How?
Of most other major transatlantic airlines (AF, BA, LH, LX, and VS to name a few) EI is the most "cheap" and therefore the least "premium." If I'm not mistaken they've been aggressively marketing themselves as a discount alternative to other transatlantic carriers with relatively fewer frills and an ugly cabin design, all in the name of low prices. Not even BA, who's already been cutting back on frills for some time, would match how low EI has gone in the name of profits at the expense of quality. If I ever fly to Europe, I would NEVER fly on EI even if their fares were within my reach. To make matters worse, they're not even a member of any airline alliance. I'd rather pay extra to get better product and service on another airline.