The temperature in Vancouver would for sure be better.
They are not taken of the plane in Dubai - the hatch is opened, their water is topped up & they are checked for "health". My concern in Dubai would be x2. 1) possible heat issues but QANTAS have said this should not be a problem now & 2) If there was a problem, how would they respond. Then again, I would worry about this no matter what...
Vancouver is a proper 12 hour stopover so a lot more goes on. They are offloaded, taken to an area where they are given water & I was told they are put in slightly bigger cages. They are then resealed 4 hours before the flight so again, Its a very long time for them in the Crate when going via Vancouver.
Part of me leans towards the QANTAS route as I see less room for error - one (new 380) plane, 22 hours vs 36 hours, and they are not offloaded so one would think that is better for them... Vancouver simply because its been in operation for longer...
If Bob addresses this post, I wonder your thoughts? And why?