The security tensions and the threats from Iran this week led to the cancellation of flights by foreign airlines, precisely on the busy days leading up to Passover. Passengers whose flight was canceled and wanted to change it, or who were stuck abroad, and were looking for an alternative – discovered that often the main option available to them is a flight with El Al, and that the prices of flights with the company have soared.
According to passengers, the price of a one-way ticket from Paris or London to Israel can reach $1,500. From New York, the ticket price can reach $5,000 in business.
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The flight schedule showing canceled or delayed flights in Israel, yesterday Photo: Bloomberg/Kobi Wolf
The flight schedule showing canceled or delayed flights in Israel, yesterday Photo: Bloomberg/Kobi Wolf
This is due to a low supply of available seats. Due to the instability of flights to and from Israel among the foreign companies, passengers are looking for certain alternatives, and there are almost no seats left on the flights of the Israeli companies. On most flights on Israeli companies, led by El Al, the occupancy rates are extreme, sometimes up to 99%, and the last remaining seats are in premium and business classes.
“I was supposed to return with my partner from Paris on Sunday, but my flight was canceled. I tried to book an alternative flight through El Al, because I knew they were still flying, but the price for both of us was almost $3,000. It’s a hallucination,” says Dina from Givatayim.
On the X network (formerly Twitter), a tweeter named South Dakota published a screenshot according to which a round trip flight from Berlin for two adults and a toddler was priced at 5,519 euros. “EasyJet canceled our flight to Eretz for Passover,” she wrote. “I checked with Al about a price for an alternative flight… it’s slaughter and pigs.”
EasyJet canceled our flight to Eretz for Passover. I checked with Elel a price for an alternative flight. Well.
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In Al Al they tried to provide a certain solution to the passengers whose flights were canceled, but it seems that it is not satisfactory. The need for everything arose after EasyJet, for example, canceled its flights to Israel until October, and other companies, including Swiss, Blue Bird, Air France, United Airlines and Air India, canceled some of the flights to Israel.
El Al stated at the beginning of the week that in order to allow passengers whose flights to Israel on foreign airlines were canceled to return to Israel, it will offer convenient and fixed prices for a one-way tourist class flight to Israel. For example, tickets were issued for $217 for a flight from Athens, $361 for a flight from Paris, and $412 for a flight from London (the excess) and $795 from New York.
These are reasonable prices for this period, but a check today (Tuesday) on the El Al website revealed that they are offered for individual tickets, which sell out quickly. For example, a flight to Israel from Paris tomorrow will cost $337 per ticket, but there is one last seat left that is offered at that price. The next price offered is $1,531 in business class – so if spouses or family members want to fly together, only one can get the attractive price.
Even on the flight that leaves for London, there is one ticket left in tourist class that is offered for $251, and the rest will have to fly at a price starting from $939 in business class.
Bel Al explains that the company is trying to increase the flights, but the cancellations of the flights by the foreign companies left the company with almost no supply. In addition, the company says, it is difficult for Al to add flights to the flight schedule, due to the limited number of planes and pilots, partly due to pilots in reserve service.