Crewmeal you may not be quite correct.
We were looking at Visiting SA next year and the Travel Agent said the cheapest way was to fly BHX-DXB then on to SA from there.
My neighbour and family did it last July and a friend and his are doing it next May.
So seems it might be a pretty popular way to get their from Birmingham after what Travel Bag told us and my small snap shot of others I mention.
Nigel