I still don't see STN appealing to upmarket punters until it is improved, and that is not going to happen until FR goes (which they won't) or gets their own terminal.
Capetonian, unless your "extremely wealthy friends" are visiting the Costa del Sol or flying as freight then they would have no reason to utilise STN
Fair comment, but they own properties and play golf in the South of France and make the trip via NCE or MRS a couple of times a month. They never go from STN which is on the doorstep, preferring LTN for proximity and its (marginal) superiority over STN, or making the longer trip round to LHR.
And if Dubai is considered ghastly, I shudder to think what JFK/LHR/LAX etc would be deemed as!
Matter of opinion, I think DXB is one of the biggest hellholes on the planet, for a number of reasons, and I'm not just talking about the airport.