In terms of economies, the two Middle Eastern goliaths compete.
When it comes to service, comfort, and food, renowned Gulf airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways consistently rank among the best in the business. Even in economy class, they have excellent product reputations. However, a few areas of distinction between Emirates and Qatar have become apparent during the past few years. So now is a good opportunity to review the options for economy class on both airlines.
Internet and fleet
Emirates and Qatar Airways are nearly regaining pre-pandemic frequencies on all of their routes now that COVID has been eliminated from the network. The airline located in Dubai flies to 130 destinations in 70 different countries, but the airline based in Doha flies to over 160 locations across 90 different airports. With a concentration on Africa and the Middle East, Qatar has recently gained ground in terms of cities served.Emirates maintains a fleet that is limited to just two models: the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777.
In spite of the route taken, this enables a uniform product experience in every cabin, notably economy. Qatar, on the other hand, has a far more varied fleet that includes the Boeing 787 and 777, as well as the Airbus A380, A350, A320, and A330. There will be many options for which jet serves which route once the 737 MAX begins flying in the upcoming days.
Regarding checked baggage, Qatar has the advantage.
An economy class ticket will not grant you entrance to the departure airport lounge unless you have elite status with either airline. Emirates Skywards Blue members in Dubai can, however, pay a fee to enter specific Emirates lounges. The Qatar Airways lounge in Doha is also accessible for a fee if you are flying economy.
Depending on your destination and frequent flyer level, there are different baggage restrictions, but generally speaking, you can check in one bag that weighs no more than 30 kg (66 lb) and has a maximum dimension of 300 cm (118″).Depending on the fare bucket you are in, Emirates is a little bit more complicated. The maximum weight for free checked bags in economy class varies according on the fare you are taking, from 20 kg for an economy special trip to 35 kg for an economy flex plus fare. We prefer Qatar Airways in this case for simplicity’s sake. Also fairly reasonable is their 30 kg limit.
What person has the finest seating?
Next, let’s look at comfort, which is a key issue with cheap seating. A seat on an Emirates 777 may not be any smaller than a seat on an A380, but the cabin is smaller, which can make you feel more cramped. Configurations will vary slightly across different aircraft models. Even if simply from a geographical standpoint, aircraft size does important when traveling in economy class.
Emirates economy class seats typically measure 32 inches in pitch and 17.91 inches wide. The pitch of a typical economy class seat on Qatar Airways is 32 inches. Although the difference is hardly perceptible, Qatar Airways seats have a slightly broader width of 18.17 inches.Qatar and Emirates both offer almost the same size economy seats, with Qatar slightly outperforming Emirates in terms of seat width. Although some frequent travelers vouch for Qatar’s headrest or Emirates’ legroom, it’s difficult to determine which one wins out in this comparison because it depends on where you’re sitting in the plane and how old the plane is.
On short- or medium-haul flights, it’s crucial to keep in mind that Qatar’s fleet may place you on a 787 or an A320. Due to the airline’s history of equipment swaps and the significant impact this will have on your journey, it’s possible that you will end up in a smaller aircraft than you had originally planned.
For simplicity’s sake, we would choose Emirates even though the two are nearly equal on long-haul routes.
Excellent inflight service is provided by both airlines.
When comparing the economies of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, it can be difficult to determine which service is “better” because it will likely depend on the individual’s past experiences as well as the specific crew on duty at the time.Good service, however, is very individualized. A lot also relies on the crew you chose. We’ve all traveled on subpar airlines that were distinguished by an excellent cabin crew. The same can be said for times when a fantastic airline’s cabin crew left us feeling less than impressed.Service is often excellent on both Qatar Airways and Emirates. Our personal opinion is that Qatar does a better job of personalizing service than Emirates, and that service in Emirates’ economy might occasionally come across as a little hurried and less intimate. However, it depends on the flight and is an opinion. If you disagree, please leave a remark at the bottom.
What are the top meals and drinks in economy class?
Both Emirates and Qatar are renowned for serving up delicious, fresh food. Including at least two red and two white wine selections in economy class on Qatar Airways, both carriers offer a complementary beverage selection of juices, sodas, tea, coffee, beer, and wine. Cocktails are additionally included on Emirates flights, but champagne and cake are chargeable extras.Two meals, including one immediately before landing, are served on Qatar’s long-haul flights. Qatar is renowned for its emphasis on accommodating every conceivable diet, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, raw, low-sugar, low-calorie, and restrictions related to many kinds of religion.
Additionally, the airline provides meals for young passengers (kids and babies), which may include pre-packaged snacks for the young travelers onboard and pancakes, chicken, pasta, and other straightforward meals for older children. I’m curious if adults can order pancakes.Emirates serves meals on each flight that are culturally representative of the region and are inspired by regional cuisines and spices. For instance, minted lamb sausages with mashed potatoes and veggies might be served on a flight to Australia or New Zealand. On a Middle East flight, however, the main dish might be lamb brochette with Arabic flavors or chicken with caramelized plums.
On vibrant trays and in snack boxes designed exclusively for younger passengers, Emirates now provides meals tailored especially for children and babies.
The airline’s menu for passengers with dietary restrictions is extensive, mirroring Qatar’s selection. Again, this is a matter of opinion; while we personally have enjoyed the meals on Emirates in recent years, some people swear by the selections from Qatar. Which do you favor?
Regarding IFE, Emirates has the advantage.
For its industry-leading capabilities, Emirates’ entertainment system, ice, has earned a plethora of honors. Emirates’ entertainment is actually world-class, offering 3,500 channels of movies, TV, music, and games in addition to radio shows, podcasts, kids’ channels, live sports, and news. Additionally, the majority of the airline’s economy seats have convenient power outlets.
Oryx, the entertainment platform in Qatar, is likewise nothing to laugh at and offers kids’ programming along with Hollywood movies, music, games, and TV. Simply put, Qatar Airways’ list of options isn’t as varied as Emirates’ extensive selection.
On Emirates, WiFi costs between $9.99 and $19.99 depending on the length of the flight, and it costs between $2.99 and $5.99 for chat-only access for the entire flight. Having used it, I can say that Emirates’ WiFi is quite dependable and well worth the $10.When flying in economy, members of Emirates Skywards Gold get access to free messaging apps like WhatsApp or Messenger. You will have unrestricted free internet access in economy class if you are an Emirates Skywards Platinum traveler. Your Emirates Skywards membership number must be added to your reservation at least 24 hours prior to takeoff in order to gain access to this.
Select Qatar flights offer free WiFi in the economy.
You can communicate using a mobile device on Qatar budget flights thanks to Oryx One Communications. The majority of Qatari flights—though not all—also offer onboard WiFi for a charge. For just $8 in advance and $10 on board when you make a direct reservation with the airline, Qatar offers unrestricted WiFi. Members of the loyalty program Privilege Club additionally get one hour of free WiFi access.
The free WiFi provided by Qatar Airways is appealing. The issue with it is that it is presently only available on a few routes, although the number is growing. In the end, Emirates triumphs when it comes to entertainment. The airline’s persistent commitment to providing top-notch inflight entertainment options hasn’t been surpassed yet.
Should I book a flight on Qatar Economy or Emirates Economy?
It’s a challenging issue to respond to, and the solution strongly relies on experience. Although we might be biased because we frequently fly Emirates, many people believe Qatar feels more contemporary and cutting-edge. On paper, they are comparable, with Emirates having a larger fleet and more entertainment options while Qatar has more destinations and services.
