Encounter with El Al CEO
#1
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Join Date: May 2006
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Encounter with El Al CEO
I fly El Al quite often and although I am an American I've developed some Israeli Chutzpah.
I was waiting in the F lounge for my flight from JFK-TLV when in pranced El Al CEO, Eliezer Shkedi. He was accompanied by several El Al employees and walked around the (very small) room introducing himself to the 5 or 6 passengers who were there. One of the few great perks of F is being escorted as a group through security and to the plane a few minutes before boarding. Shkedy joined the group and I hung onto him, sensing a great opportunity.
As we walked the long corridor toward the plane, I saw an SQ A380 in the distance and asked him "Why doesn't El Al get one of those?". It took him a couple of seconds to realize what I was talking about but he recovered quickly and smiled "You do know that those aren't safe". I then asked him about a 787 or 747-800 and he either played dumb or had no clue what I was talking about. Maybe both
Shkedi was seated in Business (no idea why as there were several open seats in F) but came up to the F Cabin a few times to converse with the passengers. Most of the passengers ignored him but I had a great conversation with him. I applauded the fantastic F service and meal and then told him my honest feeling about the El Al F Seat. His reply was even better; "Nobody else has First Class seats like this from New York to Tel Aviv". When I reminded him that Delta and Continental don't have F and that their Business seats are even better he just smiled again and told me that El Al was the best in the industry.
All in all, seemed like an extremely nice guy with little or no clue about the airline business. Here's to hoping that he is just a figurehead (and maybe a backup pliot) and that there is someone else running the show
I was waiting in the F lounge for my flight from JFK-TLV when in pranced El Al CEO, Eliezer Shkedi. He was accompanied by several El Al employees and walked around the (very small) room introducing himself to the 5 or 6 passengers who were there. One of the few great perks of F is being escorted as a group through security and to the plane a few minutes before boarding. Shkedy joined the group and I hung onto him, sensing a great opportunity.
As we walked the long corridor toward the plane, I saw an SQ A380 in the distance and asked him "Why doesn't El Al get one of those?". It took him a couple of seconds to realize what I was talking about but he recovered quickly and smiled "You do know that those aren't safe". I then asked him about a 787 or 747-800 and he either played dumb or had no clue what I was talking about. Maybe both
Shkedi was seated in Business (no idea why as there were several open seats in F) but came up to the F Cabin a few times to converse with the passengers. Most of the passengers ignored him but I had a great conversation with him. I applauded the fantastic F service and meal and then told him my honest feeling about the El Al F Seat. His reply was even better; "Nobody else has First Class seats like this from New York to Tel Aviv". When I reminded him that Delta and Continental don't have F and that their Business seats are even better he just smiled again and told me that El Al was the best in the industry.
All in all, seemed like an extremely nice guy with little or no clue about the airline business. Here's to hoping that he is just a figurehead (and maybe a backup pliot) and that there is someone else running the show
#2
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All in all, seemed like an extremely nice guy with little or no clue about the airline business. Here's to hoping that he is just a figurehead (and maybe a backup pliot) and that there is someone else running the show
#4
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Turns out he was returning from the Jerusalem Post Conference. He's right that they're the only ones on that route with F seats like that. They're the only one on the planet with F seats like that!
#5
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I think the MS F hard product is even worse.
Youre right, its a pity LY hasnt bothered to update their F product. I realize they wont introduce suites or seats la new LX F / UA F anytime soon, but even if they bought the old F seats from LH which could be used in a 1-2-1 config that would be a great improvement over the current F seats.
Youre right, its a pity LY hasnt bothered to update their F product. I realize they wont introduce suites or seats la new LX F / UA F anytime soon, but even if they bought the old F seats from LH which could be used in a 1-2-1 config that would be a great improvement over the current F seats.
#6
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Youre right, its a pity LY hasnt bothered to update their F product. I realize they wont introduce suites or seats la new LX F / UA F anytime soon, but even if they bought the old F seats from LH which could be used in a 1-2-1 config that would be a great improvement over the current F seats.
#7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Israel
Posts: 98
Yes, this is the case. His right hand is a woman who also was the right hand for Chaim Romano. Shkedi is a nice guy, but he doesn't know anything about the competition or industry. his biggest donation to the company has been a program called GlobaLY which many within thinks is a waste of time. Nobody sees how having every Jew have a Matmid account will translate into sales.
#8
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#9
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#10
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Posts: 582
I fly El Al quite often and although I am an American I've developed some Israeli Chutzpah.
I was waiting in the F lounge for my flight from JFK-TLV when in pranced El Al CEO, Eliezer Shkedi. He was accompanied by several El Al employees and walked around the (very small) room introducing himself to the 5 or 6 passengers who were there. One of the few great perks of F is being escorted as a group through security and to the plane a few minutes before boarding. Shkedy joined the group and I hung onto him, sensing a great opportunity.
