New York to London, Without Anti-Terror Delays

Aug. 20, 2006 — -- The two new, all-business class airlines flying across the Atlantic to London offer different kinds of service, but have one thing in common: Since Britain's terror alert created chaos at London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, business has been booming.

Eos and MAXjet have been flying since late last year from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport to Stansted, about 40 miles outside of central London. In April, MAXjet began service from Washington's Dulles Airport.

Watch Bob Jamieson's report tonight on "World News."

Since this month's chaos at Heathrow, marked by long delays, a massive number of cancelled flights, stranded passengers and lost luggage as security screening virtually collapsed, both Eos and MAXjet report that bookings are up by more than 30 percent.

They operate the only long-haul flights from Stansted, known mostly for being the home base of discount European carriers. Thus, lines are almost nonexistent for the MAXjet and Eos flights, even though their passengers have the same new security restrictions as those at every other airport.

Both airlines report only minor delays during the last 10 days. Eos says delays at both JFK and Stansted have averaged less than 14 minutes. Both it and MAXjet say they did not cancel a single flight or lose a single bag.

Business for the two airlines has grown steadily over the past three months as travelers in the United States have found this a summer of discontent -- long security delays, flight delays, packed airplanes and ticket prices 10 percent higher than a year ago, the biggest increase in a decade. All of this is set against a backdrop of what frequent travelers say is a steady deterioration of service.

"That is part of the story for the success that Eos has enjoyed," says David Spurlock, the airline's founder and now it's chief strategic officer.

Both he and Gary Rogliano, CEO of MAXjet say the steady growth is the result of good service at a low price.

MAXjet operates wide-body Boeing 767s, which usually carry more than 220 passengers, with just 102 seats. Each seat has a 60-inch "pitch," or space for legroom, twice that in United and British Airways economy class. The seats recline about 160 degrees.