Try to look at it from a more holistic position. Factor in the miles you would earn from this trip.
If your party is family then EY is the better option because you can have all the miles into 1 account (despite the massive devaluation) you'd still end up with about 20,000 which you could redeem with several airlines (including air berlin).
EK is the best option in terms of value/experience.

Having said that, have you looked at other airports? like departing Milan or Rome, fares vary greatly from country to country among the EU block, so if you don't mind a bit of side tracking check out other departure points. It might work out a bit cheaper buying separate tickets plus you'll get 2 trips for the same amount of dollars (one to a country in Europe, another to Thailand).