This comparison has taken way too long to publish, but I hope you will find it helpful despite the wait!
Continue reading: Emirates Vs. Etihad Vs. Qatar – Who Has The Best Economy Class?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Saudia’s economy class has the best seats in my opinion. Their new B777s are in a 3-3-3 configuration and have excellent legroom.
The service may be hit and miss, as is always the case with Saudia, and the hubs are still not up to the standards of the ME3. But the hard product surly competes. It also won skytrax’s award for best economy seat.
Daniel, this is probably your best article on OMAAT. Well-done, and please keep this up. While I may be aspirational and collecting points, many of my family does not and always goes for economy. I’ll share this article with them.
One request: can you review Etihad’s 77Ws? They’re quite common for longhaul, e.g. to New York. And if and when you do, any kind of update to this article to make it comprehensive would be better.
I’m amazed that 3-4-3 on a 777 can be made reasonably comfortable with a little cleverness in the seat design. Kudos to Qatar for doing it thoughtfully.
Economy?
Who reads this blog and flies Economy?
Pointless series for a luxury miles and points travel blog.
Great article-- this is similar to my experience on the Gulf carriers. It would also be interesting to throw in Turkish airlines, which has an amazing soft product but often dated seating.
Great article. I'm flying LAX to Tokyo next year. Can you do a comparison between JAL, ANA, and Singapore economy seats?
@Varun
Think there are plenty of folks who can't constantly come up with the miles or cash required for premium class travel, and would prefer more frequent trips using Y class for the air portion. Daniel 's work on this series was his best to date in my opinion.
Agree with others who mention extending this series to other long haul carriers in Europe/Asia. Think most of us know the US3 economy experience.
one thing you forgot to compare, amenity kits, and at what length of flights they provide.
Yes, the article was useful. Most of the time we are in economy. Yes, please do more reports from in economy class in every airline and aircraft type!
I’ll echo everybody except Varun. Great post.
I’d also like to see a comparison of the Asian carriers
And would love more focus on South America as well (Avianca, Latam, etc) , which I think are largely forgotten on OMAAT
Hey Lucky: get Daniel to Rio, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Montevideo, Peru, Bogota, and Patagonia. (To start)
I would fly any of these airlines in a heartbeat. I want to fly Singapore Airlines though.
@varun, most people fly a mix of classes depending on travel need, urgency of travel, etc, what an ignorant comment on such a thoughtful and well approached article.
@Daniel I think this piece is great, from what I was seeing in each area that’s important to me, some of which you go through and some of whic you don’t, Qatar have the edge. I think it’s possible to add the experience for an elite traveller travelling economy, and alliance benefits etc, but then it just gets so complicated as you end up in very detailed things that are only relevant to certain status flyers, but as your aim was to look at the total non elite experience I think you did an excellent job.
This was great Daniel! I take the "fly more often" rather than "fly more comfortably" approach with miles, so I'm usually in the back. Loved the comprehensive reviews and insight; it brings a fresh perspective to OMAAT. Your conclusion that the ME3 aren't miles ahead of European carriers in econ is exactly what I wanted to hear.
I'm curious, are the adverts they play on the entertainment systems the same no matter what cabin you're in? There was a really annoying international mortgage company advertising on my last Qatar business flight and couldn't see this being if interest to the majority of economy flyers.
I'm also amused when people say the old Qatar 777 business seat is dated and to be avoided, I'd much rather that seat than the 787 or A350 one. A380 might win just due to having the on-board bar, but the 777 seat is so comfortable and unlike some, I don't mind other human beings .
Qatar's 787 seats are so much worse than their 777 seats. Some of my least favorite longhaul econ. Haven't flown econ on Etihad or Emirates, though flying first on Etihad I'll agree strongly with how bad AUH is.
I would like to see AA, UA and DL economy class compared next :)(preferably on their 777’s)
Nice post. I haven't flown coach in EY, but your observations of EK and QR pretty much match mine. Sadly, the 77W flies to DFW, and 15 hours in that torture chamber with bad service to boot means EK is off the list, even without the nightmare that is DXB.
You got this wrong and not caught by anyone
"The reason is that Emirates has over 100 A380s, and Qatar has only eight, meaning you’re over ten times less likely to fly a Qatar A380 than you are to fly an Emirates A380. "
Goes to show most ding dongs here are just looking at pictures.
Surprised on your etihad food choice. I would give 1st rank to emirates (if food is not ran out on 😛 ) and second to qatar.... etihad by far was very unreasonable and awkward on my ultra long flights from JFK to BAH roundtrip x 2.... only the CBP pre clearance facility is a ++ after such a long flight
@Varun
Without your precious CMB fares you'd probably be flying Y as well.
My girlfriend usually flies economy and even though I offered to pay for the difference, she would rather stay in coach on our little trip. Maybe I can convince her, but it's nice to know what I'm up against if I really had to fly in economy
Good comparison but non conclusive. For example, EK B777 and A370 have different seat designs so it is not fair to give conclusive comments for EK seat as such because the one you are travelling with is the newest design
@Varun, I fly over 130k miles a year all in economy (unless I score an upgrade) but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy reading OMAAT. I love to read how I COULD fly, but equally enjoy reading about how others view how I ACTUALLY fly.
