Price Drop Already?
 

Just a casual search to Paris and London for next week, prices seem lower than they have been in the past (not on LY but on other carriers). I haven't seen a mid-week no Saturday nonstop to London on BA for less than $700 lately, and it was $689 a few minutes ago.

Also cheaper connections to Paris but nonstops still expensive. I also saw an ad that LY was lowering prices slightly. Is it possible that we're already benefiting from Open Skies?

I wonder how long it will be before Easyjet announces new flights to Paris, Amsterdam, and Milan. I pray that the era of the $1,200 mid-week round trip in coach will soon be over.

Open skies comes in full force over a 5 year period.
Does anybody know the exact timetable?

No but it can't come fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

Perhaps the lower fares have more to do with the economic slowdown than Open Skies, the provisions of which will be phased in over a 5 year period.

flights to CDG
 

Were these flights originating NYC? Looking for flights to either destination for July 16-18th....one way. Did you see these via ITA?

All from TLV. Isn't this the LY forum?

Probably has to do with the two-day sale that ends today.

http://www.elal.co.il/ELAL/Hebrew/De...ter_240413.htm

The sale prices are valid 4/28-4/29 for flights in May and June only.

The OP mentioed that the cheap prices are not on LY but on other carriers.

Competitors usually match price discounts during sales. Are the lower prices still there now?

Globes Article on the Sale
 

Globes had an interesting article summarizing the sale. The article can be found by clicking this link: http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/glob...did=1000839495

One thing that stood out to me in the article is that EL AL is offering free registration for the next 2 months to its ff clubs. I can't believe EL AL is still charging a registration fee for the clubs. To my knowledge, no major competitor of EL AL's charges a registration fee for its frequent flier clubs. In fact, when I signed up for Continental's OnePass years ago, not only did I NOT have to pay a registration fee, but I received a significant amount of free miles as well.

Perhaps EL AL should permanently remove the registration fee for its ff clubs, in addition to improving mileage accrual/redemption and elite status attainment.

One thing is clear - competition to London seems to be helping. Prices are generally down and the Saturday night stay rule seems to mean nothing in terms of lowering the price. Finally a break for us small business people!

Can't say the same for Paris where the nonstop prices are still in the $900s vs the $600s without the Saturday stay, but I'm sure once Easyjet starts flying that route, prices will rationalize further.

What I really don't understand is why AF/KL don't increase frequencies. Instead of adding an extra flight AF seems to have moved their 6pm flight from CDG to TLV to 11:30pm, which was once the only civilized way of getting back to TLV from the western US. Now if I have to do a double redeye, I'll do it on BA or LX (or TK from Los Angeles).