TLV flights to change to shorthaul aircraft; TPs change (reduce) from 30 Mar 2025
Feb 8, 2024, 3:20 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 468
TLV Flights to become short haul and change of TPs
BA announced today that once they resume flying to Tel Aviv, it will be in narrow-body airplanes as part of their short-haul network. They will be offering offering two cabins on all services between Tel Aviv and London, Euro Traveller (economy) and Club Europe (business). Tier point accruals will change accordingly to 50% in lower booking classes and ~57% in higher booking classes. As for the date in which flight will resume, no major updates: flights are suspended until March 30 (inclusive) and they continue to monitor the situation.
Here is the full email text:
Here is the full email text:
Dear Customer,
We wanted to get in touch to let you know that we’ve taken the decision to move Tel Aviv to our short-haul network when we resume flying to the region. This is in line with other similar-length flights we operate. If you’re due to fly with us on this route we will be in contact to let you know how this change may affect you.
As part of our short-haul network, we will be offering two cabins on all services between Tel Aviv and London, Euro Traveller (economy) and Club Europe (business). You can find out more about these cabins on our website at ba.com/travel-classes.
We also take this opportunity to provide you with notice in accordance with the Israeli Consumer Protection Law, 5571-1981 to a change of British Airways Executive Club Tier Points available on the Tel Aviv route, which will take effect for all flights taken on or after 30 March 2025.
Tier Points available on eligible flights between Tel Aviv and London Heathrow will be awarded as follows:
Type of ticket purchased Tier Point change*
Economy Lowest (Q, O, G) Current Tier Points earned : 20
Future Tier Points earned : 10
Economy Low (K, L, M, N, S, V) Current Tier Points earned : 35
Future Tier Points earned : 20
Economy Flexible (Y, B, H) Current Tier Points earned : 70
Future Tier Points earned : 40
Business Lowest (R, I) Current Tier Points earned : 140
Future Tier Points earned : 80
Business Flexible (J, C, D) Current Tier Points earned : 140
Future Tier Points earned : 80
*Current Tier Points will be earned on eligible flights taken on or before 29 March 2025.
Future Tier Points will be earned on eligible flights taken on or after 30 March 2025.
In the meantime, Tier Points will remain unchanged and can continue to be collected in the same way. For further details, please see the Avios Flight Calculator.
Safety is always our highest priority and following the latest assessment of the situation we’ve currently suspended our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including 30 March 2024. Our teams will continue to monitor the situation in the region closely and will contact affected customers should this date change.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience that this change may cause but look forward to welcoming you on board your next flight with British Airways.
We wanted to get in touch to let you know that we’ve taken the decision to move Tel Aviv to our short-haul network when we resume flying to the region. This is in line with other similar-length flights we operate. If you’re due to fly with us on this route we will be in contact to let you know how this change may affect you.
As part of our short-haul network, we will be offering two cabins on all services between Tel Aviv and London, Euro Traveller (economy) and Club Europe (business). You can find out more about these cabins on our website at ba.com/travel-classes.
We also take this opportunity to provide you with notice in accordance with the Israeli Consumer Protection Law, 5571-1981 to a change of British Airways Executive Club Tier Points available on the Tel Aviv route, which will take effect for all flights taken on or after 30 March 2025.
Tier Points available on eligible flights between Tel Aviv and London Heathrow will be awarded as follows:
Type of ticket purchased Tier Point change*
Economy Lowest (Q, O, G) Current Tier Points earned : 20
Future Tier Points earned : 10
Economy Low (K, L, M, N, S, V) Current Tier Points earned : 35
Future Tier Points earned : 20
Economy Flexible (Y, B, H) Current Tier Points earned : 70
Future Tier Points earned : 40
Business Lowest (R, I) Current Tier Points earned : 140
Future Tier Points earned : 80
Business Flexible (J, C, D) Current Tier Points earned : 140
Future Tier Points earned : 80
*Current Tier Points will be earned on eligible flights taken on or before 29 March 2025.
Future Tier Points will be earned on eligible flights taken on or after 30 March 2025.
