The economies of the two Middle Eastern colossi compete.
Famous Gulf airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways have routinely been ranked among the finest in the business for service, comfort, and food. Their excellent product reputations extend to economy-class travel. But during the past few years, a few points of distinction between Emirates and Qatar have surfaced. So now is a good opportunity to review the economy class options offered by both airlines.
System and fleet
Emirates and Qatar Airways are practically at pre-pandemic frequencies on all of their routes now that COVID is no longer a network issue. While the airline located in Doha flies to more than 160 destinations in 90 airports, the airline based in Dubai flies to 130 locations across 70 countries. Qatar has surpassed other countries in recent years in terms of the cities it serves, largely as a result of its emphasis on Africa and the Middle East.Emirates maintains its streamlined fleet arrangement of just two models: the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777.
This enables a consistent product experience regardless of the route served throughout all cabins, notably economy. In contrast, Qatar’s fleet is much more varied, including the Boeing 787 and 777, as well as the Airbus A380, A350, A320, and A330. There are many options when it comes to which plane serves every route because the 737 MAX will begin flying in the coming days.
When it comes to checked baggage, Qatar has the advantage.
A ticket purchased in economy class will not grant you entry to the lounge at your departing airport unless you have elite status with either airline. Emirates Skywards Blue members can, however, pay to enter some Emirates lounges in Dubai. Similar to this, if flying economy class with Qatar Airways, you can purchase entrance to the airline’s lounge in Doha.
The regulations for checked baggage do vary depending on your destination and frequent flyer level, 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 which fare category you are in, Emirates may be a little more complicated. The weight limits for free checked bags in economy class range from 20 kg for economy special fares to 35 kg for economy flex plus fares. For the sake of simplicity, we prefer Qatar Airways. Additionally, their 30 kg allotment is rather substantial.
whose sitting is the best?
Next, let’s look at comfort, which is a top priority when it comes to economy seating. Although a seat on an Emirates 777 may not be any smaller than a seat on an A380, the cabin is smaller on the Emirates 777, which can make you feel more cramped. Configurations will vary slightly across different aircraft types. When traveling in economy class, the size of the aircraft does matter, if only for spatial reasons.
Emirates economy class seats typically measure 17.91 inches wide and 32 inches in pitch. The typical economy class seat on Qatar Airways has a 32-inch pitch. Seats on Qatar Airways are marginally broader (18.17 inches), however the difference is hardly perceptible.Qatar and Emirates have nearly identical economy seat sizes, with Qatar having a very slight advantage in seat breadth. Although some frequent travelers swear by Emirates’ legroom or Qatar’s headrest, these features depend on where you’re sitting in the plane and the specific age of the plane, so it’s difficult to determine which one wins out in this comparison.
It is crucial to keep in mind that due to Qatar’s fleet, short- or medium-haul flights may involve the 787 or A320. This will have a significant impact on the trip, and the airline has a history of equipment swaps, so you might end up stuck in a smaller aircraft than you had planned.
Although the two are nearly equal on long-distance journeys, we would choose Emirates for simplicity.
Fantastic in-flight service is offered by both carriers.
The “better” service between Qatar and Emirates economy is difficult to determine because it will likely depend on the individual’s past experiences as well as the specific crew on duty at the time.However, what qualifies as good service is highly individualized. Additionally, a lot relies on the crew you chose. We’ve all traveled on subpar airlines that made a wonderful first impression thanks to an excellent cabin crew. We’ve all also taken a fantastic airline and been severely let down by a shoddy cabin crew.Service on Qatar Airways and Emirates is typically consistently excellent. Our personal opinion is that Qatar does a better job of personalizing service than Emirates, where it can occasionally feel a little hurried and impersonal. But that is a personal opinion that differs depending on the flight. If you disagree, feel free to leave a remark at the end.
The top meals and beverages in economy class?
Both Emirates and Qatar are widely known for their delicious, fresh food. Juices, sodas, tea, coffee, beer, and wine are all available as complementary beverages on both carriers; Qatar Airways offers at least two red and two white wine selections in economy class. Cocktails are also provided on Emirates flights, and champagne and cake can be purchased extra.Two meals are served on Qatar’s long-haul flights, one of which is served soon before landing. Qatar is renowned for its emphasis on accommodating every conceivable diet, including those that are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, raw, low-sugar, low-calorie, and those that adhere to different types of religious stipulations.
The airline also provides meals for young passengers, including infants and children. For the youngest travelers onboard, these meals may comprise pre-packaged snacks, while for older children they may contain pancakes, chicken, pasta, and other straightforward fare. Do adults have the option to order pancakes?Every meal provided on an Emirates flight is influenced by regional cuisines and spices and reflects the local culture. For instance, mashed potatoes and vegetables with minted lamb sausages might be served on a flight to Australia or New Zealand. On a Middle East flight, however, the main dish may be chicken with caramelized plums or lamb brochette with Arabic spices.
Additionally, Emirates offers baby and children’s meals on cheerful trays and snack boxes designed exclusively for younger passengers.
In line with Qatar’s offerings, the airline offers a wide variety of meals for passengers with dietary restrictions. Again, this is subjective; while we have recently enjoyed the lunches on Emirates, many people swear by the selections from Qatar. Which do you like best?
When it comes to IFE, Emirates has the upper hand.
For its best-in-class features, Emirates’ entertainment system, ice, has received several honors, and with good cause. Emirates offers top-notch entertainment with 3,500 channels of movies, TV, music, and games in addition to podcasts, radio shows, kids’ channels, live sports, and news. The majority of economy seats on the airline with its base in Dubai have convenient power outlets.
Oryx, Qatar’s entertainment platform, is likewise nothing to laugh at and offers kids’ selections as well as Hollywood films, music, games, and TV. In comparison to Emirates’ extensive selection, Qatar Airways’ list of options simply doesn’t offer as much diversity.
Depending on the duration of the flight, Emirates offers economy-class WiFi for $9.99 to $19.99, and chat-only service is available for $2.99 to $5.99 for the entire voyage. In my experience, using Emirates’ WiFi to complete tasks is very stable and well worth the $10.When flying in economy, Emirates Skywards Gold members receive free access to messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger. If you are an Emirates Skywards Platinum member, you can use the internet in economy class for free and without limits. You must add your Emirates Skywards membership number to your reservation at least 24 hours before takeoff in order to access this.
In-flight WiFi is free on some Qatar flights.
While in flight, you can use a mobile device to communicate with others using Oryx One Communications on Qatar budget flights. Most Qatari airlines offer onboard WiFi for a charge, though not all do. Qatar provides unlimited WiFi for just $8 in advance and $10 on board when you make a direct reservation with the airline. Members of the loyalty program Privilege Club also have access to free WiFi for one hour.
The free WiFi offer from Qatar Airways is alluring. Its issue is that it is now quite limited and only on a few routes, albeit the number is growing. In the end, Emirates triumphs in the entertainment department. The airline has never been surpassed in its ongoing commitment to providing top-notch inflight entertainment alternatives.
Should I choose Qatar Economy or Emirates Economy for my flight?
It’s a challenging question, because the response is highly influenced by experience. We could be biased because we frequently fly Emirates, but many people believe Qatar feels more cutting-edge and modern. On paper, they are comparable, with Emirates having a larger fleet and offering more entertainment, while Qatar offers more services and more destinations.
