Everything You Need To Know About Skywards

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Skywards 2011

1. Program Overview
- All You Need To Know
- Membership Tiers
- Tier Miles, Qualification
- Contacts
- Mileage accelerator
- Skywards Earning Calculator
- Earning & Reward Zones
- Redemption Table (Emirates and partners)
- How far in advance can you book award seats?
- When are they released?
- ExpertFlyer – using EF to look at the EK seat map, to review award/upgrade availability, setting seat and fare alerts
- EK status matches
- Operational Upgrades

2. Redemptions/Upgrades
- what class do they book into
- how do I request an upgrade
- difference between saver and flex mileage redemption

3. Flying With Emirates
- The 2011/2012 Operating Plan
- seating plans Y/J/F
- what aircraft have what seats
- what are the best seats
- route network
- classes (economy, business, first)
- onboard service
- IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

4. The EK Lounge Network
- photos
- food
- wine
- location
- hours of operation
- showers

5. Common Abbreviations used by EK
- DXB, B77W, 773, 388, ICE, ICE Digital, GDS, Skycruisers, Weber etc

6. Visiting Dubai
- transiting DXB for the first time
- DXB airport layout
- hotels,
- immigration issues
- visas
- non EK lounges
- duty free
- stop-overs etc

7. Current Promotions

8. Fleet/Network Expansion
- new aircraft arriving

 

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Program Overview

Skywards offers three tiers of membership - Blue, Silver and Gold. There is also an unpublished tier - which has recently been released, called Invitation Only. See image below.

This is for EK's most loyal customers and criteria is still largely unknown. Rumours around the program suggest 50+ First sectors per year and entry into the IO program is by invitation only (by the EK President, Tim Clark's office).

Earning Gold and Silver Status
Tier threshold for Skywards Gold and Silver Membership between a consecutive 12-13 month period:

Qualify and Retain
Silver 25,000 tier miles*
Gold 50,000 tier miles*

*Tier miles will be calculated over a flexible consecutive 12-13 month earning window.

Your tier status will be valid for any consecutive 12-13 month period. Your tier miles earned are based on a combination of fare, cabin and zones of travel. Upon achieving a higher tier (e.g. Silver), the review date to retain that tier will be set to the same month the following year, rounded off to the end of the month (i.e. 12 months, plus any residual days of the month).

Recognition and validity of the membership card will be set to the same month the following year, plus an extra 2 months, rounded off to end of the month (i.e. 14 months, plus any residual days of the month).

For example, if Silver tier is achieved on 17 July 2008, the review date will be set to 31 July 2009. Recognition and card validity would be set to 30 September 2009.

The Skywards program was overhauled at the beginning of 2010, with many members unhappy with some of the core program changes.

The biggest issue for many were the earn/burn ratio's. For example, if you fly between MEL and SIN, and your on a FLEX fare, you earn 7500 Skywards Miles (as a Blue Member) and 7500 Tier Miles. If however, you travel on a SAVER fare, then you'll earn 3750 Skywards Miles and 3750 Tier Miles.

Clearly, EK are wanting to encourage passengers to purchase Flex fares over Saver fares. The challenge sometimes is getting the booking engine to force one over the other.

The benefits of Skywards Gold
In addition to all the benefits of Skywards Silver, you'll also enjoy exclusive Gold member benefits, such as:

• Guaranteed seat reservations, even on fully-booked flights (restrictions apply).
• Personal travel assistance from our dedicated Gold Desk.
• Complimentary e-gate access at Dubai International Airport*.
• Access for members and a guest, to all Emirates and affiliated Business Class lounges. For lounge access in some countries, minors may need to be accompanied by an adult. Members and accompanying guest must be departing on the same Emirates flight.
• Premium Skywards Opening Doors benefits from our worldwide partners.

* Available to all members residing in the United Arab Emirates, or nationals of the Gulf Co-operative Council or of the UAE's visa waiver countries:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the USA and the Vatican.

The Hidden Benefits of Gold Membership

This is entirely dependent on the route you fly and the frequency in which you fly. EK Gold is actually more beneficial to you if you spend most of your time in economy and less so if you regularly ticket in J or F.

EK have a policy of only providing upgrades on an operational basis (ie if the cabin you are ticketed in is oversold). For passengers travelling in and out of Australia, this can be a boon. Typically, you'll receive more operational upgrades on flights inbound to Australia, rather than outbound.

Flights ex Australia are easier to manage, as the the flight controllers don't need to worry about connecting flights.

But if you are returning via ports such as SIN and BKK, you can get very lucky. The strength of the Aussie dollar, the growing popularity of EK as a brand, their increasing schedule and above all, their competitive prices have attracted a decent percentage of the leisure market. It also means that a lot of the holiday makers wont hold Skywards status (in fact, you'll be surprised at how many non members there are on flights in and out of Australia).

The trick is to pick your flights if you can. For example, there are 3 flights a day from MEL to DXB. One is direct. One is via SIN. And the third is via KUL. The direct flight is typically always heavily booked. Makes sense as the people who want to go to Europe and beyond often want the least amount of connections. You're more likely to receive an op-up on the direct flight, as EK will overbook Y (but rarely J). The flights via SIN and KUL are rarely oversold in Y (I've had 3 op-ups ex MEL to SIN), whereas I would have received a dozen plus from SIN to MEL.