In the meantime, Tier Points will remain unchanged and can continue to be collected in the same way. For further details, please see the Avios Flight Calculator.
Safety is always our highest priority and following the latest assessment of the situation we’ve currently suspended our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including 30 March 2024. Our teams will continue to monitor the situation in the region closely and will contact affected customers should this date change.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience that this change may cause but look forward to welcoming you on board your next flight with British Airways.
Feb 8, 2024, 3:26 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Programs: BA, LY, QF, UA, HH
Posts: 182
That's terrible news for BAEC members (and a huge win for VS and LY if they continue to offer full-service flights on that route). I can't really see the benefit of spending 5 hours in Club Europe if the competing carriers continue to offer lie-flat seating. Will help cull the ranks for GCH holders though.
Feb 8, 2024, 3:43 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,085
TLV has an extremely high concentration of very heavy flyers, and many GGLs. Very few of these will remain with BA after this change. ELAL is not what it used to be, and offers an excellent soft and hard product, and their recent deal with Delta opens up a vast connection network in the USA. Virgin also offers a good product, no less good than CW. What is strange is that BA were filling up 2 large aircraft every day of the week most of the year in all classes. How they will cope with moving that down to two small aircraft is anyone's guess, unless they are reckoning with losing a vast number of passengers. The cost conscious will probably move to the low cost alternatives. Unless they are deliberately trying to cut out TLV from their route map this seems to be a very strange move.
Last edited by mikebg; Feb 8, 2024 at 3:50 am
Feb 8, 2024, 4:01 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, Hilton Diamond, Marriott GOLD, Accor Club Gold
Posts: 709
This will almost certainly kill my GGL status, so I'm furious about this. I think the 4 times a week is only while the situation is unstable, but, as posted above, who wants to pay for a CE experience when LY and VS offer something so much better. I might fly RJ to Jordan and cross the land border...
Feb 8, 2024, 4:09 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,546
it’s really bad news for tlv based members and for those of us often flying to tlv with ba but not wholly surprising.
still I resent the fact that ba are self carving more and more exemptions to their own distance based rules be it at 2000 or 6000 cut offs.
Feb 8, 2024, 4:19 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,786
This is a shame. I always thought this was likely to happen after BA did the same thing with flights to Cairo.
I have always wanted to visit Israel and had managed to snag seats in First using a 2-4-1 voucher for a trip back in 2020. Unfortunately Covid put paid to that trip and I never got around to booking it again.
Not sure I want to fly that distance in BA's short haul planes even in CE. Another sign BA is trying to compete with EasyJet rather than concentrate on having a much more comfortable superior service.
Also devastating for those who travel from Israel to the US via LHR. Who wants to do the first 5 hour sector in a shorthaul plane?
I have always wanted to visit Israel and had managed to snag seats in First using a 2-4-1 voucher for a trip back in 2020. Unfortunately Covid put paid to that trip and I never got around to booking it again.
Not sure I want to fly that distance in BA's short haul planes even in CE. Another sign BA is trying to compete with EasyJet rather than concentrate on having a much more comfortable superior service.
Also devastating for those who travel from Israel to the US via LHR. Who wants to do the first 5 hour sector in a shorthaul plane?
Feb 8, 2024, 4:19 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,626
Feb 8, 2024, 4:19 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,155
I’ll be relocating to TLV again in a few months and was already thinking of switching to Flying Blue, as BA no longer serve a North American airport near my parents.
Been Gold for ten years, but this seals the deal on that decision.
A large portion of passengers on TLV services are connecting to North America. Five hours in Eurobusiness isn’t competitive.
Been Gold for ten years, but this seals the deal on that decision.
A large portion of passengers on TLV services are connecting to North America. Five hours in Eurobusiness isn’t competitive.
Feb 8, 2024, 4:23 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,286
Feb 8, 2024, 4:24 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,570
Could it be that BA doesn't really want TLV any more, but politically it would be hard to just make a permanent cut right now, so they are just marginalizing the service and will let it wither away over time...?