Group of 4 on board today who were all part of a group who said they were coming out for this reason. They also seemed to know a lot. Strange that they told me the contents of the news articles and more before they were even published.
Seems the LHR slots for EK are invaluable. Enough to throw a half dozen triplers (of their 100 still on order) for a tidy premium.
Tie up will not be good for QF international though. Probably the end of the 400. Which would make sense given the refurbishment (what else would you expect from the worlds highest paid airline management).