On the way home to Aus, I would pick the non-direct service (ie via KUL/BKK/SIN) as when you originate in DXB, you will find you are competing in a very elite heavy hub. If you travel via one of the Asian stop-overs, much more likely that the op-up Gods will smile on you.

How Do EK Decide who gets upgraded?

Thats a very good question and one I have tried to find out since flying EK. Airlines typically look at status, fare paid etc to determine upgrade suitability. Because EK's system is relatively straightforward, all EK would see is that you hold Gold status and that you are either on a Flex or Saver fare. In Dubai, all operational upgrades are handled by a bank of load controllers, stuck way down in the bowels of the airport. In all other cases, operational upgrades are handled by the EK staff managing the flight (which is handed to them at T-24hrs prior to departure). Typically, the load controller managing say the SIN-MEL flight will know who he/she is upgrading before the flight opens for check-in, especially in an extreme case. They will see the passengers already on the flight (from DXB), look at the joining load, and then scan the passenger list for all people with status (ie Golds first, Silvers next, Blues etc).

OCLI (Online Check in) doesn't seem to harm your chances. Nor does a special meal request.

The trick is to understand the load of your flight before you travel. You can check this via several methods. The seat map via EK's Manage Your Booking section is a good guide. The problem is that you will only see the class of service you are travelling in. That's why its much better to use something like Expert Flyer - as this will allow you to look at the entire seat map for all 3 classes (if you're on a 3-class aircraft). There wont be an upgrades from Y to J if J is already sold out.

The other way to check is to call EK. And if you don't get the info you want on the first call, simply hang up and call again. The way to check loads is to ask about the possibility of using miles to upgrade on the flight (even if you don't have the miles in your account). Simply ask the agent to see if there are seats in J. And then ask innocently, is this a busy flight? You can then ask them to see if the day prior or day after is any better.

Because my travel schedule is semi-fluid, I now look for routes which are busy. And I book on the flights with the highest load. As a Gold member, you do receive the benefit of a guaranteed seat on full flights, but it must be a full fare ticket (although I have never been challenged with this).

In closing, out of all the elite status levels I hold (ie UA 1K MM, QF Lifetime Gold), EK wins hands down. I have had more op-ups than both UA/QF in 16+ years of heavy flying.

The benefits of Skywards Silver
Skywards Silver membership instantly entitles you to extra travel privileges, including:

• Extra Skywards Miles when you fly with Emirates.
• Excess baggage allowance.
• Priority check-in.
• Exclusive lounge access to Emirates Business Class lounge at Gate 122 at Dubai International Airport when the member is departing on an Emirates flight. Minors may need to be accompanied by an adult.

How do I earn Miles with Skywards?
Skywards membership gives you two easy and direct ways to earn Skywards Miles - through flights with Emirates*, partner airlines and through non-flight partners.
*Emirates and some partner airlines offer a minimum earning rate for single sector distances of less than 500 Miles.

Earning on flights
Your earning opportunities through flights occur when you fly with Emirates, or with one of EK's partner airlines

Emirates
Every time you fly you will earn Skywards Miles based on the combination of fare purchased, cabin and zones of travel. In addition, you can also take advantage of the Skywards Miles accelerator that will offer special flight bonuses throughout the year.

Family Bonus Programme
You can also take advantage of the Family Bonus programme. You can nominate up to eight family members and when they fly Emirates, 20% of their flown miles will be credited to your account, including bonuses for flying Business or First Class and any promotions.

Earning tier miles
Flying with Emirates also credits your account with the equivalent amount in tier miles, which help you move toward and retain the higher status of Skywards Silver or Gold membership. Once you reach these tiers, you'll gain access to additional benefits and rewards, including a special tier bonus when earning Skywards Miles.

Details on tier miles:

• Help you progress to Skywards Silver and Skywards Gold membership levels.
• Are earned only when you fly Emirates.
• Are earned at the same rate as Skywards Miles and depend on the fare purchased, cabin and zones of travel.
• Are valid for up to 13 months.

Tier miles required to qualify and retain - Skywards Silver
25,000 Miles to be earned in a consecutive 12 month window*

Tier miles required to qualify and retain - Skywards Gold
50,000 Miles to be earned in a consecutive 12 month window*

*This means you will not lose your Miles at the end of the year if you travel in any consecutive 12-13 month period, helping you to maintain your current tier status.

Partner airlines

Continental Airlines Partnership ends 26 March 2011
Japan Airlines 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
Jet Airways 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
Kingfisher Airlines 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
Korean Air 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
South African Airways 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
United Airlines 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown - Partnership ends due to CO/UA Merger
Virgin Blue Partnership ends 31 March 2011

Flight Miles at a glance
Economy Class - Base Miles
Business Class - Additional 75%
First Class - Additional 150%

Tier bonus
Skywards Silver - Additional 1.25 Miles per mile earned
Skywards Gold - Additional 1.50 Miles per mile earned

Earning with non-flight partners
Your ability to earn Skywards Miles extends to non-flight partners, with earning opportunities at partner hotels, or with leisure and lifestyle partners, car rental and financial institutions.

