DFW-TLV / Tel Aviv, Israel 3x weekly starting 9/9/2020
Aug 8, 2019, 1:57 pm
#46
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That said, I think it is mostly the Orthodox and Chasidic Jews that travel frequently to Israel, at least once a year for many. Reform and conservative Jews probably go no more than a couple of times in their lifetimes. I would suspect that the Orthodox/Chasidic Jews are more concentrated in the Northeast.
Aug 8, 2019, 2:03 pm
#47
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My Jewish GF tells me that there are over a million Jewish Americans living in California, a similar number to New York. It’s not a “vast” majority living on the East Coast any longer. But more importantly, I know plenty of Christians who want to tour the Holy Land including myself. It’s not just Jewish Americans who travel to Israel. This route should be a success.
Aug 8, 2019, 2:41 pm
#48
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Aug 8, 2019, 2:58 pm
#49
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Aug 8, 2019, 3:34 pm
#50
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Aug 8, 2019, 3:52 pm
#51
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Aug 8, 2019, 4:41 pm
#52
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Wow, lots of good discussion.
My speculation (and it's just that, speculation) is that the combination of O/D traffic in/around TX, the mere fact that DFW is such a huge hub (and hence a convenient connection for many people), the fact that UA has a pretty good handle on the east coast flights (and I guess west coast, too, with SFO), and maybe even the fact that DFW has a proper international lounge (FS, unlike PHL or CLT) combined to make this a viable option for AA.
I've been avoiding AA to TLV because the connection situation is terrible. I've done it twice over the years and have vowed "never again". Not only are the overseas connections at poor times (for my preferences), the El Al security screening is really problematic for me (note that I am NOT talking about security at TLV, which I find to be professional and efficient, even if annoying). UA through EWR has been my go-to, but hopefully that can change now. An arrival in TLV 3-6pm or so would cement the deal for me. On the way back, if they go with a midnight-ish departure, arriving to DFW early morning (6am or so), I don't think I would take it. My personal preference would be to return the way that I have, TLV-LHR (on LY), LHR-(someplace -- ORD or MIA, usually) on BA or AA, overnight, and then to my final destination. Surely many will want to avoid the overnight, but this approach works very well for getting me back on US time, and also lets me leave TLV at a reasonable time in the morning (circa 10am). Of course, this all assumes that the 3x a week fall on days that work with my meeting schedule, which I generally have minimal input into when visiting my customer in TLV.
My speculation (and it's just that, speculation) is that the combination of O/D traffic in/around TX, the mere fact that DFW is such a huge hub (and hence a convenient connection for many people), the fact that UA has a pretty good handle on the east coast flights (and I guess west coast, too, with SFO), and maybe even the fact that DFW has a proper international lounge (FS, unlike PHL or CLT) combined to make this a viable option for AA.
I've been avoiding AA to TLV because the connection situation is terrible. I've done it twice over the years and have vowed "never again". Not only are the overseas connections at poor times (for my preferences), the El Al security screening is really problematic for me (note that I am NOT talking about security at TLV, which I find to be professional and efficient, even if annoying). UA through EWR has been my go-to, but hopefully that can change now. An arrival in TLV 3-6pm or so would cement the deal for me. On the way back, if they go with a midnight-ish departure, arriving to DFW early morning (6am or so), I don't think I would take it. My personal preference would be to return the way that I have, TLV-LHR (on LY), LHR-(someplace -- ORD or MIA, usually) on BA or AA, overnight, and then to my final destination. Surely many will want to avoid the overnight, but this approach works very well for getting me back on US time, and also lets me leave TLV at a reasonable time in the morning (circa 10am). Of course, this all assumes that the 3x a week fall on days that work with my meeting schedule, which I generally have minimal input into when visiting my customer in TLV.
Aug 8, 2019, 4:59 pm
#53
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Aug 8, 2019, 5:09 pm
#54
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Aug 8, 2019, 5:30 pm
#55
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Also, I know it's a single data point, but I flew EWR-TLV just recently (last week) and business was about half empty the morning of the flight. This not to say there isn't high demand, but making it sound like it's hard to get seats (economy or business) is misleading. I will say that whatever UA calls its premium economy offering was very full on many of the dates I spot checked when i was making my booking.
Aug 8, 2019, 6:21 pm
#57
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My Jewish GF tells me that there are over a million Jewish Americans living in California, a similar number to New York. It’s not a “vast” majority living on the East Coast any longer. But more importantly, I know plenty of Christians who want to tour the Holy Land including myself. It’s not just Jewish Americans who travel to Israel. This route should be a success.
I suspect this flight is going to be targeting Bible Belt evangelical tourists to Israel along with whatever tech/energy corporate clients they might have in Texas. I can't imagine that Austin tech companies and Noble Energy are going to be enough on their own to fill these flights, but then again - I could be wrong!
That said, I think it is mostly the Orthodox and Chasidic Jews that travel frequently to Israel, at least once a year for many. Reform and conservative Jews probably go no more than a couple of times in their lifetimes. I would suspect that the Orthodox/Chasidic Jews are more concentrated in the Northeast.
AA will fill the flights with its own "followers" from all over the west, and probably points within a 2 hour flight east of DFW. We are talking about the AAdvantage faithful currently connecting via LY, IB, BA, etc. There will be a lot of California O&D on this flight.
That said, there is a huge Orthodox population in LA, probably more concentrated than anywhere outside NYC metro in the US.
Aug 8, 2019, 6:30 pm
#58
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AA's claim for this route is that it is for the tech business travelers. How common is it to target business travelers with only 3x a week service? It seems that would be rather limiting, whereas I'd think leisure travelers would be more tolerant of adjusting their dates to match the available flights.
Aug 8, 2019, 6:37 pm
#60
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