I have to agree that only a very few would gain the advantage if a straight basing system was to be introduced. However, knowing EK, my guess would be that they would make any system they introduced so unattractive that few current pilots would (or could afford to) take them up, so then they’d be offered to new hires (which would have been the real plan from the start, as it’s new hires they’re trying to attract and can’t convince to come and live in Dubai).
But what could be made work – and very easily – would be a variation of the KAL system, (and not unlike what Wiley suggested)
…or failing that, (and maybe even better than basings), allowing a number of pilots to write their rosters from a designated outport.
– e.g. start duty
as operating crew from the designated port of domicile, and fly a roster when and as required by EK for the next ‘n’ days of the month, ending with a final leg
as operating crew back into port of domicile (and another pilot with the same domicile port takes the service out as operating crew).
Even this would only be available to a relatively small number of people, but I suppose it would be a case of ‘seniority rules’, so everyone would be able to look forward to getting one eventually if he wanted it – unless, of course, they come up with a separate package available only to new hires, which (sad to say) no one here would put past them.