Mileage Accelerator
These are one-off mileage bonuses which are awarded by EK and apply to specific routes. They are seasonal and class dependent. For the latest promotions surrounding Mileage Accelerator, click here.

Skywards Contacts

Dubai contact centre
Address
P.O. Box 35436,
Dubai, UAE.

Telephone
In the UAE call 04 214 4444

From the rest of the world call +9714 214 4444
Fax +9714 316 7001
Working hours (open 07:00 - 22:00 hrs. daily)

Karachi contact centre
Address
4 Lakson Square Bldg 1, 265 R.A. Lines,
Sarwar Shaheed Road,
Karachi, Pakistan.

Telephone
In Pakistan call 111 225 535

From the rest of the world call +9221 3520 3377
Fax +9221 3521 2305
Working hours (open 09:00 - 19:00 hrs. Mon to Sat)

Manchester contact centre
Address
Riverside Court, Riverside Park,
Bollin Walk,Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 1DL, UK.

Telephone
In the UK call 0844 800 2777

In Germany call +49 699 4519 2000
In Switzerland call +41 44 511 8440
In Italy call +39 02 91483 3383
In France call +33 15 732 4999
In Austria call +43 120 609 1999

From the rest of the world call +44 1625 445 402
Fax +44 1625 524 632
Working hours (open 07:30 - 20:30 hrs. Mon to Sat)

Mumbai contact centre
Address
Emirates Contact Centre, Interface -11,
Unit No. 301 3rd floor,
off New Link road, Malad west,
Mumbai 400 064

Telephone
In Mumbai call 022 4097 4097

From the rest of the world call +9122 4097 4097
Fax +9122 2844 4670
Working hours (open 09:00 - 19:00 hrs. Mon to Fri / 09:00 - 17:30 hrs. Sat to Sun)

Melbourne contact centre
Address
Emirates House, Level 2,
257 Collins Street,Melbourne, Victoria 3000,
Australia.

Telephone
In Australia call 1300 555 551

From the rest of the world call +613 9940 7801
Fax +613 9654 3006

Working hours (open 07:00 - 19:00 hrs. Mon to Fri / 07:00 - 17:00 hrs. Sat / 09.00 - 17.00 hrs. Sun)*
(Ticket office hours open 09:00 - 17:00 hrs. Mon to Fri)
* Hours of operation for customer service by telephone only.

In New Zealand call 0508 759 927
(from 09:00 - 21:00 hrs. Mon to Fri / 10:30 - 19:00 hrs. Sat)

New York contact centre
Address
P.O. Box 709, Mineola,
New York 11501-0709,
USA.

Telephone
In the US and Canada call 1 800 777 3999
Fax +1 516 247 3527
Working hours (open 24/7)

 

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Redemptions/Upgrades

Redemption Details - EK and Partners.

The fastest way to determine redemption levels on EK is by logging into your Skywards account.

If you don't have a Skywards account and want to see what redemption levels look like, follow this link

Skywards Redemption Levels
Simply enter the origination and destination cities and see how many miles you will need for either an award flight (shows both Flex and Saver) and/or how many miles you will need for an upgrade (shows both upgrading a Saver Fare and a Flex Fare)

For example, lets say I want to see how many miles it will take to either redeem an award flight from MEL-SIN or how many miles it will take to upgrade an existing MEL-SIN ticket.

Go to Skywards.com, click on Earn and Spend -> Miles Calculator, then you will see the following:



You will then be presented with the following table.



You will see that the table shows you the miles required for a round trip award flight or round trip upgrade. Remember, you can only do one-way upgrades and award travel on Flex fares (see below)

This example shows the miles required for an ECONOMY round-trip flight reward. To see how many miles are required for Business or First, simply input the class of travel when you make the initial query.

If you're on a FLEX fare and want to know how many miles you will need to upgrade from Y-J between MEL-SIN, then you simply halve the indicated amount shown (ie the one-way upgrade is 30,000 miles)

If you apply for the upgrade prior to departure and the upgrade is processed successfully online, then you are entitled to Chauffeur Drive. To confirm this, it makes sense to call your local EK ticket office if you have one, or call the EK reservations number nearest you.

You can alter the flight search details at anytime by clicking on "recalculate" at the top of the page.

Saver and Flex Flight Awards
Skywards Saver Rewards offers you value when travelling in lower demand periods or when you are willing to choose alternate flights to reach your destination. They are offered on a return basis only, in all classes of travel. Skywards Saver Rewards allow a maximum stay of 3 months and permit you one stopover on your journey.

Skywards Flex Rewards offers you more reward seats during high demand periods and on high demand flights. They are offered on a return and one-way* basis, in all classes of travel. Skywards Flex Rewards also provide you full flexibility when making your travel plans. They allow you to stay up to one year, permit up to two stopovers and you can change your travel dates at any time without charge.

Saver and Flex Upgrades
There's differing opinion on the EK forum about the relative "value" of Saver and Flex upgrade awards. For example, if I wanted to do an upgrade award between MEL-SIN, one-way, it would cost 30,000 miles.

If however, I wanted to do a MEL-DXB, then the total upgrade would only cost 45,000 miles (ie only 15,000 more and it's essentially the same flight distance). As far as I'm concerned, that's much better value.

