More updates:
Checkin at FRA - huge line, everyone there well over three hours early for EK and also BA. Priority queue for the win - very short wait. Still looked to be a number of LH flights cancelled / delayed significantly. T2 car rental return closed so had to go to T1 and take transfer bus - annoying but manageable - although probably added time overall. Immigration relatively short. Security immediately before boarding minor queue but a lot of bags getting secondary checks. Still not bad.
MEL - "worst airport for international arrivals in the world" status retained. Arrived at gate but 25min delay to deplane - putting us behind two other international arrivals. Which meant long queue for immigration (and really really disengaged border force agent - probably sick of it). ePassport counters 10 deep to access and a number malfunctioning. So "normal operations" then. Bags came quickly (thanks EK / priority tags / dnata). And then the queue to clear customs was insane - to start with the whole area is poorly designed for flow of pax, then two queues formed snaking their way around all the obstacles and making it almost impossible to get past anyone, then they decided to open the queuing area properly which helped a bit, then everyone started trying to cut in line. Took about 90-100 mins from runway to car - about 3x what it took in FRA in either inbound or outbound.
DXB almost as busy as usual but still with some stores closed. F Lounge still good.
40 degree temperature change from Europe has been unpleasant - usually its the other way around.......
Given the amount of coughing on the flight home (100% full), it'll take a miracle for us to not catch a respiratory virus of some sort.....
