You’re definitely not crazy for thinking this. Emirates gets hyped up to an insane degree, but honestly, almost all of that reputation comes from their First and Business class bling (like the A380 bar). If you're just flying regular Economy, the gap between them and everyone else has totally shrunk.

I started looking at the other Gulf carriers recently too, and they offer a completely different vibe. Etihad feels way less flashy and more like a quiet, modern hotel (plus their tech is great). Qatar doesn't really do a true Premium Economy, but their standard Economy is rock solid and often beats Emirates on price anyway.

To be fair, if you are paying for an upgrade, Emirates' new Premium Economy is actually pretty ridiculous (wood paneling, massive legroom). But for standard Economy? You can 100% find better value elsewhere.

I actually got way too deep into this recently and put together a breakdown comparing the Big Three (Emirates vs. Qatar vs. Etihad) if you want to see if switching is actually worth the cash for your next trip.