metrodriver
No jobs anymore in here??
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2002
- Posts
- 492
EK: their market is India and Pakistan, some east Africa and the middle east. Why Seattle, Dallas, Glasgow and name all the other smaller destinations? Because there is a large Indian population or companies employing Indians (mainly software). EK shuttles them from India to DXB and then the rest of the world. As a world-class airline you also want to serve the major population centers. Why no EK flight to Miami? There are no Indians, and the Cubans don't go to India. DXB is a also a convenient place to stop between Europe and Asia.
DL gets a lot of passengers that are quite strong looking young males on assignment. Very few kids. Unlike the EK flights which are families. The trip for this last group has become a lot shorter on EK than the US to Europe route on DL and then AF / KLM / Lufthansa to just a few destinations in India.
Some of the main differences between DL and EK in economy, B777:
Seats: no economy + on EK. EK 10 across, DL 9. Result: narrower seats and aisle on EK -> everyone bangs into you in an aisle seat, constant shoulder fight.
Food: little better on EK, more snacks, but sometimes poor timing.
Entertainment: pretty close, maybe a few more movies on EK, DL has better music. DL has a lot better sound quality.
Drinks: DL free wine + beer, EK free everything except champagne.
FF program: DL (used to) give full miles, EK based on ticket class. 7000 miles from US earns 3500 miles from west coast, 3000 from the east coast.
EK no upgrades unless they need your seat. Gold gets E-gate access to UAE, bag gets priority treatment, lounge access.
Business class is a completely different animal, first class is travelling like royalty with chauffeur services, private palace-on-wheels to drive to the airplane, shower, cabins.
General Lee, the majority of business travelers will try to stay with one airline, unless schedule dictates otherwise. I have DL miles, used to be Platinum, now barely silver. I prefer to go on EK non-stop to DXB leaving home at a reasonable time and coming back at a normal time. If I would fly UA or DL I would have to get up at 4am to go to ATL, 5 hrs no food no drink and still fly 14 hrs to DXB. Now I wake up, have the whole morning and part of the afternoon, and fly the same 14 hrs to DXB, have meals at the appropriate times. EK serves food on nearly all their flights, even on the 1.5 hr trip to Kuwait (which is a 777-300).
Most of the leisure passengers don't have miles since they simply don't fly enough, they will look for the cheapest ticket, or the quickest way. No brand loyalty.
My boss looks for the cheapest ticket (=economy unless not available) in combination with schedule. So from the 150k miles I flew last year, 90.000 were on EK, the rest DL, UA, LH, KL, BA, Royal Jordanian, Air Baltic, Jet Airways, HK Express, Iberia, Kuwait Airways, Xiamen Airlines, Frontier, Alaska, Virgin Atlantic, FlyBe and a few others. Some resulted in partner miles, some nothing.
DL still has a product quite comparable to the international competition which is better than UA and far better than Useless Airways.....
I haven't flown AA internationally, but if they degrade to Useless Airways level, watch out.
DL gets a lot of passengers that are quite strong looking young males on assignment. Very few kids. Unlike the EK flights which are families. The trip for this last group has become a lot shorter on EK than the US to Europe route on DL and then AF / KLM / Lufthansa to just a few destinations in India.
Some of the main differences between DL and EK in economy, B777:
Seats: no economy + on EK. EK 10 across, DL 9. Result: narrower seats and aisle on EK -> everyone bangs into you in an aisle seat, constant shoulder fight.
Food: little better on EK, more snacks, but sometimes poor timing.
Entertainment: pretty close, maybe a few more movies on EK, DL has better music. DL has a lot better sound quality.
Drinks: DL free wine + beer, EK free everything except champagne.
FF program: DL (used to) give full miles, EK based on ticket class. 7000 miles from US earns 3500 miles from west coast, 3000 from the east coast.
EK no upgrades unless they need your seat. Gold gets E-gate access to UAE, bag gets priority treatment, lounge access.
Business class is a completely different animal, first class is travelling like royalty with chauffeur services, private palace-on-wheels to drive to the airplane, shower, cabins.
General Lee, the majority of business travelers will try to stay with one airline, unless schedule dictates otherwise. I have DL miles, used to be Platinum, now barely silver. I prefer to go on EK non-stop to DXB leaving home at a reasonable time and coming back at a normal time. If I would fly UA or DL I would have to get up at 4am to go to ATL, 5 hrs no food no drink and still fly 14 hrs to DXB. Now I wake up, have the whole morning and part of the afternoon, and fly the same 14 hrs to DXB, have meals at the appropriate times. EK serves food on nearly all their flights, even on the 1.5 hr trip to Kuwait (which is a 777-300).
Most of the leisure passengers don't have miles since they simply don't fly enough, they will look for the cheapest ticket, or the quickest way. No brand loyalty.
My boss looks for the cheapest ticket (=economy unless not available) in combination with schedule. So from the 150k miles I flew last year, 90.000 were on EK, the rest DL, UA, LH, KL, BA, Royal Jordanian, Air Baltic, Jet Airways, HK Express, Iberia, Kuwait Airways, Xiamen Airlines, Frontier, Alaska, Virgin Atlantic, FlyBe and a few others. Some resulted in partner miles, some nothing.
DL still has a product quite comparable to the international competition which is better than UA and far better than Useless Airways.....
I haven't flown AA internationally, but if they degrade to Useless Airways level, watch out.