If you're not sure, just ask one of our resident experts.

Partner Redemption Details.

The following airlines are EK partners, in terms of mileage redemption.

1. Continental Airlines - Partnership ends 26 March 2011
2. Japan Airlines - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
3. Jet Airways - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
4. Kingfisher Airlines - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
5. Korean Air - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
6. South African Airways - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
7. United Airlines - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown
8. Virgin Blue - 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown

If you wish to redeem miles on a EK partner airline (above), you will need to submit an online form and wait for Skywards to come back to you. Use this link

It's important to note that when you travel on EK airline partners, your Skywards account is only credited with RDM's (and not tier miles). RDM's = Redeemable Miles.

This is one of the main differences between EK/Skywards and Oneworld (OW) or Star Alliance (*A)

 

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Flying With Emirates

Emirates Passenger Fleet Information

*Disclaimer: All info provided below is subject to change and not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. Refurbishments are taking place across the fleet, new aircraft are being delivered while older aircraft are being phased out. The information presentation below is not official company data and compiled from various sources.

Fleet info as of 11 March 2011

Total Passenger fleet: 146 aircraft

81% LD configured i.e. 3-class, [118 aircraft]
19% HD configured i.e. 2-class, [28 aircraft]

Lie-flat seating in J
-53% of total fleet [77 aircraft]
-74% of total Boeing 777 fleet [62 aircraft]

Suites seating in F
-55% of total 3-class fleet [65 aircraft]
-62% of total 3-class Boeing 777 fleet [40 aircraft]

IFE
-75% ICE (including ICE digital widescreen) of total fleet [109 aircraft]
-25% TV & Radio/ICE on-demand of total fleet [37 aircraft]

Detailed Fleet breakdown



A330-200 2-Class – 10 aircraft
Sleeperettes in J, Old economy in Y, TV & Radio/ICE on-demand (on some aircraft)
A6-EKQ, A6-EKR, A6-EKZ, A6-EAA, A6-EAB, A6-EAC, A6-EAK, A6-EAL, A6-EAQ, A6-EAS
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 33H

A330-200, 3-Class – 19 aircraft
Sleeperettes in F & J, Old economy in Y, TV & Radio/ICE on-demand (on some aircraft)
A6-EKS through A6-EKY, A6-EAD through A6-EAJ, A6-EAM through A6-EAP, A6-EAR
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 33L

A340-300, 3-Class – 8 aircraft
Sleeperettes in F & J, New Weber seats in Y, TV & Radio/ICE on-demand (some aircraft)
A6-ERM through A6-ERT
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 340

A340-500, 3-class – 10 aircraft
Suites in F, Sleeperettes in J, Old economy in Y, ICE
A6-ERA through A6-ERJ
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 345

A380-800 ULR version, 3-class – 8 aircraft
Suites in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE digital widescreen
A6-EDA through A6-EDE, A6-EDM through A6-EDO
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 38L

A380-800 Non-ULR version, 3-class – 7 aircraft
Suites in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE digital widescreen
A6-EDF through A6-EDL
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 38M



B777-200, 2-class – 3 aircraft
Deep reclining in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EMD through A6-EMF
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 77H

B777-200ER, 2-class – 1 aircraft
Deep reclining in J, Old economy in Y, ICE
A6-EML
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 77H

B777-200ER, 3-class – 4 aircraft
SkyCruiser in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EMG through A6-EMJ
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 72E

B777-200ER, 3-class – 1 aircraft
SkyCruiser in F, Deep reclining in J, Old economy in Y, ICE
A6-EMK
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 72B

B777-300, 3-class – 12 aircraft
SkyCruiser in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EMM through A6-EMX
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 773

B777-300ER, 2-class – 2 aircraft
Deep reclining in J, Old economy in Y, ICE
A6-EBL, A6-EBP
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73R

B777-300ER, 2-class – 6 aircraft
Deep reclining in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EBS, A6-EBT, A6-EBV, A6-EBX, A6-EBZ, A6-ECB*
* IFE is ICE digital widescreen
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73Y

B777-300ER, 2-class – 6 aircraft
Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EBA, A6-EBD, A6-EBF, A6-EBH, A6-ECY*, A6-ECZ*
* IFE is ICE digital widescreen
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73J

B777-300ER, 3-class – 9 aircraft
SkyCruiser in F, Deep reclining in J, Old economy in Y, ICE
A6-EBC, A6-EBE, A6-EBG, A6-EBI, A6-EBJ, A6-EBK, A6-EBM, A6-EBN, A6-EBO
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73X

B777-300ER, 3-class – 1 aircraft
Suites in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE
A6-EBB
Note: although the specification is similar to the sub-fleet below, these aircraft do not have the crew rest area and thus will not be dispatched alongside that sub-fleet.
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73W

B777-300ER, 3-class – 29 aircraft
Suites in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE digital widescreen
A6-EBQ*, A6-EBR*, A6-EBU*, A6-EBW*, A6-EBY*, A6-ECA, A6-ECC through A6-ECX, A6-EGA
* IFE is ICE not ICE digital widescreen
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 73M

B777-200LR, 3-class – 10 aircraft
Suites in F, Lie-flats in J, New Weber seats in Y, ICE digital widescreen
A6-EWA through A6-EWJ
ExpertFlyer aircraft code: 77L

Emirates 2011/12 Operating Plan:

Initial version

Here’s the first cut of the 2011/12 operating plan through to end of November 2011. Note this is just a preliminary version as there will be significant further revisions, including the incorporation of new destination announcements, additional frequency increases and aircraft allocation changes, most notably additional A380 deployments. There are some smaller aircraft changes on regional routes which are not detailed below. Further updates will be posted when available.

