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Picking which airline to fly with can be hard with so many choices. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you and found which airline is the best for you to fly with.
We compare Emirates and Qatar in categories such as inflight entertainment, fares, travel with pets, Wi-Fi and more, so there are no secrets as to which airline is the best all-round for your needs.
| Feature | Emirates | Qatar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it fly to? | 150+ destinations in these regions:
| 150+ destinations in these regions:
| Both airlines offer flights to destinations in the same regions. |
| What star rating does it have? | 4-star | 5-star | Qatar has a higher star rating. |
| What classes are available? | First class, business class and economy class. | First class, business class, economy class and Qsuite, a new type of business first class. | Qatar offers more class options. |
| What is the baggage allowance? | Economy class allows one 7kg carry-on and two 23kg checked bags. | Economy class is allowed one piece of carry-on baggage not exceeding 7kg and one 30kg checked bag. | Emirates offers more checked baggage for economy customers. |
| Where does it fly from in Australia? |
|
| Qatar flies to more destinations in Australia. |
| What's the in-flight entertainment like? | Emirates offers 2,500+ options for movies, TV shows, music and games. | Qatar’s Oryx One entertainment program offers movies, audio, TV and games. | Both have a significant amount of entertainment. |
| Can I make changes or cancellations? | Yes, on certain tickets, though fees apply. | Yes, certain flights can be cancelled or changed for a fees. | Both airlines offer cancellations and changes on tickets. |
| What type of plane will I fly on? | Emirates only flies two types of planes:
| Qatar flies the following planes:
| Qatar flies more types of planes. |
| Which frequent flyer programs is it with? | Skywards | Privilege Club | Emirates Skywards program offers more ways to redeem your points. |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | Yes, 20MB is free for the first two hours. More data can be purchased for US$9.99 for 150MB. | Wi-Fi is available for purchase on select flights. Prices are only on the aircraft. | Emirates offers Wi-Fi on all aircrafts and is free for the first two hours. |
| Can I price match? | Yes. If the same flight on another site is US$20+ cheaper, Emirates will refund the difference. | Yes. If the same flight is cheaper on another site within an hour of booking, then Qatar will refund the difference. | Both airlines offer price matching, however Qatar will match any lower price. |
| Does it serve alcohol? | Yes. | Yes. | Both airlines serve alcohol. |
| Is there online chat? | Contact is available by email. | Contact is available by email or mail. | Neither airline offers online chat. |
| Does it charge for infants? | Infants under two years are charged 10% of the adult fare when sitting on an adult's lap. | If a child is under two, an infant fare (typically 10% of an adult fare if sitting on an adult’s lap) is charged. A child fare is charged if they are sitting in their own seat. | Both airlines offer the same discounted price for infants. |
| Does it fly pets? | Yes. Guide dogs are permitted in the main cabin. All other animals must travel as checked baggage or cargo. | Yes, service dogs are permitted in the cabin free of charge. All other animals must travel as checked baggage or cargo. | Both airlines offer to fly pets with the same restrictions. |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Qatar offers more payment options. |
| Can I book round-the-world fares? | Yes, up to six stopovers can be made. | Yes. | Both airlines offer round-the-world fares. |
| Can I book multi-city fares? | Yes. | Yes, up to six flights can be booked together. | Both airlines offer multi-city fares. |
| Any features to find the best price? | Emirates offers featured fares. | Qatar has a section online to find flight deals called offers . | Both airlines offer flight deals. |
We compared flights leaving from Melbourne to London Heathrow airport on the exact same days to find out which airline came out the cheapest.
The verdict?
Qatar came out on top in this round with a lower round-trip price, beating the price from Emirates by $92.
Emirates:
Qatar:
We took a look at Skytrax to see which airline rated better. Qatar was awarded five stars while Emirates was awarded four stars. Qatar has also been voted the world's best airline numerous times.
The verdict?
There’s no comparison here, Qatar clearly wins this round with a high rating of 8/10 and 4-star ratings in all categories such as food and beverages, inflight entertainment, seat comfort, staff service and value for money.
Emirates was rated 6/10 stars and pulls through with 4-star ratings in inflight entertainment, seat comfort and value for money but has only 3-stars for the remaining categories.
Both Emirates and Qatar offer fare deals that can help you find a cheaper price.
The verdict?
When comparing both, Qatar comes out way ahead of Emirates for ease of use and deals available. When searching on Emirates, flight deals weren’t even being shown for flights from Sydney or Melbourne. Qatar, on the other hand, had flight deals from each destination in Australia the airline flies from.
Free Dubai attraction passes on flight bookings
Worldwide flights from $1,779 return
Up to 12% off flights with code
Up to 10% off flights with code
Up to 10% off your next flight with code
Up to 45% off flights for students
Up to 20% off excess baggage fees
After flying Virgin and Qantas with a toddler the answer is clear: Qantas wins, hands down.
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