After reading a lot of these posts about EK, EY, QR, Flydubai, I am convinced that if I were to apply to a Middle East carrier one day, I would probably focus on Emirates. Sure, EK has its big warts too, but it seems like it is the best of the bunch - so long as you can handle the long-haul fatigue flying there too. EY and QR seem like worse quality of life on offer and more autocratic management teams.