Originally Posted by
krismiler
Airlines such as Emirates could see a change in passenger make up and a corresponding drop in revenue as their Platinum and Gold members go non stop instead. They could become the new low cost carriers as they chase the lower end of the market.
The ability of a hub operator like Emirates is not driven by the few ultra-long hauls that will come along. London to Sydney, or Singapore to New York (which might even overfly Dubai in certain wind conditions) are one thing, but Dubai allows Edinburgh to Cape Town, or Nice to Hong Kong, or 2,002 other combinations, all with one stop. The numbers of each may be quite a small n, but n times a few thousand adds up.