If you’re not interested then don’t read the article you pretentious twat.
Daniel,
Thank you very much.
Your article is decidedly useful, clear and thorough.
While it cannot contain every contingency (which is what I really want), I am amazed at how thoroughly it covers the possibilities.
Very, very useful -- and for me that is what it is all about.
(My days of being amused by tales of the South African Airways executive zirconia upgrade lounge used in Chengdu are limited and declining.)
VARUN S. Many of us read this Blog, and Many of us fly Economy all the time !
Thank you Daniel !
GREAT article Daniel! Ive only flown with Emirates out of the 3 but I can say it was the best economy flight ive ever had!
Keep articles like these coming!
QR has modified their 777 and I think seats are now 31-32 inches. All new airplanes (which are the majority now: A350, B787) have really tight 31-32 inch seats. They are really tight, as tight as EY. So I wouldn't rank QR as best for tall people
@MeanMeosh Thank you! Ugh, it sucks they took the A380 off that route, especially since it used to have such light loads. Great from a passenger perspective!
@Lumma Yes, they're the same in all cabins. I find it crazy that pester premium cabin passengers with ads, but I guess the rest of the experience makes up for it!
@BigDaddyJ Thank you - I'm so glad to hear that. I hope I can try it in the coming 6 months or so. Keep an eye out!
@Varun - we all do it, mate. I suspect just about everyone who reads this flies a mixed bag of classes, and you'll probably find some who fly mostly economy. Its actually NICE to see an economy write-up for a change. We all love Ben's articles - however, most of us cant do what he does all the time. It is nice to see the areas inhabited by those of us who Turn Right get some love.
@Daniel - This is probably one of the best articles I've seen you write. Its concise, informative, fair, and well-reasoned. Reallly nice to see an economy write-up too, and I hope you'll do more of them.
What a stupid comment Varun Susarla. There are plenty of readers who have asked for exactly this type of review which is greatly appreciated. The snobbish behavior is really not needed
The real problems with flying through the middle east is that the flight times and long connections make it not desirable. Also, one of the three is part of an airline alliance and unless your allegiance is with OneWorld, it doesn't matter. If you have high status with Star Alliance or Skyteam then unless the ticket is so cheap you're not really looking to fly a middle east carrier.
Great piece Daniel! Feel free to ignore Varun's feedback (an entitled, snotty 1%er brat with a broken filter or two...)
Totally disagree about A380.
For economy flights, if you have a window seat, you cannot lean against the window to sleep ... which is the whole point of a window seat on a long-haul flight.
Horrible airplane for bottom of the bus travel.
Great article, the comparison is really helpful.
I do think the experience can vary a lot based on the plane you are on and the crew you get.
Maybe you can do an update in a year based on more flights on different planes?
A good read.
I do believe that if you flew Qatar A380 economy that would have beaten Emirates too on the seat score. Qatar's A380 economy experience in my opinion is better than their 777 one.
Economy, Varun Susala?
Approximately, 80% of all passengers on an average flight are using Economy.
Pointless criticism of Daniel’s comprehensive and useful appraisal from a pretentious prat.
Excellent review. I have flown economy on all these airlines from Cyprus to Asia over the last 15 years, sometimes 4 times a year, and agree your comments . Actually, I think the Emirates food used to be better and quality/range has fallen , perhaps cost cutting .
I now fly UK to BKK or HGK twice a year and would enjoy reviews of different economy flights on this route .
I have flown all of these as I am a Brit who has lived in Australia for 8 years, as I have VA Platinum status etihad is a good choice as I get the upgraded service / Lounge etc, however as I recently flew Qatar this was brilliant - great service and Doha is beautiful. The A380 from Sydney was awesome too.
Great article and comparison. Although not flying economy as often as I used to, great to know what the best options are
I am surprised that the key point with respect to IFE was not mentioned. In both emirates and qatar one can start accessing the IFE the moment one gets on board till the plan lands. On etihad, they dont switch it on till the seat belt signs are off after take off and then switch it off before starting to descend. This is a major irritation for people who are able to bear the coach class due to IFE.
The airport at abu dhabi must be several notches below the other two. its a mess of gigantic proportions. if one has a short transfer then god be with you.
Excellent review for us back of the bus peasants. I concur having done EK 777 BHX to Dubai and then 380 to/from Auckland via Melbourne or Brisbane. Since then they have added the possibility of all 380 BHX to AKL with just the plane change in Dubai and the Australia stops eliminated. Have a longer layover in Dubai on the return and you can 380 back to BHX, too. It’s the evening rotation. Your review would have been more interesting to more people had you shown non-vege food but appreciate that might be tricky when reviewing solo. I also have the Qatar option but layover in Doha is far too long, EK is only about 3 hours vs 12 or so.
Interesting article. This is probably the kind of review most people look for in a site like this. Not everyone flies every other day, but all of us want to avoid 15 hours in a narrow economy seat!
Great conclusion to a much-appreciated series!
