Desirable flights...
Hey DD,
Oh yes, there are certainly flights that are more desirable than others. That's one of the main problems in EK, everyone tends to bid for the same flights. Daytime flying to Europe, JFK, short MEL and SYD are all very popular sectors. Nobody wants to fly to India and Pakistan at night, not even the Indians and Pakistanis.
Hotels are generally of good to very good standard with only few exceptions. Layovers are too short, and allowances just barely covers expenditure for food. Our boss, Timmie, said to Flight International Magazine that we stay 3 days in JFK, but that is not quite true... The 777 direct flight has a 25 hr rest, and the 340 direct service has a 32 hr rest in NYC. Bear in mind that flying time to JFK is 14.40 outbound and 12.50 back, so rest time is a proper lifespan killer.
Finally, I would prefer the 340 to the 330 if I only flew long haul, but I don't. As stated before the mix of flying and too little rest time downroute and at base is killing our crews.
Cheers,
Pork