EK have too many A380s for this flyer. I risk being in a bird that is, as of 2012, still largely untested.
Sure they have a bunch of 777s but the real problem is that they are not a member of any alliance. Why is that?
They obviously want independence. This undoubtedly ha many benefits.
But I feel better knowing that airlines I fly are members of a group that have audits and labor standards like those available to workers in the early 20th Century. There are some parts of the world (I am not necessarily talking about UAE or only about UAE) I would not want surgery done, would not want to try my luck in their court system, nor would I wish to be flown by a pilot based there. And if you have a problem with any of these things, and need redress trying your luck in their court system would be a less than familiar experience. Even in Europe it's not that great. Sure, they dress like we do in the English speaking world, but they don't think like we do - I am talking about countries like France. So whether you are battling a doctor, an airline, baggage, a dentist or anyone else who has done you wrong, you may end up getting nowhere with your "ideals" about "rights".
I appreciate that there are a lot of good foreign pilots and ground crew there at EK and that everyone is well intentioned, but I do wonder what opportunity they get to stand up to their employer in the interests of their (and pax) safety.
I think that AA will regret the day they bought into the Airbus philosophy because Joe Public has the Google and Joe Public has an internet connection and is starting to see and read about QF72 and AF447 and all of the other hijinks. Despite EK's best intentions, and there is no doubt they are good, any airline that proudly boasts about a largely untested piece of tech (ie not yet in operation for more than x1000 cycles) that is responsible for carrying hundreds of pax is probably jumping the gun.