) A and B are connected airside by a shuttle train that leaves every two minutes and 2) as you have an airport hotel confirmed, if you tell them your incoming flight arrival details, they should have someone waiting to pick you up at the gate to skip you through the queue at transit security. If not, it is relatively trivial to get around DXB - just quite a lot of walking!
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