hahah this thread sums up EK dysfunction! "EK to Washington" and it's about which fleet sucks the most! Hilarious.
I do feel kind of sorry for the A380 FO's, trying to make the most of a tough situation...must be hard to watch the B777 guys who were hired on the same day, now as commanders, while they toil away for a couple of years...maybe...because EK always keeps their upgrade promises, right?! A command in hand is worth two in the bush, or whatever the saying is.
So I smile quietly when the talk of rosters comes up...while 96 hour rosters aren't always fun, I'll bet 100% of the B777 skippers would take it over a A330/340/380 right seat, for the options it gives them. For starters it makes the move to a contract that might get them HOME come even sooner in some cases. Even if not, the skipper pay is why people come, not roster. And IF the A380 actually one day has a critical mass of preferred routes, (assuming it's still commercially viable with it's endless maintenance issues, low dispatch reliability, fuel at $150/barrel, etc), why by then the Boeing guys would have the numbers to apply for the seat on the ugly thing. That's life, some are lucky, some aren't. Same everywhere.
But I get why the need to try to proclaim the "lifestyle" better. It's all they have in the "pro" column. That, and a rating that they can't take anywhere else. Oh yeah, and the super call sign. So try to cut them a break.