The money is nowhere near as good as it seems due to the cost of living.
The way to get ahead was to buy your own property and have Emirates pay your mortgage on top of your salary. But looking at property prices now, think how much deposit you would need just to buy something basic. I think that will rule out most people.
It is still a good move if your top priority in life is to live in Dubai and/or the Emirates operation is attractive to you.