As a fan of Emirates I was wondering if there is any word of whether Emirates may join one of the global alliances some day? Or perhaps why they haven't yet.

I think in the near future they like to build their success story alone.

Sheikh Ahmed noted in the anual account report:

"We have not joined any alliances nor followed any �guru�s teachings� and have simply knuckled down to winning more supporters by offering them quality products.�
In commenting on �the recipe for our continued success�, he singled out �the leveraging of Dubai�s location as a global hub and of the government�s ambitious development programme, our multi-billion dollar investment in new equipment and, crucially, the skill and dedication of our team.�

Emirates Airline has announced a record net profit of US $429 million for the financial year 2003-04 ended on 31st March. This represents a 73.5 per cent improvement over last year�s net profit.

I've been waiting for EK to join an alliance for the past 3 years and they keep saying that they're "looking into it" and "soon" but I don't see it ever happening. Might be beneficial in the short term but I think its a mistake in the long run.As for a superior product,I think their Economy class product is the worst in the industry.

NOT likely. There are happy making their own success story.

EK has to build out its route network before finalizing an US routes (NYC then SFO). As the new equipment comes in they will be rolling out massive expansion (including increasing frequency on current routes). It will take sometime for them to see who complements them the best. Rememer that JAL while maintaining a good relationship with AA and others still has not joined an alliance even though ANA has joined Star. EK does not even have a regional competitor that is part of an alliance.

Right now they make up for the lack of an alliance with some decent loose partnerships and aggressive pricing. Part of the pricing advantage is their lower cost structure compared to western airlines. In terms of pax, at the low end, they have used their network to India and investment in UL to round out South Asia offering (a key part of their financial base right now). On the longhaul they are going after the South Pacific and European routes. Cargo is a very important part of EK business and they need to see how that complements existing alliances.

Emirates have just announcecd their codeshare arrangement with BA ends on 31 October 2004. Not sure what this means for any future alliances

I second the that! The first and only time I flew EK I joined Skywards so that I could pre-select my seats in Y. I did this about 5 months before flying. Not only were none of the pre-selected seats available (eventhough I had confirmed them with EK directly a few days before) when flying, but the seats and pitch were the most cramped I have ever experienced on a long-haul flight! The only saving grave was the IFE which kept me busy as there was no way of getting some sleep. Service was OK, but SAA Y service is miles ahead.
And I really don't know what all the fuss about DXB airport is all about? Maybe as a C/F traveller....???