Lufthansa vs Emirates

Overview

Lufthansa is Germany's largest airline and the flagship carrier of Lufthansa Group. According to Wikipedia, it traces its history to Deutsche Luft Hansa, founded on 6 January 1926, and was re-established in 1953. It is headquartered in Cologne, operates hubs at Frankfurt and Munich, and is a founding member of Star Alliance. Its frequent-flyer programme is Miles & More. The airline is still operating passenger services in 2026, its centenary year.

Network and hubs

Frankfurt and Munich are the main hubs. For summer 2026, Aviation Outlook reports that Lufthansa Group offers more than 14,000 weekly connections to 330 destinations in around 100 countries. That figure covers the whole group, not only the Lufthansa brand, and the same source describes a shift away from loss-making short-haul feeder flying towards long-haul growth. Lufthansa has also taken a stake in ITA Airways, with an option to acquire the remainder later.

Fleet

Wikipedia lists a mainline fleet of 274 aircraft and 229 destinations (retrieved September 2026; some infobox data may lag). Lufthansa Group as a whole had 737 aircraft at the end of 2025, with 219 more on order, according to Aviation Outlook. The long-haul fleet includes Airbus A350-900s, and Wikipedia also covers A340-600s, A380s and Boeing 747-8s, some of which are being refitted.

On board

• Cabins: Economy, Premium Economy, Business and, on selected aircraft, First Class.
• Premium Economy: introduced in 2014, with a seat pitch of about 38 inches, according to Wikipedia.
• Allegris: the airline's newer long-haul cabin product, which is being introduced across the long-haul fleet. Availability varies by aircraft.
• Meal, entertainment and Wi-Fi details vary by route and cabin. Check the airline's website before booking.

Good to know

• Baggage: a third-party guide (2025) says Economy and Premium Economy include one 8 kg cabin bag (55x40x23 cm). Economy Light includes no checked bag, while Economy Flex includes two 23 kg bags. Business and First include two cabin bags. Rules change, so confirm on lufthansa.com.
• Lounges: Lufthansa operates lounges at Frankfurt and Munich, including First Class lounges and a First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
• Loyalty: Miles & More has Frequent Traveller (Star Alliance Silver), Senator and HON Circle (both Star Alliance Gold) levels, with lounge access at the higher tiers.

Overview

Emirates is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, alongside Etihad. It was founded on 15 March 1985 and began flying on 25 October 1985. It is headquartered in Al Garhoud, Dubai, and is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the government of Dubai through the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates is not a member of a major alliance. Its frequent-flyer programme is Emirates Skywards.

Network and hubs

All operations are based at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, which is the only hub. Wikipedia describes Emirates as the world's largest long-haul airline, serving more than 150 cities in about 80 countries across six continents. The infobox lists 148 destinations, so the exact figure varies by date.

Fleet

As of June 2026, Wikipedia lists 266 passenger aircraft and 24 cargo aircraft operated by Emirates SkyCargo. The passenger fleet is all wide-body and includes:

• 116 Airbus A380s (the world's largest operator)
• 127 Boeing 777s (117 777-300ERs and 10 777-200LRs)
• 23 Airbus A350-900s

Per Air Data News, 94 of the A380s were active at the time of that report. President Tim Clark said the active number should reach about 110 by the end of 2026, alongside a US$6 billion cabin retrofit programme.

On board

Emirates offers Economy, Business and, on selected aircraft, First and Premium Economy. Economy seat pitch is 31–32 inches on Airbus aircraft and 34 inches on Boeing aircraft. Premium Economy seats offer up to 40 inches of pitch and a 13.3-inch screen. Business class on the A380 has fully flat beds, and Business passengers can use the on-board bar at the rear. Entertainment is provided by the ICE system. Only some aircraft have Premium Economy so far: 24 A380s had it when the article was written, and a retrofit programme is extending it to older A380s and 777s. Check the aircraft type when booking.

Good to know

• Baggage allowances, change fees and meal details depend on fare and route. Check them on emirates.com before booking.
• Emirates Skywards is the loyalty programme.
• Lounge access depends on cabin and status. This profile does not list lounge details.
• No published on-time performance figure was found for this profile.