It would also be interesting to compare some European carriers who try to compete with the ME3 on the Asian routes like SAS, KLM and (I suspect) the best of the bunch: Finnair. In general, I would personally welcome some more Europe focused reviews and news articles.
He's been bashed but I might as well have my turn.
@Varun you might be rich or have a great company travel policy, doesn't mean everyone else does! As others said, why didn't you just not read this, and many people don't comment so it's wrong to assume that everybody flies J and F.
Daniel, this is a fantastic and useful review. Kudos to you. While many of us aspire to fly J and F, the back of the 'bus is where I find myself most of the time. So, this is really relevant to me - as I am a firm favourite of the ME3 airlines.
Good job
I have flown Qatar and Emirates from Dallas to Mumbai/Hyderabad/Bengaluru - done coach as well as B classes .
Most uncomfortable was Qatar coach class on 787 from Doha to Mumbai.
Qatar Service in B class was the best. But their 777s are dated and lack of WiFi even today, is a disappointment and perhaps unacceptable. B Class seats are not truly lie flat, which was what I expected going by reviews.
Best of the lot Emirates A380 B class as well as Economy. I stopped flying Emirates after A380 was replaced by 777s from Dallas to Dubai.
Thank you Daniel - excellent article that captured all the relevant points!
very impressed with the qatar reports.i will be flying with them to europe via doha later this year and have ordered special meals.economy class and aadvantage miles to earn and some of the best planes i will be on a mix of a350 for adelaide to doha,a330-200 doha to budapest(was originally supposed to be on an a320 but they upgraded it due to it being a few days before christmas)777-300er munich to doha and again the a350 for doha to adelaide.from what i have read they are a great airline that i plan to talk my brother into flying if he has to do uk/europe trips again in the future.
I have not flown with Emirates, so I can only commend on the Etihad versus Qatar comments. Daniel, you are absolutely correct in saying how disappointing Etihad is.
During my seat selection, I was given a choice to upgrade to preferred seating. Silly me assumed this would be similar to a premium economy seat. I paid roughly an extra 100 Aus dollars for this privilege between Melbourne, Australia and Manchester,UK.
Nothing extra included, just a seat further up the plane. No priority boarding. Just a cramped, narrow seat with a person in the middle seat on both flights. That amounted to 24 hours of a very confined space with my neighbors legs and arms sneaking into my space.
Unlike Daniels experience, the food was utter rubbish.
Qatar wins this contest hands down in every aspect.
Very good review Daniel. I really appreciate the time you have taken to capture the photos and pen down a nice write up.
I love Doha airport and connecting one world points, love qatar staff. But their seats ...
I flown Qatar Airways and have flown Emirates many times. I was a flight attendant with Kuwait Airways back in 70s that gives me a slight edge to comment on food service and inflight service.
Well I definitely will recommend Qatar Airways by far. I had a wonderful flight from Tampa Florida to Bangkok Thailand.
@Varun as you see there is a huge majority lauding this Economy class article..maybe because it was a very welcome change as well as an accurate 'idea' since many of the OMAAT readers have flown economy/still fly economy/have family that fly economy..and in the future may (have to) fly economy class
After all it is not just about who serves the most expensive champagne but who handles logistics/well being/safety and communication best..for ALL human passengers
I loved the article as I FF mainly Emirates & Etihad economy with an occasíonal upgrade Europe to Asia vv so I know the infamous 777 seating all too wel..(A packed, older A380 can be almost as bad)
I recognized so much of my personal observations..!
Well I do not agree that Etihad is that good as its portrayed in the article. I recently travelled on April 20th,2019 from Hyderabad-AbuDhabi-LAX and i do not share the same opinion.
To start with the , the flights were outdated on both the legs and seats weren't great as talked about in the article. There were no amenity kits provided on either of the legs.The flight from AUH-LAX was 16 hours and no amenity kits...that's cheap...
The pillows were the regular cheap airline pillows...
The food is also cheap quality and really small portions... and it only comes with a meal, bread, butter and that's it no fruits,side salad etc. Etihad is no match to Qatar or Emirates..It's not even a competition... There wasn't even any extra food on-board for hungry kids.. I was asked to buy food and I had to do so as my kid wanted some more food.
I do agree that the airline staff is awesome .. but airlines and its policies suck.
I am flying to Australia from the UK on Qatar and have a 7 hour stop over at Doha airport. This has made me feel more at ease with flying on my own and great to know DOH has the best airport facilities. Thank you this has been a great help.
Wendy
stop bootlicking Qatar (which I adore btw) but Emirates is the best in Economy class.
I'm surprised Etihad is part of this conversation... I flew with them back in 2023, return from Singapore to Dublin, and I had an awful experience both ways. I've had better service from a budget airline (without exaggeration). Was double charged for flights, that I would still be waiting on a refund for if I didn't get my bank involved in, and was even forcibly pushed out of the way by a air steward as I was taking down my bags. The inflight experience was mediocre to say the least as well. I put it down to changes after covid as I had heard great things previously.
I am presently looking for flights at the moment, but Emirates (my favourite airline to date) is just over priced at the moment so Qatar my be the way to go. That said Etihad is several hundreds of euros cheaper... so do I risk it?