Note: All info presented below is subject to operational changes and subject to government approvals.

Frequency Increases

Effective 1 September 2011, 2nd Daily frequency introduced to Hamburg (HAM) using B777-200ER (3-class)
EK061 DEP DXB 1500 ARR HAM 1940
EK062 DEP HAM 2125 ARR DXB 0540

Effective 1 October 2011, 3rd Daily frequency re-instated to Sydney (SIN) using B777-300ER (Suites)

EK414 DEP DXB 0140 ARR SYD 2230
EK415 DEP SYD 0600 ARR DXB 1330

Effective 29 October 2011

EK374/375 DXB-BKK-DXB increases to Daily B777-300 vs. 6x weekly previously

Effective 30 October, 4th Daily frequency introduced to Singapore (SIN) using B777-300ER (3-class)

EK354 DEP DXB 0325 ARR SIN 1445
EK355 DEP SIN 0200 ARR DXB 0510

Effective 30 October 2011

EK797/798 DXB-DKR-DXB increases to Daily A330-200 (3-class) vs. 5x weekly previously

Aircraft Upgrades

Effective 27 March 2011

EK075/076 DXB-CDG-DXB operates with Daily B777-300 vs. mix of B773/B772 previously

Effective 1 June 2011

EK147/148 DXB-AMS-DXB operates with Daily B777-300ER (Suites) vs. mix of B77L/B77W previously

Effective 2 August 2011

EK051/052 DXB-MUC-DXB operates with Daily A340-300 vs. mix of A332/A343 previously
Note: Tuesday flight will continue to operate with A332 until 30 October when it upgrades to A343

Effective 1 September 2011

EK085/086 DXB-ZRH-DXB operates with Daily B777-300ER (Suites) vs. B772 previously

Effective 30 October 2011

EK077/078 DXB-NCE-DXB operates with Daily A340-300 vs. A332 previously
EK141/142 DXB-MAD-DXB operates with Daily B777-300ER (Suites) vs. A343 previously
EK093/094 DXB-MXP-DXB operates with Daily B777-300 vs. A343 previously
EK059/060 DXB-HAM-DXB operates with Daily B777-300ER (Suites) vs. mix of B773/B77W previously
EK514/515 DXB-DEL-DXB operates with B777-200LR vs. A345 previously

A significant update to the 2011/12 operating plan

The spike in oil and unrest in Middle East has resulted in a re-allocation in capacity across the network. The focus remains on maintaining profitability. Additional new destination launches are expected but one or two could be deferred and capacity used to further bolster frequencies on existing routes. Details of the latest update to the 2011/12 operating plan below:

Effective immediately

EK927/928 DXB-CAI-DXB suspended indefinitely
EK745/746 DXB-TIP-DXB suspended indefinitely

Effective 27 March 2011

2nd Daily introduced to Cape Town (CPT), operated by A340-500 (3-class)
EK772 DEP DXB 0350 ARR CPT 1140
EK773 DEP CPT 1340 ARR DXB 0115

As a result CPT frequency increases to 14x weekly.

EK961/962 DXB-SAH-DXB reduced from Daily to 6x weekly. Flight now operates Daily ex-Fri using A330-200 (3-class).
EK747/748 DXB-TUN-DXB reduced from 5x weekly to 3x weekly. Flight now operates Wed, Fri, Sun using A330-200 (3-class).

Effective 28 March 2011

EK125/126 DXB-VIE-DXB will now be introduced with 6x weekly frequency instead of 4x weekly. Flights operate Daily ex-Thu using A340-500 (3-class).

As a result VIE frequency increases to 13x weekly.

EK705/706 DXB-SEZ-DXB upgrades from from 5x weekly to 6x weekly. Flights operate Daily ex-Sat.
EK707/708 DXB-SEZ-DXB frequency increases from 2x weekly to 5x weekly. Flights operate Daily ex-Tue and Sun.

As a result SEZ frequency increases to 11x weekly.

Effective 1 April 2011

EK911/912 DXB-DAM-DXB reduced from Daily to 6x weekly. Flight now operates Daily ex-Thu using various aircraft types.

As a result DAM frequency decreases to 13x weekly.

Effective 1 May 2011

3rd Daily introduced to Manchester (MAN), operated by A330-200 (3-class)

EK021 DEP DXB 0300 ARR MAN 0755
EK022 DEP MAN 0940 ARR DXB 2000

As a result MAN frequency increases to 21x weekly.

Effective 3 September 2011

EK705/706 DXB-SEZ-DXB frequency increases from 6x weekly to Daily.

As a result SEZ increases to 12x weekly.

