Last week we looked at how Emirates and Qantas compare for business class and first class, but of course not all business travellers get a seat at the front of the plane.
So today our focus shifts to the back of the bus and how the Emirates experience shapes up in the cheap seats.
Warning: watch out for EK's Boeing 777
Emirates' economy class is widely regarded as one of the best in the sky, with world-leading entertainment, new planes, excellent (for economy) food and relatively spacious seats.
But there's one caveat: Emirates jams in an extra seat in every row on its Boeing 777 planes.
This means that planes which have a standard 3-3-3 configuration on airlines like Virgin Australia and Cathay Pacific end up in 3-4-3 on Emirates.
This "economy minus" layout is one to avoid if you can, since the 777 seats are over an inch narrower than Emirates' A380 seats and the aisle is significantly less wide too.
(You'd have trouble wheeling a bag down the aisle, and Emirates economy travellers in aisle seats have the bruises on their shoulders and elbows to confirm that the crew have similar issues with the trolleys.)
Airbus A380
On board Emirates' A380, you'll find economy stretching all the way along the lower deck in a 3-4-3 layout. That's the same layout across as Qantas, but the first class cabin is upstairs so the nose downstairs is freed for economy.
Fortunately, since the big bus is set up with four distinct sections of cabin downstairs, the space doesn't feel as enormously massive as it might sound.
Emirates' A380s have a couple of inches of extra legroom compared with Qantas'.
The entertainment system, though, is the world-class ICE, with wide screens and power points for your electronics too.
Boeing 777
Despite the 777's narrower cabin, you'll still see a 3-4-3 layout, but with the smaller seats. There's unfortunately no real legroom tradeoff either.
Qantas doesn't fly these planes, but the closest comparator is the Boeing 747, which is wider than the 777 -- and it feels it. Frequent Qantas economy travellers pick the A380 for its wider seats, extra feeling of space and quieter cabin, and it's even more important to do so on Emirates if you can.
The 777 is one to avoid if you can, despite the excellent ICE entertainment system and power points.
Airbus A330/A340
Emirates' economy class on these planes sees older seats but a more spacious 2-4-2 layout, similar to Qantas' outfit on the A330 but with generally less advanced seats.
In terms of entertainment, the newer planes in the fleet have a more modern on-demand entertainment system, while the older planes in the fleet get a looped video with six channels.
It's tricky to figure out which type you'll be on, so bring a book or spare battery for your electronic devices.
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About John Walton
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
1 on 14/9/12 by liamg