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Eos Marks First Anniversary, Travelers Take Notice As an Airline Succeeds By Emphasizing End-to-End Service

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 09:00 CDT

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- In a launch closely watched by the airline industry, Eos Airlines began offering innovative premium-class only service tailored to trans-Atlantic business travelers on October 18th, 2005. Defying conventional industry wisdom -- the new airline staked its future on the belief that business and luxury-oriented travelers were calling for improved service, rather than simply discounted fare structures. One year later, the results are in, and Eos is emerging as a remarkable success story. Eos' unrivaled emphasis on "curb to curb" personal service and its ability to diminish the typical airport delays in check-in and security resonated with an audience of business executives increasingly frustrated by hassles in and discomfort of international air travel.

Pioneering a New Category Across the Atlantic

The airline has pioneered a new category -- not simply the "all business class," category that includes recent start-ups still focused largely on discounted pricing, but a category devoted to personal service. Eos, with only 48 flat-bed suites on a plane originally designed for 220 passengers, consistently hears from its guests that it is "superior to even the best of first class on other carriers" and "reminiscent of the Concorde" or "more like a large private jet", even as the Eos experience is offered at business class prices.

"We're a new breed of airline that gives business and luxury travelers what they want most -- comfort, space, speed and responsiveness," said Eos Chairman and CEO Dave Pottruck. "We've looked to five-star hotels for insights in training many of our staff and we treat our passengers as guests," Pottruck continued. "It is our belief that those travelers who have a heavy workload across the ocean must arrive refreshed and revived. With six flight attendants serving a maximum of 48 guests, and with fully horizontal flat beds, exceptional food and in-flight entertainment, ease of boarding and deplaning, and a consuming passion for service at the core of our existence, this is an airline experience like no other."

Accelerating Indications of Success

There are many recent indicators of success for the airline. In September, Eos launched a new schedule featuring a second daily flight in each direction on the New York to London route. September also set sales records for the airline, with the greatest number of monthly bookings in Eos' one-year history. Gross bookings in September increased 65% versus the trailing three- month average. Even with seating capacity virtually doubled - the airline maintained load factors of 66% for the month. Forward bookings for October and November are also at unprecedented levels, up 56% versus last 90 days. Eos also continues to provide the best on-time performance among all airlines on the New York to London route.*

Perhaps most importantly, the "intent to recommend," among Eos guests, one of the most telling customer satisfaction metrics, has consistently scored at nearly 90%. This "Net Promoter" score, as author Fred Reichheld has labeled it in his new business bestseller, The Ultimate Question, places Eos at the very top of a range of "best-of-class" companies across multiple industries. Customer survey data has also demonstrated deep appreciation for Eos staff and service levels, with flight attendants earning a 97% approval rate.

Another worthwhile indicator of success occurred in the area of philanthropy, as Eos helped raise more than $1 million for charitable organizations in the UK and U.S. during the airline's first year of operations. Eos even earned an international design award for its patented lie-flat suites. The award, the Red Dot, has been previously earned by market leaders such as Porsche, Apple Computer, and TAG Heuer.

Looking to the Future

"We're very gratified by the response and deeply appreciative of our guests and the dedication of our employees," Pottruck added. "We are grateful for the support we have received from the New York and London communities this past year. But, we take nothing for granted. There is still a lot of work ahead -- we'll continue to listen to what our guests and our front line staff tell us and innovate based on our customers needs."

Dave Spurlock, Eos Founder and Chief Strategic Officer, commented, "We are actively pursuing new routes and city pairs, and we plan to introduce continued refinements to our fleet.""We're pleased to have come this far in just a year," Spurlock continued, "but we will strive for additional improvements. We will continue to develop an airline deserving of our customers' business and their respect."

About Eos Airlines

Eos is an all premium-class airline dedicated to serving the needs of international business and leisure travelers. With a highly personalized level of service, Eos utilizes specially configured Boeing 757's featuring only 48 seats, each of which is a 6' 6" lie-flat bed "suite" offering 21 square feet of space and guaranteed aisle access for each guest. Eos offers twice daily service from New York and London, including a curbside escort service through "fast-track" check-in. Eos provides the perfect antidote to today's travel challenges by offering the ultimate in space, comfort, service and convenience. For more information, visit eosairlines.com or call 800.598.2169.

* Source: FlightOnTime.Info, based on published UK Civil Aviation Authority data.

Eos Airlines

CONTACT: Burns Patterson, bpatterson@mg-pr.com, +1-212-980-9193, orMelissa Pogue, mpogue@mg-pr.com, +1-212-284-9937, both of Middleton & Gendron,Inc. for Eos Airlines

Web site: http://www.eosairlines.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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