Effective 28 October 2011

EK797/798 DXB-DKR-DXB will only now increase to 6x weekly from 5x weekly (instead of planned upgrade to Daily). Flight will operate Daily ex-Thu using A330-200 (3-class)

Effective 30 October 2011

EK707/708 DXB-SEZ-DXB frequency increases from 5x weekly to Daily.

As a result SEZ increases to 14x weekly.

All SEZ flights operated by A340-500 except EK707/708 on Tue which operates with A330-200 (3-class).

Seating Plans

There are multiple websites we use here to check seat-map configuration. One of the most popular is www.seatguru.com

You can also access a full aircraft seat-map via www.expertflyer.com, which is handy if you are already checking flight/upgrade award availability at the same time.

If you know the aircraft type you will be flying on, simply navigate your way to the EK section of SeatGuru, either enter the flight no. or look down at the aircraft listing.

Below is a sample. The clickable navigation does't work as these are images.

ECONOMY CLASS

BUSINESS CLASS

FIRST CLASS

The Right Seats

Here's the seats you need to look for. Out of Australia, there are 2 main aircraft you'll be on - the A380 and the 777. The A380 is easy as far as configuration is concerned as there is only ONE seat plan.

But you could get a range of options on the 777. This is a result of airframe substitution, additional flights being scheduled.

Economy
777 & A380 - Essentially, the seats on both aircraft are identical and the layout runs 3-4-3 on both. The great thing about the latest Y cabin is power outlets in Y (your Aussie plug will fit without the need for an adapter), plus a USB port. In the emergency exits, the power supply is at the lower level of the seat (back of your calf level)

Business
777

A380
Mid View

The A380 Bar

First
777 & A380 Suites
Images here:
http://content.emirates.com/us/english/images/content_media_4_420x320_tcm272-218773.jpg
http://www.emirates.com/sg/English/flying/cabin_features/first_class/private_suites.aspx

 

[eightblack]

The EK Lounge Network

One thing most EK travellers are in agreement with is the exceptional standard of the company run lounge network (ie showers, massage chairs, good selection of food, french champagne, excellent choice of wines, well equipped business centres, free wi-fi, helpful staff and a relaxing place to spend a few hours)

Access to EK Lounges:

- First Class/Business Class and Skywards Gold. Skywards Gold may take 1-guest.

- First/Business Class passengers may not take a guest into the lounge (unless they are Gold Skywards members)

There are currently 25 EK run lounges.

1. Auckland
2. Bangkok
3. Beijing
4. Birmingham
5. Brisbane
6. Dubai
7. Düsseldorf
8. Frankfurt
9. Hamburg
10. Hong Kong
11. Johannesburg
12. Kuala Lumpur
13. London Gatwick
14. London Heathrow
15. Manchester
16. Melbourne
17. Mumbai
18. Munich
19. New York John F. Kennedy
20. Paris Charles de Gaulle
21. Perth
22. Shanghai
23. Singapore
24. Sydney
25. Zürich

The T3 Business Lounge - Dubai

Here's a map showing the layout of the T3 Business Lounge.
You can see the interactive map of both the Business and First Lounges on the EK website here Emirates

Lounge Comments/Reviews (purely subjective)

DXB T1 Still a haven, great food both upstairs and downstairs. Access for Silver’s but some golds and those traveling in J still use it especially in the morning if there is time to walk from T3 (about 5 – 8 mins depending on gate). Good smoking area upstairs (still rare). Lounge Dragons live up to their name, not the most gracious, but efficient. Showers downstairs. 8/10

DXB T3 Better when the airport is quiet. Usually queues to get in when busy, showers, great choice of where to eat, food usually better during busy times as has not been sitting in hot plates for a while. Good bars, great staff all round. Smoking area at the far end as you enter. Still awaiting the different entrances to open! 7/10

DXB F Lounge. One of the best lounges not just on the EK network, but anywhere on any airline network, even beats the concord lounge in T4 when it was just for concord pax. Showers, great bars, fine dining, quiet areas, kids area, all very good! Worth upgrading just to use the lounge if you have long layover. Complete dragons on reception, don’t let ANYONE in that should not be in! Fantastic smoking area! 10/10

BAH Dilmon Lounge, not bad, showers, OK choice of food, OK selection of drinks, also used by AMMEX and Priority Plus, so gets really busy at times. Lots of day trippers, so carry ons everywhere. Usually a long process to get in, as everyone signing AMMEX and Priority cards, the lounge dragon do not let you go through, even when showing a J boarding card. No smoking 6/10

DOH Oryx lounge. OK, bit dark, no views if you want booze (beer or wine) you have to ask the staff manning the food politely, they will get it for you from the kitchen. Poor food – just snacks! Small smoking section! 5/10

KUW Pearl Lounge. Again, gets very busy, lots of gold travelers on EK, GF and EY all flights leaving roughly the same time in the early evening, struggle to get seating. No view, very dark. OK food, no booze, small, very small smoking section 4/10

BEY MEA CIP Lounge massive lounge, good views, great food and booze selection. Good smoking area, gets very busy, but always lots of space. 8/10

