Experience of EK opening up award seats (using QFF points)

[bam71]

Small first world problem. We need to get to Crawley ( UK) for meetings beginning 7 Dec. Currently have 2 Etihad F Apartments SYD to AUH 5 Dec into AUH morning of the 6th, and our preference would be to transit AUH to DXB to use EK direct to Gatwick. Problem is there is no J available DXB LGX on the 14.35 departure. ( There is F but we're not willing to spend the additional points). We can get AUH to LHR (J) , and if we have to do that we will. Question is, do EK open up seats at any time? We'd prefer to do the transit from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, as opposed to arriving into Heathrow then transferring to Gatwick ( well, Crawley)....

Never really taken notice of EK award seats so we're not sure if there will be an opportunity ( checking every morning at the moment).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mattg]

It's hard to tell really, but I doubt they would release any new seats until the flight was less than a week away - and then, only if there are still lots of empty J seats.

If you haven't found anything on EK by now, I'd be booking AUH-LHR.