DXB Flight Cancellations January & February 2015

I've just found out purely by accident that my flight to Dubai booked via VH on 21st January has been cancelled.
Contacted VH this morning and they hadn't yet been informed of the cancellations, so I'm waiting for them to telephone me back with a solution.
I checked managed my booking on VA and my flight is showing as leaving a day later which would mean loosing a days holiday.

If anyone else is booked to fly to DXB during those months there are no flights on January 13th, 21st, 26th, February 4th & 9th outbound.
January 14th, 22nd, 27th, February 5th & 10th inbound

I'm speaking as an airline guy. Those dates seem odd - no pattern to them. Usual reason for canx this far ahead is planned maintenance, but that normally takes out a block of flights, not days here and there, especially for what in destination terms is a peak month (Dubai is lovely in January!)

I'd push for a rebook onto EK or BA. I'm not going to speculate on why VS have done this.

It's common especially in the winter months to cancel certain flights on dates where the loads are very light. Hope you get it sorted

If VS have light loads on a DXB in peak DXB season, there are deep issues.

i've seen near empty EC cabins in the the last year or so on VS to DXB and never had a problem getting a UC upgrade at check-in or booking UC reward flights, perhaps it's the impact of the EK 380s saturating the route?

i'd think if the other route cancellations make premium/flexible pax wary of VS it'll exacerbate things, it could end up with all remaining non-DL, er, i mean non-tatl, routes withering and getting the chop

i've got a few DXB flights coming up this year, but after the recent announcements i'm seriously thinking about heading to the darkside and see if i can get back some BA status, if they offer a status match i'll be off in a flash (though i doubt they will, far too many BA AU already judging by the rammed lounges)

I am surprised that VH bookings don't contribute significantly to the DXB route.

DXB is a strange route for VS - when I used it regularly, it always seemed full of holiday makers and miles burners. It doesn't connect with anything, and as noted, it is up against fantastic competition - eight (soon to be nine) A380s to London daily, plus the regions and the non A380 services to Gatwick.

i've seen near empty EC cabins in the the last year or so on VS to DXB and never had a problem getting a UC upgrade at check-in or booking UC reward flights, perhaps it's the impact of the EK 380s saturating the route?

i'd think if the other route cancellations make premium/flexible pax wary of VS it'll exacerbate things, it could end up with all remaining non-DL, er, i mean non-tatl, routes withering and getting the chop

i've got a few DXB flights coming up this year, but after the recent announcements i'm seriously thinking about heading to the darkside and see if i can get back some BA status, if they offer a status match i'll be off in a flash (though i doubt they will, far too many BA AU already judging by the rammed lounges)

I've also seen light loads on this route back in May. Have a trip there coming up in November, and do hope that this route won't be the next to be dropped.

When I was boarding at DXB last time, I did overhear another pax say on the phone "I've managed an upgrade at check-in" and I thought "man I wish I'd asked!" (all business travel in Y where I work). Maybe I'll try it in November...

An update on my flight situation, VH have now booked flights the day before we were due to fly on both outbound and inbound ( Which I can see in manage my booking on VS ). Thus I still have a full 7 days holiday. Luckily I am retired so can be flexible. We also have flights booked to Dubai in late October, so keeping my fingers crossed they are not pulled.
Thanks to everyone for your insight in to why the flights might have been cancelled.

Gotta say my flight last week was rammed! People upgraded to UC from PE (including a colleague of mine - she was like a kid in a candy shop!).