Emirates Coach vs. United Economy Plus?
Oct 7, 2012, 2:26 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: United 1P; Delta GM; SP Gold; AS MVPG; FPC Premier
Posts: 110
Emirates Coach vs. United Economy Plus?
I have a pretty long trip coming up. LAX-MAA. Company policy is to fly coach. I'm United Premier Gold--so I could book an Economy Plus exit seat at least as far as Frankfurt and then fly Lufthansa to MAA in regular coach. Or I could book standard coach on EK. I've actually never flown EK before. I've heard EK is one of the better coach experiences--would you trade that extra leg room and bonus mileage (for *A) for a standard EK coach seat?
Thanks in advance for the thoughts.
Thanks in advance for the thoughts.
Oct 7, 2012, 2:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: FRA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Exec Plat, MR Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 252
Emirates Coach vs. United Economy Plus?
Seat is better on Eco+. Avod may be better on emirates depending what kind of plane united is flying. Food slightly better on emirates. Free booze on emirates.
Oct 7, 2012, 5:13 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OSL
Programs: BA Gold | SK Gold | A3 Gold
Posts: 4,553
In economy, I would probably always choose an airline on which I have status over a marginally better Y product on an airline where I have no status. The difference in hard product won't be enormous, but service (depending on individual crew) could be much better.
Oct 7, 2012, 10:41 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve
Posts: 811
Is entertainment important to you? Some LH flights to India (9+ hours long) still don't have acceptable IFE. The same could be said of some EK flights, but those are only 3.5 or so hours.
On the other hand, 17 hours in Y is never pleasant, and you would be doing that twice between LAX and Dubai.
I would say go with *A, but if you see yourself flying this route again maybe try EK next time?
On the other hand, 17 hours in Y is never pleasant, and you would be doing that twice between LAX and Dubai.
I would say go with *A, but if you see yourself flying this route again maybe try EK next time?
Oct 8, 2012, 2:40 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sydney & London
Programs: UA Lifetime Exec Plat (2MM)
Posts: 744
UA has some of the worst flight attendants in the world and the food is very ordinary. Also, UA does not provide complimentary booze on flights across the Atlantic.
The seats on UA will be marginally wider, but that's it.
Oct 8, 2012, 2:54 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: TK Gold, M&M FTL, QR Gold, HH Diamond, PCR Platinum
Posts: 1,667
LH has an early morning departure from FRA to MAA, so you need to enforce a 23 hours layover 
I would go with EK on this one... Check if SQ has a good connection via SIN, their Y product should be very good too, and you earn *A miles.
I would go with EK on this one... Check if SQ has a good connection via SIN, their Y product should be very good too, and you earn *A miles.
Oct 8, 2012, 10:55 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: United 1P; Delta GM; SP Gold; AS MVPG; FPC Premier
Posts: 110
As someone who is elite on both airlines, I would say fly EK.
UA has some of the worst flight attendants in the world and the food is very ordinary. Also, UA does not provide complimentary booze on flights across the Atlantic.
The seats on UA will be marginally wider, but that's it.
UA has some of the worst flight attendants in the world and the food is very ordinary. Also, UA does not provide complimentary booze on flights across the Atlantic.
The seats on UA will be marginally wider, but that's it.
Oct 22, 2012, 8:55 am
#8
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 479
But the leg room on EK's 777 and 380 is not bad.
Personaly I would choose EK for the better service and better IFE.
Oct 23, 2012, 8:20 am
#9
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
Looks like you are Gold now and this trip might make you a Plat in United. So stick with United or some other *A airline. Yes it is true that, UA does not have free beer/wine in Y and their IFE is much worse as compared to EK, but food is surprisingly as good or sometimes better than EK.
Oct 24, 2012, 3:52 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: West Coast, USA
Programs: Skywards Platinum
Posts: 3,747
Nothing in EK Y, other than exit seats, will compare to the legroom of a Y+. EK Y is better than UA Y, UA Y+ is better than EK Y. EK IFE is better than just about anything else in the sky, but if your flight has UA IFE it is adequate.