A few points:_
If EK want to keep the money in town,then why dont Cathay keep all that money in HK??
Basings/offline basing make total sense,in many ways,but whether it will happen at EK,remains to be seen,I think the "money in Dubai" is a smokescreen,mast pilots send large amounts home,the day after pay day.
With an A340 stuck downroute,through sickness,or tech,and looking to A380,cancelling flights downroute(AKL?SYD?JFK?) will have major implications,for crew duty limits,and getting crew together.
Mr Knowles was opposed to commuters(why??),but the new system is proving so far to give decent spells of time off,and with him gone,several trainers,returning for better rosters,the number of existing commuters,is set to increase,not decrease.
To expound the problem,are issues such as lack of school places,and they dont happen overnight,housing could also be a problem.
I dont think basings are for everyone,but for EK to "offer" a basing,as an option,in your career,would be a real attraction to many prospective EK pilots.IMHO.
I for one will watch the coming months and years with interest.
QB