Which premium airline is worth spending your money on?
Emirates and Singapore Airlines are known for their high standards of service, with both airlines being ranked high among the top airlines in the world every year. But which airline is worth splurging on and has all the bells and whistles you want?
From frequent flyer rewards to baggage allowances, classes available and alcoholic beverages served, we compared every category of air travel so you can make an informed decision about which airline to fly with.
Emirates vs Singapore Airlines
| Feature | Emirates | Singapore Airlines | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it fly to? | 150+ destinations in these regions:
| 90+ destinations in these regions:
| Emirates flies to more destinations |
| What star rating is it? | 4-star | 5-star | Singapore Airlines has a higher star rating |
| What classes are available? | First class, business class and economy class | Suites, first class, business class, premium economy class and economy class | Singapore Airlines offers more class options |
| What is the baggage allowance? | Economy class allows one 7kg carry-on and two 23kg checked bags | Economy class is permitted one carry-on bag that weighs up to 7kg. One checked bag is allowed that weighs up to 30kg | Emirates allows more checked baggage |
| Where does it fly from in Australia? |
|
| Singapore Airlines flies to and from more destinations in Australia |
| What's the in-flight entertainment like? | Emirates offers 2,500+ options of movies, TV shows, music and games | Singapore Airlines offers 1,000+ movies, TV, music, games and apps | Emirates has more entertainment options |
| Can I make changes/cancellations? | Yes, on certain tickets, though fees apply | Yes, changes and cancellations can be made though fees apply. Not all tickets may be refunded but taxes will be | Both airlines offer changes and cancellations |
| What type of plane will I fly on? Do they have an A380? | Emirates only flies two types of planes:
| Singapore Airlines flies:
| Singapore Airlines flies more types of planes |
| Which frequent flyer programs is it with? | Skywards | KrisFlyer and The PPS Club | Both airlines offer frequent flyer programs but Singapore Airlines also offers a premium frequent flyer program |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | Yes, 20MB is free for the first two hours. More data can be purchased from US$9.99 for 150MB | Yes, Wi-Fi is available for purchase on select flights | Both airlines offer Wi-Fi but only Emirates has it as complimentary |
| 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 itinerary is found for $1 cheaper, Singapore Airlines will refund the difference | Both airlines offer price matching but Singapore Airlines has a lower price difference in order to qualify for a refund |
| Does it serve alcohol? | Yes, beers, wines, hot and cold drinks are served and are complimentary | Yes, wine, beer, spirits and cocktails are served and are included in the flight price | Both airlines offer complimentary drinks |
| Is there online chat? | Contact is available by email | Contact is available by phone and email | Neither airline offers online chat but Singapore Airlines has more contact options |
| Does it charge for infants? | Infants under two years are charged 10% of the adult fare when sitting on the adult's lap | Infants under two years are charged a percentage of the adult fare when sitting on an adult’s lap. One adult may travel with two infants | Both airlines offer discounted fees for adults travelling with infants |
| Does it fly pets? | Yes. Guide dogs are permitted in the main cabin. All other animals must travel as checked baggage or cargo depending on the route | Yes, guide dogs are allowed to accompany passengers in the cabin. All other animals must travel as checked baggage or cargo | Both airlines fly pets |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Emirates 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. | Both airlines offer multi-city fares |
| Any features to find the best price? | Emirates offers Featured Fares | Singapore Airlines offers Fare Deals | Both airlines offer the option to find discounted flights |
Who offers the best price?
We took two top airlines and compared flights from Sydney to Paris on the exact same days to see which airline came out on top as the cheapest.
The verdict?
Emirates won as the cheapest airline for this flight, coming in $227.60 cheaper than Singapore Airlines.
Emirates:
Singapore Airlines:
Is it a good airline to fly with?
We compared Emirates and Singapore Airlines’ star ratings and customer ratings to see which airlines people like best. Emirates is a 4-star airline while Singapore Airlines is a 5-star airline.
The verdict?
Singapore Airlines’ higher star rating seems to be for a good reason as it comes out with a higher rating of 8/10 as graded by customers, while Emirates has been given 6/10. Singapore Airlines has consistent 4-star ratings in all categories including food and beverages, inflight entertainment, seat comfort, staff service and value for money. Emirates rates between 3 and 4 stars in each category.
Singapore Airlines is also consistently voted the top or second best airline in the world by Skytrax.
What are the deals like?
We reviewed which airline’s website was easier to use to navigate to its deals page, and also found out which airline offers better deals.
The verdict?
For ease of use it’s a tie. Both airlines have very easy to navigate deals pages. But we have to give this round to Singapore Airlines which has slightly more expensive prices for deals but offers a much bigger selection of deals to destinations across the globe. Emirates was very limited in comparison.
| Europe flights from $1,319 return |
Deal expires |
Book for two people and save, valid for travel between 4 September - 30 November 2018 and 14 January - 31 March 2019. T&Cs apply. |
Last verified |
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| Dubai flights from $1,309 return |
Deal expires |
Book for two people and save, valid for travel between 4 September - 30 November 2018 and 14 January - 31 March 2019. T&Cs apply. |
Last verified |
| $10 for $125 toward Europe flights |
Deal expires |
Valid for travel on select dates and any destination in Europe with Qantas, Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Virgin, Qatar and Delta. T&Cs apply. |
Last verified |
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| $5 for $100 toward North, Central and South America flights |
Deal expires |
Valid for travel on select dates and any destination in North, Central or South America with Qantas, Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Virgin, Qatar and Delta. T&Cs apply. |
Last verified |
