One "intangible" - or THE intangible - asset when flying EI is the total lack of stress, compared to FR.
Strange the different opinions and experiences we all have. I am the complete opposite. I have flown hundreds of flights with FR and never have any stress whatsoever. I know that 99.9% of my flights will take off and arrive either on time or ahead of schedule and I comply with the rules which are laid out when you book and in several subsequent emails before you fly so there is no excuse. For example, (whether or not you agree with the principle - I don't like the compulsory element myself) for people to arrive at the airport and claim they didn't know they had to print their own boarding pass is unbelievable. It is spelt out from the word go.
I have to admit that I don't use EI all that often these days but with EI you always have the stress of not knowing that, come the day, some part of the organisation will be threatening industrial action and you fear the flight may not take off at all (although, in fairness, that issue seems to have been put to bed for the moment, touch wood and all that). Then you have the punctuality issue. Every flight I
have done with EI over the past couple of years has been late, sometimes very late and the lack of any sense of urgency on the part of the crew to make up lost time is maddening. Maybe I'm just unlucky but that is my EI experience and I just can't afford to have this element of doubt when I travel.