BOM EK a real haven for me after my terrible India trips. Fantastic food and booze selection, 2nd smaller bar, TV’s a bit loud, exclusive to EK so standard feel to it. Great staff, a bit of a trek from check-in and security, but not that far from gate 6 where most EK flights depart from. Showers available, GREAT wash kits available from reception, similar to the old J class amenity kits. 10/10

KHI CIP Lounge. Not bad, needs a good clean, but staff bend over to help you, smoking area (despite no smoking signs) poor food (packets of chips or biscuits) and drink (no booze) selection. Gets busy and TV’s always really noisy! 4/10

CMB do not remember name. Average food and drink selection, upstairs, no view, do not remember if there were showers or not. Very quiet both times I have been there. 6/10

IST Millennium Lounge No view, OK food (just snacks) GREAT selection of drinks, lounge always busy with many airlines sharing the lounge, close to smoking terrace in next restaurant, far from gate, old and needs a tidy up! 7/10

PRG Cannot rememerb name, great views, awful food and drink selection, shared with one world, so lots of BA bods in there. Very quiet, working environment good. Really far from toilets and gate. 4/10

LHR EK Lounge Great, brilliant staff, food drinks selection, wonderful views, showers, direct boarding (380 and others) lots of space, complete haven from the terminal! No smoking Love it! 10/10

BHX EK Lounge, perfect finally moved away from servis air, love it. Same food and drinks as LHR, brilliant! OK views great showers amenities etc. No smoking Nice and close to gate – I often walk through the airport in my pajama’s on the night flight! 10/10

SFO United Red Carpet Lounge. Poor service, bad selection of snacks, not food, showers, very very busy with LH, UA and SQ people in there. EK need to do a joint venture with VS they have a great lounge! 5/10

LAX Korean Airounge. The worst lounge on the network. Terrible everything. Korean staff that do not speak English, awful mini food snacks, mini drinks in warm tins. Windows, like prison cells, miles from check in, miles from gate, EK need to look into this. No smoking 0/10 (yes 0)

BKK EK Lounge, lovely! No view of the airport, great food and drink selection, can get busy if flight is delayed, as you get the transit passengers rushing in. good showers, not far from the smoking areas. 8/10

SYD EK Lounge, amazing, brilliant staff, great business facilities, great airport view, superb food and amazing wine selection. No smoking. Showers, again can get busy but enough places to chill. Loved it 9/10

CHC Cannot remember name. Really bad wine selection for New Zealand. Had better wines in cheap cafes! Packed out solid, lounge dragons seemed to let anyone in on any flight! No where to sit. Good view though. No smoking 2/10

PEK EK lounge great showers not the best food for an EK lounge but good drinks selection. very small smoking section. A good start to a 380 experience. 9/10

HKG EK lounge Gets busy, small lounge OK food and drink selection, good showers, a little noisy form terminal below and no surrounding roof (as T3 DXB) but ok. Would not want to spend too long in there. Not a great star to an F in the 380experience! No smoking and a trek to the smoking area 5/10

MLE cannot remember name. Poor food and drink selection, no view, busy, poor all round, always a bad end to perfect holidays in the Maldives! No smoking 4/10

CAI Terrible everything, busy, no seating, worst food on the network, terrible drinks bar service from unfriendly staff, dirty, no view, bad place. No smoking but close to the smoking area 2/10

JNB EK lounge Amazing showers! Just the best! Great food and drink and cool staff. Small smoking area, loved it! 9/10
BNE EK Lounge, great service, food drinks and showers. A great start indeed. No smoking! 8/10

LCA Swissport Lounge, terrible food, ok drink selection. Showers, very busy, poor staff on reception and nothing was cleared up plate and glass wise even after a 3 hour wait (flight delayed) close to gate. 3/10

SIN EK lounge great! Friendly staff, great food and drink, good showers, nice walk if in transit.8/10

Lounge Video Overviews

Bangkok

 

[eightblack]

Common Abbreviations

The travel industry is full of abbreviations and acronyms. Life is easier when you learn the basics.

For example, if you post anything to do with a trip (ie you want to ask for help on a upcoming trip between Dubai [DXB] and Munich [MUC], it's a lot easier for everyone to standardise on airline terminology)

You can find all airport abbreviations here:
Welcome to World Airport Codes

You can find all aircraft acronyms here:
Airline Codes
The Airline Codes Website
Aircraft Codes
The Airline Codes Website

EK Specific terminology:

ICE - refers to EK's standard Inflight Entertainment System (Information, Communications, Entertainment)
ICE Digital - refers to EK's new digital version of ICE (includes 1200 channels, larger screens in Y, newer control handset)
Skycruiser - refers to EK's first generation F-class seat
Weber - EK's new seating in Y

 

[eightblack]

Visiting Dubai

Most useful online resources
http://www.visit-dubai-city.com/
http://www.dubaitourism.ae/Home/tabid/36/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.visiting-dubai.com/

 

[eightblack]

Current Promotions

All current promotions can be found here:
http://www.skywards.com/special_offers.aspx?SkinID=1

 

[eightblack]

Fleet/Network Expansion

Emirates' aggressive Airbus A380 fleet expansion plan has been validated by analysts at the Royal Bank of Scotland, who do not expect the Gulf carrier to struggle to find enough viable routes on which to deploy its 90 aircraft. This independent verification comes as the Dubai-based airline's president Tim Clark explains that there is the potential to buy another 30 A380s.

