EK now nonstop DXB to AKL

[Altair]

EK has just announced EK448/449 DXB-AKL non-stop on a 777-200LR to beat the potential QR flight.
http://www.emirates.com/nz/English/...ll-be-operated-by-a-boeing-777-200lr-aircraft
Eastbound - EK 448, depart DXB 10:05 and arrive in AKL 11:00+1 (<16 hours)
Westbound - EK 449, depart AKL 21:30 and arrive DXB 05:45+1 (>17 hours)

I cannot imagine flying this in Economy but I believe the QF alliance will cover this flight as well.

 

[opusman]

The interesting thing will be to see if one of the A380 tag flights from Australia gets dropped. EK would seem to have an enormous amount of seats in and out of NZ now.

 

[futaris]

14,201km non-stop ???

Even longer than DFW-SYD.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stop_flight#Future

 

[TomVexille]

The interesting thing will be to see if one of the A380 tag flights from Australia gets dropped. EK would seem to have an enormous amount of seats in and out of NZ now.

Probably not. I think the freight revenue means that sending the planes across the ditch is cheaper than parking them up for the day.

I think this just shows that NZ is a desirable destination.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Probably not. I think the freight revenue means that sending the planes across the ditch is cheaper than parking them up for the day.

I think this just shows that NZ is a desirable destination.

Indeed.

Lord of the Rings helped kicked things along as have more recent shows like the Shannara Chronicles.

Plus for backpackers it has really captured the adventure market.

 

[TomVexille]

Indeed.

Lord of the Rings helped kicked things along as have more recent shows like the Shannara Chronicles.

Plus for backpackers it has really captured the adventure market.

Most definitely.

There's probably a bit of "mine's bigger than yours" going on here between EK and QR as well

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Most definitely.

There's probably a bit of "mine's bigger than yours" going on here between EK and QR as well

Yes I can easily imagine some of "royals' putting some pressure on to have the longest flight.

 

[Comoman]

QR will be slightly longer than EK. QR launching Doh-Akl.

Qatar Air Targets Investments in Airlines Amid Expansion Strains - Bloomberg Business

 

[awkwardpaws]

14,201km non-stop ???

Even longer than DFW-SYD.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stop_flight#Future

yep - supposedly the longest in the world once it runs.

Apparently the sales for EK Dubai - Panama City has been really soft so that flight is up in the air (ha!) as to whether it will actually go ahead..

 

[Danger]

Qantas already has award availability loaded.

 

[kamchatsky]

I wouldn't be surprised if they keep launching super long routes just to win the title. I would like to see them going to say PPT, SCL, IPC just for the hack of it.

Great Circle Mapper

 

[exceladdict]

I wouldn't be surprised if they keep launching super long routes just to win the title. I would like to see them going to say PPT, SCL, IPC just for the hack of it.

Great Circle Mapper

Either that, or it's a game of cat-and-mouse for Frequent Flyers to come up with the most ingenious award routing of all time.

 

[kermatu]

Too long a flight for me - unless in F. But I guess some people would prefer this than the extra time from the stopover in Oz - especially if it's NZ-Europe.

 

[TomVexille]

Too long a flight for me - unless in F. But I guess some people would prefer this than the extra time from the stopover in Oz - especially if it's NZ-Europe.

People are likely to buy whatever is cheapest

 

[Altair]

People are likely to buy whatever is cheapest

Currently prices are the same regardless of which flights you take.
The departure time makes this flight an interesting option for those outside of AKL where you in fact can get a days work in, fly to AKL then catch this flight otherwise you need to take an extra day off work if you wish to catch the EK flights, either via AKL, SYD, MEL (on QF from WLG) or AKL, SYD MEL BNE (on JQ from CHC).
Personally I would take the A380 flights as all cabins are much better than the 777.

 

[Zephyrana]

For those saying this flight is too long: what's your cut off point for flight length?

 

[TomVexille]

For those saying this flight is too long: what's your cut off point for flight length?

Would depend on what class

 

[bismarck]

For those saying this flight is too long: what's your cut off point for flight length?

For me, once the flight is >12 hours it doesn't really matter.

12 hours....15 hours....it's all a bl**dy long time!

 

[mushez]

This interested me yesterday when I read about it, and personally not sure what to read into it.

Any PAX EK can fly on the extra direct flight, will untie that amount of capacity to fly people on the Tasman as well as tickets AUS to DXB, so it adds extra capacity for Australian PAX.

I found it interesting that it takes off from DXB 20 mins before any of the via AUS A380 flights do, to arrive 3-4 hours before the A380's do and then just sits for 12 hours in AKL.

Then it takes off around 9-10pm in NZ to arrive in DXB 20 mins after the last via AUS A380 arrives.

So in reality, I would choose the A380 option for the better aircraft, a lounge stop over in AUS on the way.

Departing at 6pm on an A380 vrs 3 hours later only to arrive at DXB at roughly the same time? Or wanting to arrive in NZ at 11am vrs 2pm.

I would have thought they would have had a different timing to give options, but clearly not.

 

[Mattg]

I believe those timings in and out of Dubai are done to maximise connections to/from Europe.