As an ex EK person can add this. When you go to EK you are moving to the Middle East. As much as they want to polish it.. Dubai is Third World country, covered in glitz. Scratch the surface and you are dealing with a system that is steeped in the Dark Ages.
To move there as an Expat.. you should be rewarded appropriately,
In the old days of Emirates you where.
However, with no pay increases for years, and people working harder and harder, there is no way you are being ‘ rewarded ‘ anymore to be an expat and move to Dubai
To say that the 30 step gives pays you $ 300000 thousand is a true fact.
However.. if you stay long enough to get to the last step, how long will you live after you stop flying ?
Back when our rosters where based on 78 hours a month and we had a proper contract.. I would say,, Go for it!
Now.. I think anyone joining EK needs to think about it. I never flew the 380, so perhaps the rosters are better. But talking to my friends still there, on the 777, it does not matter how much you earn.. it will ( IMHO) induce an early death