More European destinations, longer connection times, less convenient

In a smart article, Clive Dorman explains why the Qantas/Emirates deal, while looking better for more European destinations, probably is less convenient:

Qantas’s new services to London via Dubai from Melbourne and Sydney from April 2013 will simply be existing services transferred away from Singapore, arriving in London at 5.40am London time (from Melbourne) and 6.35am (from Sydney) – timings which are geared to the crucial business market.
But their transit through Dubai around midnight (Dubai time) means they will provide relatively poor connections, with a only handful of continental European destinations flown by Emirates and requiring a stopover of three to five hours.

Dorman points out, that most non-business travellers, will opt for later Emirates flights that get them in a breakfast time, so that the connection times are shorter to other European ports.  OK for travellers, but really bad for Qantas, as passengers won’t even travel on a Qantas flight – making Qantas irrelevent.
Emirates 1 / Qantas 0

Source: SMH