Shortest transfer time for Dubai Connect , calculated by city or by airport?
 

This is about the criteria to qualify for Dubai connect for flights to Tokyo, and maybe other cities served by multiple airports. If I understand the rules correctly, a Dubai transfer time of at least six hours in J or eight hours in Y qualifies for Dubai connect, although this may not be offered for Saver or other discounted tickets. The transfer time must be the shortest possible available.
EK now serves both Narita and Haneda, and I'm wondering whether the shortest possible time is calculated as being to the individual airports, or to Tokyo as a whole. It’s possible to search the booking engine using TYO for both airports, as well as by using NRT and HND.
My bookings are always between Manchester and Tokyo, and at present there are comfortably short connections available to both Narita and Haneda on the outward leg, but a 6hr 30m connection from HND on the return leg. Return flights from NRT have a shorter connection. The booking engine does not seem to offer Dubai Connect for J flights from HND, despite the 6 hour plus transfer time. With upcoming schedule changes the outward leg to HND will change to a connection time of 8 hours, though NRT flights will continue to have shorter transfer times. Again, the booking engine does not seem to offer Dubai Connect for either Y or J for the 8 hour HND transfer.

Does anyone know how this works for other destinations served by multiple airports? Does EK regard the destination city or the destination airport as the criteria for determining fastest transfer available?

Interesting question - sorry but I don't know the answer! I think NRT/HND would be the only situation in which this issue would arise as LHR/LGW are both served so frequently that it would be challenging (but not impossible, I guess) to get a route that had a 6/8+ hour connection to LGW but not LHR or vv.

My guess is that EK would offer the service in this case if you called them but that is just a hunch. If you are booking online, ask EK when you are booking. If using a TA, the TA might be able to find out for you.

I believe it is by airport and not city, if my memory serves me right.

Do EK know their own rules for Dubai Connect?
 

First, thanks sadiqhassan and 678flyer for the responses.

I emailed EK online help and asked the same question, asking them to answer for both flex and economy tickets in both J and Y. This was their reply

"Kindly be advised an eligibility for Dubai Connect service can only be determined once the ticket is issued. We need to view the ticket so that we can advise you if your booking is eligible for the Dubai Connect service."

This leaves me with these thoughts:
(i) EK Dubai Connect qualification rules are esoteric beyond the comprehension of man.
(ii) The email help centre person couldn't be arsed to answer a complicated question.
(iii) The question of whether it is City or Airport of destination that determines shortest connection time has not yet been decided by EK. (As sadiqhassan suggests by implication this may be a new issue for EK.)
(iv) There may be a known but perhaps secret factor beyond connection time and class of ticket which determines eligibility for Dubai Connect.

Any more ideas?

This contradicts the statement on the website which says:

"If you book your flights on emirates.com, you will be notified during the booking process if your itinerary/fare qualifies."

If you have to wait on the ticket being issued then it's after the booking process.

You could add option v) All of the above.

I'm having the same issue, on the 10th of February, there is no availability in J on the EK136+EK318, so I'd have to chose the EK136+EK312 that means 9h 25 minute stopover.
However, in the online booking system, there is no sign of Dubai Connect.
I will try to ask the call center

Ale

(v) All of the above.

Since there is an onward flight which is within 6 hours, then there is no eligability for the hotel ; that it has no availability, does not impact this

I thought all business and 1st class fares were eligable for the hotel service

But the flights are to two different airports, albeit both in Tokyo. That is the crux of this issue.

If EK312 and EK318 are going to different airports, then there should be access to Dubai connect then I would have thought.

May I add a new curios thing?
At the end, I booked EK206 from MXP to DXB + EK312 to HND (10 hours layover).
I could book EK92 with a shorter connection, but I preferred a night in Dubai.
I asked the travel agent to book EK206 and EK312 as 2 flights, so I could have the chauffeur in Dubai. Price was the same.
Now, under MMB, is written
"Eligible for Dubai Connect"

Nice Emirates!

Arcane Dubai Connect qualification rules?
 

If I may be forgiven for repetition, EK's rules for Dubai Connect qualification are truly esoteric beyond comprehension.

I called EK on the Japan English phone number - which actually connects to the China call centre - and was offered a choice of either a no cost change to Narita flights or Dubai Connect for all of my connections at HND which have changed to 8 hrs+ following upcoming schedule changes. Fair enough, EK have changed the schedules. But I was also offered Dubai connect for my remaining 6 hr+ connections for flights before the schedule changes. All these flights are in J saver.
The process may throw some light on how the system works. The call centre lady asked me to wait a moment, checked the minimum possible transfer time for my flights (presumably on her computer), found that my flights met the criteria, then made the offer. It seems that the system does not automatically offer Dubai Connect, which may be why the booking engine is not doing so. Moral seems to be call up to request Dubai Connect if it's not offered automatically.
Going back to the original question, it also seems that NRT and HND are treated separately in determining the minimum possible transfer times.

Which is no good for passengers whose decision to book may be influenced by the availability or not of this service.

It also contradicts the information given on their website as mentioned.

All in all, a poor offering.