Qantas / Emirates tie up - Jordan here I come!

[Pella1]

As a 'regular' traveller to Jordan - annually at least! - the Qantas/Emirates tie up will make it faster for me to get to Amman. It does mean that I am a bit limited on the luxury stopover on the return flight to Australia from the usual dust and sand archaeological trips I do since I prefer to have the luxury without too many flight changes but Emirates will probably let me see some of the UAE I haven’t managed to visit up till now. Any comments?

 

[yohy?!]

curious to know how it would be faster for you in future using EK/QF over the current options with EK and Etihad?

 

[Pella1]

I usually fly Etihad out of Sydney (my departing airport) however I have recently looked at the Emirates timetable and it has a more 'gentle' transit time in Dubai.

 

[drron]

Why not QF to BKK and RJ to AMM?
Or TG using US miles to BKK etc.

 

[yohy?!]

the OP is probably a prime example of the precariousness of the alliance - ie 90% of flight options for them will be on EK metal all the way from AU to final destination.

For frequent flyers it becomes about which FF program is better value if EK becomes your de facto main carrier (assuming you fly OW less and less). Seems likely EK in future will improve it's program to entice QF customers to jump ship. Slippery-slope indeed but I digress.

BTW I did a test search on ITA and the EK vs Etihad total times were identical?

 

[RSD]

As a 'regular' traveller to Jordan - annually at least! - the Qantas/Emirates tie up will make it faster for me to get to Amman.

I find that Emirates usually have great connections from Oz to Middle Eastern and African destinations - departing Perth at 06:00 and arriving into Cairo at 17:00 the same day is a damn nice connection. The EK/QF deal is certainly going to be nice for me - for the first time I will be able to have one program for all of my domestic and international travel.

It does mean that I am a bit limited on the luxury stopover on the return flight to Australia from the usual dust and sand archaeological trips I do since I prefer to have the luxury without too many flight changes but Emirates will probably let me see some of the UAE I haven’t managed to visit up till now. Any comments?

I'm in the wrong job - my life is usually too hectic to combine work and luxury stopovers!

 

[RSD]

the OP is probably a prime example of the precariousness of the alliance - ie 90% of flight options for them will be on EK metal all the way from AU to final destination.

Especially as the international gateway for around 50% of them will be through an airport that only EK service for even the first leg of long haul to Europe/Africa/Middle East

For frequent flyers it becomes about which FF program is better value if EK becomes your de facto main carrier (assuming you fly OW less and less). Seems likely EK in future will improve it's program to entice QF customers to jump ship. Slippery-slope indeed but I digress.

I wonder if EK will status match?

 

[drross]

Especially as the international gateway for around 50% of them will be through an airport that only EK service for even the first leg of long haul to Europe/Africa/Middle East


I wonder if EK will status match?

presumably they will to help cement the relationship

 

[Pella1]

Many thanks for all your suggestions and replies. Unfortunately due to work issues, I will not be departing in January 2013 as planned. This just gives Emirates and Etihad more time to 'battle' over their respective timetables to make them more 'turnaround' friendly for moi!.