For the first time since 2008, LOT Polish Airlines has posted a net profit for the full year 2013 of PLN 26 million (US$8.6 million), with an operating loss of PLN 4 million ($1.3 million). The airline called the results a “surprise” and has credited the better-than-expected results to reduced costs via its restructuring plan, which included a reduction in admin costs, employee costs, ticket distribution as well as more efficient network, but the real game changer was what LOT refers to as the Dreamliner effect. The deployment of the 787 on transatlantic flights has helped the airline to attract passengers eager to travel on the new aircraft. LOT gained as much as PLN 95 million ($31.4 million) due to the 787 effect.
LOT was required to reduce its carrying capacity under compensatory measures imposed by the European Commission but the airline still carried more than 4.6 million passengers. LOT increased the number of its premium economy passengers by 80% in 2013.
A huge success is also the Premium Club, an intermediate standard between the business and economy class. Thanks to the Dreamliner, the number of the business and premium class passengers in 2013 increased by more than 80 % compared to 2012.