Seattle to Dubai direct on Emirates starting March 1 (Starbuck: airport, move)

[usernametaken]

So Emirates will fly direct to Dubai starting March 1. Flight will be 14-15 hours long.

Has anyone flown on Emirates in the cattle class?

[azoria]

Haha yeah, I saw the advertizing billboard from the viaduct a couple of weeks ago and found it...perplexing?

Like these hoodie wearing, wrapper recycling, whale watchers are showing a huge demand for non-stop flights to a sandy highrise sultanate in the middle east? Huh?

Dubai must be beyond desperate.

[nfdsouza2001]

We flew Emirates to Dubai from London. It is a good experience. Emirates unlike most airlines are not fully dependent on the airline to make money hence they are more generous than others.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by azoria

Haha yeah, I saw the advertizing billboard from the viaduct a couple of weeks ago and found it...perplexing?

Like these hoodie wearing, wrapper recycling, whale watchers are showing a huge demand for non-stop flights to a sandy highrise sultanate in the middle east? Huh?

Dubai must be beyond desperate.

Oy.....some people will jump on any chance to disparage Seattleites...

[evergraystate]

Soooo how many people from Seattle are planning to fly to Dubai?

[seattlenextyear]

The Times billed it as maybe a longer but cheaper place to layover on the way to India. Plus, a few Starbucks and Microsoft execs. Oh, and lets not forget Sex and the City II fans.

[tablemtn]

I think a lot of the appeal is the sheer number of connecting flights you could get from Dubai's airport. It's quite a list:

Dubai International Airport - Terminals, airlines and destinations

[eskercurve]

Dubai, Qatar, and a number of the smaller middle eastern countries are trying to become hubs for connections to central and east Asia, and even to parts of Europe, and Africa. They are in a "central" location especially for European tourists heading east.

Further, they're really being aggressive in being alternate destinations. Dubai has quite a vacation destination apparently. Though, I have a hard time believing their indoor skiing park will be able to compete with the likes of Whistler and Crystal and other mountains around here. I also don't think they will score many points for their harsh "improper" laws regarding alcohol (they are Islamic, and while they usually turn a blind eye to foreigners drinking, it's not universal!), and won't score many points with honeymooners (a British couple were jailed for six months for kissing on the beach, normally, not even amorously).

Though some of those countries are quite successfully becoming a "gateway" to the Islamic world, especially for large multinational conglomerates seeking to expand into the Middle east and Muslim world without appearing as the son of the devil of the West, and have access to their money as well.

So, since we have multiple multinational conglomerates here, it makes sense for them to turn their eyes here. Most likely, it will be all business, but hey, that's where the margins are. It's a shrewd move in my opinion, even if the flights will be infrequent. It sort of shows the antiquated and downright biased view many in the West holds against the middle east and north africa, especially in light of the responses on this forum and in the inability for American firms to see their ways from here to the middle east.

[evergraystate]

Well, this is what happens when a government owned and government run airline doesn't have to worry about economic realities. They can have fun with it so long as the oil money lasts.

[azoria]

Originally Posted by evergraystate

Well, this is what happens when a government owned and government run airline doesn't have to worry about economic realities.

You mean, like Delta?