gordo6

Actually IZ will have 1 weekly flight to Portugal, alternating between Lisbon and Porto every other week.

clubman

Looks like AMS is on the cards for easyjet according to senior management

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4615173,00.html

sds1493

U2 just keep on expanding! Although until they open a base in TLV then these flights aren't ideal for short trips ex-TLV.
The rest of the article was also interesting, albeit somewhat simplistic.

simba8

from Globes:
"Turkish Airlines VP: Israel is our busiest route"
..." ninth weekly flight between Tel Aviv and Istanbul will soon be introduced"- TBD
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-t...ute-1001003747

NYTA

The most interesting part: "the downgrading of Lufthansa's business class on its Tel Aviv route contributed a great deal, and brought us many passengers."

joshwex90

Not necessarily so soon: "If the strong demand in the Israeli market continues, we'll add a ninth daily flight on the Tel Aviv-Istanbul route."

NYTA

What they should do is have flights at more reasonable hours or have some of the flights be larger aircraft. Who wants to take that 130am flight to IST? I wouldn't, but the times I do fly TK are all around schedule - the flights from Europe that leave in the afternoon and get me home before midnight, for example.

sds1493

They do already offer nine daily flights, albeit one is to SAW. As long as pax follow their price, not their political stance, this growth will only continue.

NYTA

As long as Erdogan keeps his mouth shut the growth will continue.

joshwex90

Hope it does grow. If growth is enough in terms of more widebody flights and/or more options throughout the day, I believe I will switch my flying to TK. With my family hopefully moving to Israel, I'll care less about EWR specifically (over JFK), and TK will give me flexibility to anywhere I want to go to in the world in comfort and reasonably priced (LY) and with a better FFP, not the least of which is *G!

economyman

Although I am somewhat averse to flying Turkish, I'm anyway not sure it works so well when the US is my main destination.

clubman

Well the answer to that is they already do...

joshwex90

Where in the US?
And why?

economyman

Most of my US trips start in SFO, returning from ORD, NYC, or BOS so TK do not offer anything interesting. Looking at my next trip, to go to SFO would require 3 flights connecting via YYZ and arriving at 11.15pm. My return is from NYC and the only option TK offer me has me leaving NYC at 1.15pm which is too early (I have meetings) or 11.40pm which is too late because I would arrive at 8.10pm on Friday.
With BA who I am booked with I go to SFO via LHR with one connection arriving at 6pm and have 4 options from NYC (3 from JFK, 1 from EWR) that all leave after 6pm and get me in to TLV at 3.10pm.

I looked at some other future trips I'm planning and TK offered very few appealing options timewise. I guess eastbound the story is different.

joshwex90

Apparently, they begin operations IST-SFO in April.

Separately, I've heard they plan on offering an early morning or late in the evening (but not night) flight from EWR-IST (not sure when the inbound would arrive in EWR; it's meant to sync with connecting UA flights). If so, that could become a decent option. Also not too bad getting to EWR on public transportation from the city