Globes story on LY "Basic Business class"
 

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/glob...509037&fid=942

Sounds like the brain trust at LY is alive and well.

What a really quick way to ensure that nobody pays full fare to fly J on your airline.^

I just love this bit from the article:

"There is a catch: passengers taking up the offer will still get the economy class meal"

I thought that was what we were getting on El AL's business class anyway nowadays ... it just seems to be the economy class junk on a nicer plate. Cannot even begin to compare it with other international business class offerings.

El Al is definitely not the first and not the last airline to do this trick.

Who else does it?

I have to agree :( LY's business meal is not on par or even close to par with key competitors in the local market such as LH, BA, BMI. Frankly, getting an economy class meal would make very very little difference to me and I would be happy if I could get business seating everytime this way.

Recently pricing for mid-week travel (without a saturday) has become much cheaper in business (and economy) on their competitors so I think LY may be in trouble soon.

KLM on many times used the front business class cabin on the 747 as extension to the economy cabin with economy class service and meals. I don't think they charged extra for it though.

operationally, it makes sense to sometimes upgrade statused pax to better seats when Y is oversold. US Air used to allow such an 'upgrade' from their standard C to their old F class seats which were nicer; but it wasn't reliable of course.

LY has great flight crews for C and F, and they have the best food in the world available (at least out of TLV :) ), why they can't bring it in the air is beyond me.

Take it in proportions, Why, In Y Class to NYC one pax cant pay 2600$ and the other 799$, Wouldnt it make someone angry when he will hear he over paid, It will...

I would take the globes article in very limited way, They dont talk about
the status of the "upgraded" passenger, They dont mention if the flight is
overbooked or not (If its overbooked then the "upgrade" is for free...).

I see few holes in the article:
- You will have a meal on every seat in business/first class, they might be out
of specific meal (chicken/couscous/whatever), But they will have something
to serve you unless you were upgraded and you require SKML, Then its been
brought from your original class.

- On-Board upgrade fees are different (700$ vs the 250 mentioned in the article). for 250$ its upgrade from Economy to Economy with business seats.

- Parsers are earning money from such upgrade, its hard to see how a parser
will sell something he suppose to in 700$ on 250$ (means he earn less...)

- Knowing the system doing an On Board Upgrade while check-in require specific approval per pax, On the ticket it will appear OBUPG, If we are talking
about Economy with Business Class then its not an upgrade but seating only.

- Again, They dont mention the status of the pax, I am sometimes upgraded
from J to full business class or from S to F because i am a TPL.

Ebzed.