In a research note dubbed "What would you do with 90 A380s?" - that also examines the wider fleet and network expansion of Emirates - RBS concludes that its 2020 fleet will be "modest" compared with airlines such as Air France-KLM and United/Continental. This is despite its study forecasting the carrier will place yet more orders in the second half of the current decade and into the following decade.

The report addresses growing unrest among legacy carriers about the rise of the Gulf carriers. RBS concludes that these fears are overstated. "We expect the Gulf carriers to leverage their geographic advantage and focus their growth on traffic flows linking India, China, Africa and the Mid East," says RBS.

"The real price of Gulf growth will not be an industry meltdown but will be a cap on European carriers' ability to leverage the potential growth from the Indian market," it adds.

Emirates faced cynicism last June when it placed the single biggest A380 order, with a deal for 32 of the type, taking its total order for the 500-seater to 90.

However, the RBS report supports the airline's growth strategy and, based on a hypothetical network and fleet plan to 2020, forecasts a growing share for Emirates in several key markets.

RBS foresees Emirates adding 21 new destinations to its network by 2015, based on the assumption it will have taken delivery of 60 A380s, 23 A350s and 109 Boeing 777s by that time. The hypothetical schedule sees the carrier focusing its A380s on routes to Australia, Europe, the USA, China and Japan.

HEAVIER EMPHASIS
By 2020, RBS expects Emirates to add a further 25 new destinations, with a heavier emphasis on south Asia and North America. This assumes all 90 A380s will be in operation by this time, in addition to 70 A350s and 67 777s.

The report predicts Emirates' total fleet will increase to 249 aircraft in 2020 from 155 in 2010.

"This is notably more modest than one might expect, given the media discussion around Emirates' high-growth plans," says RBS, noting that this compares with a current 722-strong fleet at Lufthansa Group and a 1,261-strong fleet at United/Continental.

"These figures are boosted by large portfolios of regional aircraft but the scale of the Emirates fleet, on our modelling, would be modest," it adds.
Clark says the RBS study backs up what Emirates has said "for a long time", but sceptics remain. When asked during a meeting in early February by the US deputy transportation secretary where Emirates would fly all its A380s, Clark says he showed how easy it was to find homes for 90 units.

"That 90 is gone," he says, citing the number of Emirates long-haul routes that are A380 capable, including Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane, San Francisco and New York. "We don't get the last one until November 2017. I wish we could have more next week, but we can't."

New York and Auckland are already among the 12 routes Emirates currently serves with its 15 A380s. Clark says "the map actually takes you to 120", but Emirates cannot order a further 30 aircraft for now because it cannot physically fit in any more A380s at its Dubai hub.
"The constraint is what we can do physically in Dubai airport," he says. "We're working on it."

Source: Flightglobal.com

 

[kpc]

You do realise that you can only edit your post up to, I think, 24 hours before you need the intervention of a moderator to do so

 

[eightblack]

You do realise that you can only edit your post up to, I think, 24 hours before you need the intervention of a moderator to do so

Relax. It will be populated a lot sooner than that. And besides, I have a "friend" on the inside

 

[drron]

Only problem is my parents used EK F as their preferred air travel-do I want to risk it?

 

[futaris]

Good so far. Need to mention that J flights trans-tasman, no longer get access to limousines.

 

[clifford]

Hey. EightBlack. all good stuff. but couldn't you just have posted links to this material.

And isn't it just blatant advertising for EK.

 

[eightblack]

Hey. EightBlack. all good stuff. but couldn't you just have posted links to this material.

And isn't it just blatant advertising for EK.

Clifford, I take your point. A lot of the content above could be found online. But a lot of it couldn't. Try and Google the EK Operating plan for 2011/2012 and see what you come up with?

And I believe we have the most up to date seating type by specific airframe (down to the actual reg number). So if you really did want to know what type of J seats your specific flight was operating, you could tell.

There is also no where on the web which talks about how EK process upgrades, or makes mention of EK's IO program. Nor is their a consolidated review of all the lounges, made by ac actual heavy premium traveller.

Is it advertising for EK? This is the EK thread is it not? I'm not going to apologise for pushing EK content here.

And hopefully over time, as more people contribute, the content will become more and more valuable.

 

[Heleigh]

Thank you eightblack

• Yes did think of it as a form of advertising but found it extremely useful;
• Think maybe I would like to see this kind of info on all major air lines
• only problem is keeping it updated but could state the usual "subject to change"

Helen

 

[straitman]

Hey. EightBlack. all good stuff. but couldn't you just have posted links to this material.

And isn't it just blatant advertising for EK.

IMHO this is great information and no more advertising than The ULTIMATE Qantas Guide.

Is it :?:

Excellent work eightblack.

 

[kamchatsky]

Maybe someone can just copy all the contents from FT and have Ultimate Guide for every major airline at Asia Pacific?! :shock:

Or if they can just look at FT instead?

Anyway thank you for your work eightblack

 

[oz_mark]

My altar ego from another board has met eightblack and it would be fair to say, if nothing else, he is quite passionate about EK. I guess that passion comes across as advertising sometimes...