As we walked the long corridor toward the plane, I saw an SQ A380 in the distance and asked him "Why doesn't El Al get one of those?". It took him a couple of seconds to realize what I was talking about but he recovered quickly and smiled "You do know that those aren't safe". I then asked him about a 787 or 747-800 and he either played dumb or had no clue what I was talking about. Maybe both
Shkedi was seated in Business (no idea why as there were several open seats in F) but came up to the F Cabin a few times to converse with the passengers. Most of the passengers ignored him but I had a great conversation with him. I applauded the fantastic F service and meal and then told him my honest feeling about the El Al F Seat. His reply was even better; "Nobody else has First Class seats like this from New York to Tel Aviv". When I reminded him that Delta and Continental don't have F and that their Business seats are even better he just smiled again and told me that El Al was the best in the industry.
All in all, seemed like an extremely nice guy with little or no clue about the airline business. Here's to hoping that he is just a figurehead (and maybe a backup pliot) and that there is someone else running the show
I was waiting in the F lounge for my flight from JFK-TLV when in pranced El Al CEO, Eliezer Shkedi. He was accompanied by several El Al employees and walked around the (very small) room introducing himself to the 5 or 6 passengers who were there. One of the few great perks of F is being escorted as a group through security and to the plane a few minutes before boarding. Shkedy joined the group and I hung onto him, sensing a great opportunity.
As we walked the long corridor toward the plane, I saw an SQ A380 in the distance and asked him "Why doesn't El Al get one of those?". It took him a couple of seconds to realize what I was talking about but he recovered quickly and smiled "You do know that those aren't safe". I then asked him about a 787 or 747-800 and he either played dumb or had no clue what I was talking about. Maybe both
Shkedi was seated in Business (no idea why as there were several open seats in F) but came up to the F Cabin a few times to converse with the passengers. Most of the passengers ignored him but I had a great conversation with him. I applauded the fantastic F service and meal and then told him my honest feeling about the El Al F Seat. His reply was even better; "Nobody else has First Class seats like this from New York to Tel Aviv". When I reminded him that Delta and Continental don't have F and that their Business seats are even better he just smiled again and told me that El Al was the best in the industry.
All in all, seemed like an extremely nice guy with little or no clue about the airline business. Here's to hoping that he is just a figurehead (and maybe a backup pliot) and that there is someone else running the show
The only thing that Eliezer Shkedi knows about aviation is the afterburner.
He may know the physics of flying a F16, but has no idea how to manage a company.
Is there anyway we could get Joshwex90 or Damaxer91 to take over Shkedi's position?
#11
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And if you would have asked him what a FFP is or what Matmid is, he wouldn't have a clue either.
The only thing that Eliezer Shkedi knows about aviation is the afterburner.
He may know the physics of flying a F16, but has no idea how to manage a company.
Is there anyway we could get Joshwex90 or Damaxer91 to take over Shkedi's position?
The only thing that Eliezer Shkedi knows about aviation is the afterburner.
He may know the physics of flying a F16, but has no idea how to manage a company.
Is there anyway we could get Joshwex90 or Damaxer91 to take over Shkedi's position?
#14
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
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Clubman?
I think channa should run IT...
LY has great potential. I see a few high level things they can do to "fix" themselves in the near term.
1) Refurbish and bring cabins to the same configuration(747/777). Why an airline that has 6 747s has 3 different configs is beyond me. If they want to keep one for el-cheapo ops without F fine. A solid lie flat product in F (see LH/LX for good examples, hell even old United). A decent lie-flat product in C.
2) Buy off some 787 slot positions from operators that have them and are having cash issues (no shortage of those). Replace the entire 767 fleet 1-1 as those come on. Each 787 should have the same configuration.
3) Build new Website that actually works
4) Stop with the stupid one-off economy service/C seat, etc nonsense. Sell an upgrade to business or first. The seat's the important part anyway, why not charge an extra 100 NIS and put it all in?
5) Restructure "Matmid" into a program that fits conceptually in (miles not 'points') with other FFPs and parter with a real CC (like AX) in the US to get some cash flow going.
I think channa should run IT...
LY has great potential. I see a few high level things they can do to "fix" themselves in the near term.
1) Refurbish and bring cabins to the same configuration(747/777). Why an airline that has 6 747s has 3 different configs is beyond me. If they want to keep one for el-cheapo ops without F fine. A solid lie flat product in F (see LH/LX for good examples, hell even old United). A decent lie-flat product in C.
2) Buy off some 787 slot positions from operators that have them and are having cash issues (no shortage of those). Replace the entire 767 fleet 1-1 as those come on. Each 787 should have the same configuration.
3) Build new Website that actually works
4) Stop with the stupid one-off economy service/C seat, etc nonsense. Sell an upgrade to business or first. The seat's the important part anyway, why not charge an extra 100 NIS and put it all in?
5) Restructure "Matmid" into a program that fits conceptually in (miles not 'points') with other FFPs and parter with a real CC (like AX) in the US to get some cash flow going.