Genius1

A few months ago I had the opportunity to travel on Emirates, an airline I wouldn't normally choose based on my affiliation to oneworld.

I reviewed four sectors (including lots of photos) in EK Business Class in my new (and now complete) trip report here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...80-w-pics.html

I consciously tried to avoid comparisons with BA (or indeed, other airlines) in the report, as I thought here would be the best place to document my thoughts on EK versus BA.

Seating
The EK A380 Business Class seat is excellent - particularly window seats. The seats afford much greater amounts of storage than the BA Club World seats, and offer about the same amount of length in flat bed mode. Whilst legroom in seat mode is more limited than CW, the EK seat is very comfortable. Aisle access for every seat is a massive bonus, and something that really lets the CW product down these days, IMO. EK's seats win here hands down.

The EK 777 Business Class seats are now dated. They feel quite narrow, are lacking in storage and have very limited privacy with the 2-3-2 configuration. Of course, the fact they are angled lie flat, rather than flat bed, is a major negative factor of these seats. BA's consistency of flat bed product across the longhaul fleet wins here.

Bar/Cabin Design
The EK A380 bar and overall interior design is not to my taste. I think the bar is a bit of a gimmick - underused and creates noise for those towards the rear of the aft Business Class cabin. I'm pleased that BA didn't feel the need to install anything as outlandish on their A380 fleet. BA's more muted, refined and subtle interior design wins here.

IFE
EK's ICE system on their A380 and B77W aircraft is very good, but not outstanding. It features a widescreen touchscreen with great picture quality and decent choice, a handheld wireless tablet to control the system and seat, and a traditional pull-out controller. Their older B777 aircraft feature a wired tablet and is a much less response system overall, with more limited choices. The two systems are broadly comparable to BA's Thales and Rockwell Collins systems respectively. EK just pip BA to this one, with the intuitive wireless tablet in their latest system clinching it for EK.

Cabin Crew
This is where EK really disappointed. On both of the A380 sectors, the crew operated at a glacial pace with the service, and overall were not nearly as organised, polished and friendly as the most average of BA crews. Service was haphazard at best. BA win outright.

Catering
EK's table service is far more elegant than BA's. Tablecloths over the actual table as well as the tray, a ramekin for the nuts, tray cleared for the dessert, proper salt/pepper cellars and overall more elegant chinaware and cutlery combine to make for a more refined dining experience. EK don't use trollies in J at all - a hand-run service is so much more professional. The actual catering was fairly comparable to CW, although presentation is better on EK IMO - nothing swimming in 'jus' for example on EK. The ability to view and download complete menus online before the flight is also a nice touch. EK win.

Amenities
The EK washrooms featured Bvlgari fragrances which was a nice touch, and the hot and cold towels were actually towel sized, rather than the rags dished out on BA. Where BA pips EK to the post, however, is the consistent availability of full amenity kits in CW, compared to the sporadic delivery of them on EK only on night flights. BA win - but only just.

Lounges
EK are mid-way through an expansive lounge refurbishment programme across their global locations, operating at a much faster pace than BA's similar refurbishment programme. The DXB Concourse A lounge in particular is very impressive, and simply no competition for the crowded Galleries Club lounges at LHR. Whilst the interior design of the lounges is not to my taste, EK win this one based on peace and quiet achieved in their lounges, alongside a greater catering selection.

In summary, I would have little hesitation flying with EK again, but they are not outstanding in the way they (and the broader public) perhaps think they are.

What are your thoughts on EK versus BA?

FlyerTalker6245

Thanks for the report, Genius1.

Certainly I really want to try EK, but with the current fares and Frequent Flyer programmes, I feel locked into BA.

I'm surprised by the service lapses, based on the public perception of EK.

That said, my last few flights outside of F operated by WW fleet on BA have been very average.

Land-of-Miles

Get the best of both worlds and fly a QR great product and TP's too. Broadly a better product all round, less shockingly awful cabin decor and even on the worst aircraft all flat seats in J from early next year (after all the slopeys have been removed from the A330). The QR A380 and 787 J product come closer to BA F than BA J (and in terms of quality of food and anytime dining, surpass it). I would assume that the new A350 product will be equally good. Even the 777 (which will be similar in the A330 going forward) is for me a far better product than CW.

Tobias-UK

After what is now 20 QR J sectors this last year I cannot even remotely accept that QR J is anything close to BA F.

JezQuiggley

EK 380 J is quite different from the 777 product but I digress.

For me:

Seat in EK is better

Food on BA is better (mostly)

Booze is better on EK.

Crew, well it depends

JezQuiggley

They are super professional but I find them cold and offish compared to BA.

I like the little touches with BA like when I ask for a congac with my coffee I get two or the offer of another dessert

where2travel

True, but I think it's also so far ahead of BA J that any comparison like this becomes a bit subjective. One person's view against another and is QR J closer to BA J or BA F etc? Anyway, it seems that there's more talk about QR standards being on the slide these days so it will be interesting to to see how things play out (not that BA haven't had their share of reduction in quality of various components of their product and service).

sts603

PJs, Mattress Topper, Dine on Demand, lounges that in many ways exceed the CCR, all-aisle access seats with lots of storage (on the A350, 787, and A380) and top quality wine/champagne - its easy to see how one can get confused between the two products

Tobias-UK

Not in the real world

Land-of-Miles

What aircraft were those sectors flown on? On the A380 and 787 I think the comparison with BA F is valid. It isn't as good a seat but is fairly close especially to a BA 744 F seat. The screen and IFE is far better on QR amd as others have been said the rest of the service, PJs, dine on demand etc. are much more like the BA F product.

I would accept that on the 777 and A330 the comparison isn't as valid apart from soft product. Heresy I know but I actually preferred the QR crews too.

sts603

Very much in the real world. I'll put it this way - if given the choice between BA F and QR J (if on the 380, 350, or 787), I would choose BA F but I wouldn't care much either way. If I needed to choose between BA J and QR J (on any aircraft except the 330 and even then, only if a night flight), I would go out of my way to choose QR J. Indeed, I just booked a trip to the Middle East on QR via DOH rather than BA non-stop.

QR has its faults (the fact the FAs race around the cabin as if we were on final approach the instant the plane starts descending from 40K feet being one of them - I was told in QR F recently that it wasn't safe to serve coffee - it was over 30K feet in the air) but QR J blows BA J out of the water. BA F beats QR J - sure, no question. But it doesn't blow QR J out of the water.

Tobias-UK

All daytime flights on the B787 bar 2 x A380 and 5 x B777 - I actually prefer the B777 seats, much more spacious than the B787/A380 seats which I find rather claustrophobic and a rather uncomfortable after a couple of hours.

Tobias-UK

I find this a far more reasonable assessment. I've not flown Club World for about 4 years (save for a few OF/NF sold as J to/from LAS) but I can see how that comparison could be reasonably made.

Land-of-Miles

duplicate

Land-of-Miles

I quite like the 777 seat too and prefer it to CW but I do think your dislike of the 787 and A380 seat is probably a minority personal preference. The A380 feels a bit tighter for space than the 787 but both feel infinitely more soacious than CW to me and pretty close to BA which is far from the most spacious F product in the sky and at heart is based on exactly the same Cirrus seat.