We've heard some interesting rumors coming out of Dubai in the past. This one is a little less out of the norm, but still interesting.

Flight attendant scheduling is a long and complicated process. Often, the seniormost flight attendants get the most favorable route assignments with the best compensation.

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In the world of flight attendants, these trips are incredibly valuable. Flight attendants generally have to work a specific number of hours each month. While 80 (or even 120) hours a month sounds like a great deal for a normal office job, flight attendants are only paid for the time spent in the air. That makes a hop from, say New York to Dubai, more lucrative than a short-haul from Dubai to Muscat.

In some airlines, this has turned into a kind of bidding war. American Airlines recently started to try and end the process of senior flight attendants selling their lucrative trips to more junior members.

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Now Emirates is in the midst of such an issue.

In most cases, flight attendant scheduling is done via an online portal. In some cases, staff get involved and start using their scheduling duties to their advantage.

Reports say that the scheduling department at Emirates was rife with employees selling the best routes to the highest payer instead of assigning them based on seniority.

According to these reports, recently, over half of the scheduling department was fired over these allegations.

Many people might look at this and wonder what the issue is for Emirates here. The problem here comes with the premium class cabins– which is what Emirates is known for.

Premium Cabins on lucrative routes, like New York-Dubai, are often filled with business travelers to tourists who paid for a better experience in the sky. In most cases, both of those types of passengers expect a level of service that matches the price of the ticket they paid for. In some cases, that can amount to a very large set of expectations.

Flight attendants can make or break a flight in the premium cabin. The knowledge premium cabin flight attendants must have is astonishing. From meal services and the beverages that complement the entrees to the turndown service to passenger preferences, etc. etc. the list goes on! Generally, the most experienced flight attendants are able to offer the best service.

Emirates is widely known for their exceptional hard and soft products in their premium cabins. Having a less experienced flight attendant could make a difference in how passengers perceive the flight and the reputation Emirates has. Though not all junior flight attendants provide an inferior experience, it is a risk to Emirates that comes with this practice.

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Flight attendants can make flying an experience that is much more memorable and favorable in a passenger's mind. It makes sense why Emirates would be disturbed by this practice.

What do you think? Should senior flight attendants be able to sell their favorable routes to junior members? Let us know in the comments below!

Update 1/1/2019: Emirates spokesperson has said that these rumours are untrue: 

The reports on crew buying better rosters are untrue. Emirates flies to over 150 destinations and has a clear and unbiased system when it comes to rostering for cabin crew. There is flexibility in the rosters and crew can bid or swap for preferred flights, however this is practiced with a strict non-remuneration policy.