DXB-LHR Loads Unbelievable
Mar 5, 2011, 3:11 am
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA GS-2MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 3,715
DXB-LHR Loads Unbelievable
Is it just me or am I dreaming?
Ok, I will admit I don't take this flight too often. But here I was, ex DXB heading for LHR. On EK001. Flight was oversold in ALL classes. As we took off (about an hour late) due to straggling passengers and their luggage, I wasn't quite sure if the polite Captain was going to be able to get the big birds overweight butt off the tarmac.
He must have had both feet jammed against the 4 throttles.
I was happy. Had a decent seat up the front in Y and the flight was only 6+ hours. Purser came over and introduced themselves to me, said if there as anything I needed, just ask. Half way thru the flight came back with an express landing card for DXB (not that I needed it)
But every flight I checked on EF was up the wazoo busy. And now that I'm in London, thought I might try and get home a day early.
Nope. Nada. Zip. All flights are packed to DXB - again some seats in Y - but the premium cabins full or oversold.
Thats 5 flights a day (2 x 380's and 3 x 777) all pretty much full. And that's not discounting the 2 dailies to BHX (777) or the 2 flights to MAN (one 380 and one 777). Thats nine flights a day to the UK.
They could easily run another 380 out of DXB to LHR...
Ok, I will admit I don't take this flight too often. But here I was, ex DXB heading for LHR. On EK001. Flight was oversold in ALL classes. As we took off (about an hour late) due to straggling passengers and their luggage, I wasn't quite sure if the polite Captain was going to be able to get the big birds overweight butt off the tarmac.
He must have had both feet jammed against the 4 throttles.
I was happy. Had a decent seat up the front in Y and the flight was only 6+ hours. Purser came over and introduced themselves to me, said if there as anything I needed, just ask. Half way thru the flight came back with an express landing card for DXB (not that I needed it)
But every flight I checked on EF was up the wazoo busy. And now that I'm in London, thought I might try and get home a day early.
Nope. Nada. Zip. All flights are packed to DXB - again some seats in Y - but the premium cabins full or oversold.
Thats 5 flights a day (2 x 380's and 3 x 777) all pretty much full. And that's not discounting the 2 dailies to BHX (777) or the 2 flights to MAN (one 380 and one 777). Thats nine flights a day to the UK.
They could easily run another 380 out of DXB to LHR...
Last edited by eightblack; Mar 5, 2011 at 10:02 am
Mar 5, 2011, 3:45 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
Actually its 5x daily to Heathrow, 3x daily to Gatwick, 2x daily to Manchester, 2x daily to Birmingham, daily to Newcastle and daily to Glasgow. Thats FOURTEEN daily flights to the UK.
Mar 5, 2011, 4:56 am
#4
Moderator, Trip Reports
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Location: Denver, CO
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Mar 5, 2011, 9:42 am
#6
Join Date: May 2008
Location: The North
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Gold, QR Silver, HH Diamond
Posts: 455
Mar 5, 2011, 11:17 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London, Hull, Singapore, Johore
Programs: Skywards Silver
Posts: 266
The last time i flew from MAN was july, but i've flown from LGW a few times recently and will be flying again next month, and the flight was nowhere near full. Most of the rows at the back were completely empty in fact.
Mar 5, 2011, 1:44 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dubai, UAE
Programs: EK Skywards Platinum; Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 398
Is it just me or am I dreaming?
Ok, I will admit I don't take this flight too often. But here I was, ex DXB heading for LHR. On EK001. Flight was oversold in ALL classes. As we took off (about an hour late) due to straggling passengers and their luggage, I wasn't quite sure if the polite Captain was going to be able to get the big birds overweight butt off the tarmac.
He must have had both feet jammed against the 4 throttles.
I was happy. Had a decent seat up the front in Y and the flight was only 6+ hours. Purser came over and introduced themselves to me, said if there as anything I needed, just ask. Half way thru the flight came back with an express landing card for DXB (not that I needed it)
But every flight I checked on EF was up the wazoo busy. And now that I'm in London, thought I might try and get home a day early.
Nope. Nada. Zip. All flights are packed to DXB - again some seats in Y - but the premium cabins full or oversold.
Thats 5 flights a day (2 x 380's and 3 x 777) all pretty much full. And that's not discounting the 2 dailies to BHX (777) or the 2 flights to MAN (one 380 and one 777). Thats nine flights a day to the UK.
They could easily run another 380 out of DXB to LHR...
Ok, I will admit I don't take this flight too often. But here I was, ex DXB heading for LHR. On EK001. Flight was oversold in ALL classes. As we took off (about an hour late) due to straggling passengers and their luggage, I wasn't quite sure if the polite Captain was going to be able to get the big birds overweight butt off the tarmac.
He must have had both feet jammed against the 4 throttles.
I was happy. Had a decent seat up the front in Y and the flight was only 6+ hours. Purser came over and introduced themselves to me, said if there as anything I needed, just ask. Half way thru the flight came back with an express landing card for DXB (not that I needed it)
But every flight I checked on EF was up the wazoo busy. And now that I'm in London, thought I might try and get home a day early.
Nope. Nada. Zip. All flights are packed to DXB - again some seats in Y - but the premium cabins full or oversold.
Thats 5 flights a day (2 x 380's and 3 x 777) all pretty much full. And that's not discounting the 2 dailies to BHX (777) or the 2 flights to MAN (one 380 and one 777). Thats nine flights a day to the UK.
They could easily run another 380 out of DXB to LHR...
Mar 6, 2011, 6:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Delhi
Programs: Emirates gold *alliance silver jet airways platinum tridentprivilege gold.
Posts: 1,817
Very interesting... Im not surprised EK is packed outt of London as the transit traffic to Oz Africa and South Asia on EK is simply...HUGE! For direct traffic to DXB Ek offers the best frequencies Throw in the competition...2 declining airlines called BA and VS and you have, in effect almost an EK direct monopoly LHR-DXB and plenty of transit pax to give you overloads
For provinical UK traffic BA gave up on those markets a long time ago and EKs just being a successful grasshopper capitalising on the inability of UK and europeen airlines to get their logistical and fleet mgmt act together Thus KLM has also been trying to feed into those markets for 15 years (remember Air UK??) but Eks service and connections are tough to beat not to mention their boldness in putting capacity there ahead of demonstrable demand
For provinical UK traffic BA gave up on those markets a long time ago and EKs just being a successful grasshopper capitalising on the inability of UK and europeen airlines to get their logistical and fleet mgmt act together Thus KLM has also been trying to feed into those markets for 15 years (remember Air UK??) but Eks service and connections are tough to beat not to mention their boldness in putting capacity there ahead of demonstrable demand
Mar 6, 2011, 6:21 pm
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
EK pretty much cleans house UK to DXB and beyond. Honestly, if you want a bit of wiggle room on changing flights here and there, LH or QR might actually be a better bet ex-DXB - of course not nearly as convenient as EK.
Coming back to the US, I've had to adjust my routing occasionally when I'm done early in DXB. I've flown back to every US gateway now, just to get back to DFW on a busy/difficult to confirm day.
Coming back to the US, I've had to adjust my routing occasionally when I'm done early in DXB. I've flown back to every US gateway now, just to get back to DFW on a busy/difficult to confirm day.
Mar 7, 2011, 11:07 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
EK21 arr 0655
EK22 dep 0925
I think these are arrive and depart times to/from MAN.