The economy class plus review was as to be expected. Basically, EL AL used an old seat, with a new seat cover, put a little padded foot rest, gave the passengers Business Class blankets, and added a few inches of legroom. This is not what a premium economy product should be, and certainly not what the premium economy products of reputable airlines are. Additionally, the IFE systems on both the 744 and 772 flights were different and antiquated.

An entire section of the business plan I submitted to the EL AL board was devoted to hard product standardization. Basically, I told the board that they not only need to choose a modern seat and VOD in-flight entertainment system that is touch-screen, but the exact same seat and VOD system and programming must be installed on every aircraft they use in their long haul fleet. Putting a new seat cover on an old seat and utilizing a loop video system from the 1990s is unacceptable. I proceeded to exemplify my experiences on Continental/United. Whenever I fly on CO/UA from EWR on a long haul flight, no matter what a/c is used, the modern "C" class seat and up to date IFE VOD are standardized. Passengers, especially frequent fliers, demand certainty and standardization, and this is what EL AL woefully lacks.