I took up this issue with fleet management several months ago and the email reply I received included the statement that
"EK does not consider pilot bidding essential". 
Remember: all these swinging-dick MBAs in Transportation Management are empiricists. They only believe what they can see - they continually repeat the mantra: "I can only manage what can be measured". This trite little quip is simply an escape mechanism and rationaliation for maintaining the status quo.
Smile and grin at the change all around...
