clubman, I agree CX is a great airline in all classes (F/J/Y included!!).
I think some of us are missing the bigger picture about EL AL, LY will never be CX, LH, SQ, EY etc... LY is not suppose to have the best hard or soft product, nor do they have to be the cheapest. LY is the lifeline of Israel, we are not living in a conflict free country. In case of a disaster or war do you really think we can count on foreign airlines? take the last conflict in Gaza for example.
I'm not saying that we should all fly EL AL for that reason alone regardless of price/schedule/other. I'm simply saying that one of the reasons I keep coming back to LY is their reliability when it comes to irregular situations. I find LY staff to be extremely helpful and flexible, that's why I love flying LY.