I would also choose TK based on the following criteria:

1. Cheaper price
2. Shorter overall travel time (plus the shorter final flight on the return)
3. If it's the new C product on TK, I find it more comfy than LX plus better IFE
4. Great lounge in IST

I have three reasons for chosing LX over TK:
1. The hours of the flights to BOM
2. In case of IROPS I don't want to be in the hands of TK. I fly with them a few times a year but only TLV-IST, never connections.
3. In case of an emergancy landing over a "hostile" country, I rather be in the hands of LX and not TK.

and another small reason - the TLV-IST flight might not have proper C seats.

Can't argue with your first two points (Wouldn't be a consideration for me personally, but I can understand)

The third however should hardly be a consideration as it's not even a 2 hour flight to IST, compared to around 4 hours to ZRH, so even if you don't get the proper C (which you might) it's hardly a big deal.

Edited to add: Not to mention that you never know whether LX may decide to sub the L/H craft for a S/H one...

Quite a few Israeli companies have a policy of not overflying hostile countries (employee safety - on the 1 in xxxxxx chance you would have to emergency land in Tehran, for example).

This policy is somewhat beneficial to LYs figures....

I was on the TLV-BOM route every couple of weeks some years back. Terrible, old, old, old aircraft. Regular passengers - mostly businessmen and diamond merchants.

D.

If you are a business or legal professional you know that time is money. The flying time of LX would be much longer in duration than on TK. Plus, even if you miss your connection on TK on the return, TK has over 120 weekly flights to TLV so rebooking would be easier. Therefore, TK should win this one.

This policy also makes no sense. When LY flies to India and BKK they fly over the Red Sea, around the Arabian Peninsula, and then out to the Indian Ocean. On most of that flight you are flying close to nations that are hostile to Israel and/or unstable and over a waterway that is full of Somali pirates and weapons smuggling to that part of Africa, weapons that include stinger missiles. Recently an EL AL 763 had to make an emergency landing in Eritrea. Can you imagine being a passenger on that flight? Point is that the routes from Israel to parts of the far east traverse over unfriendly areas to Israel, whether you fly on EL AL or on another carrier.

I find little difference in flying over the Red Sea knowing that on either side of the a/c there is a hostile or unstable nation as oppose to flying on TK over Iran. A few years ago a TK flight went tech and landed in Iran with an Israeli on board and nothing happened to the Israeli. That was when the regime was more hostile than it is now. Here is an article describing that event: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...396127,00.html

Any professional (or non) knows time is money. However, time isn't the only kicker. If it were, people would only book direct (where it exists) over connecting. Time + price isn't everything. Otherwise, uber FFs would never book the more expensive, connecting journey over the cheaper, direct one.

I don't think the blocked off Euro style C on TK to IST is a big deal, for an hour and 45 minute flight.

I do agree that I wouldn't trust TK IRROPs, but lately it doesn't seem like there are many airlines who can effectively manage IRROPs anymore, so..

LX is an airline in the most neutral country in the world - you don't think they'd land in Tehran if they had to?

The hours of the flights are legitimate, obviously. But curious how TK's C compares to LX C?

Hard product:

TK's have two different biz products on their 777s.
I believe they use the wet leased Jet airways one to BOM, which is this:




Swiss Business (A340/A330)

I had a TK irrops and they easily put me up in a nice hotel + meal
I think both TK and LX if landing in Iran won't be an issue to Israeli passengers

Plus, what clubman forgot to mention was that the 9W birds that TK uses on the BOM (as well as BKK I belive) have a first class cabin which is sold as J, one cab pay for a J ticket and sit in a F suite for no extra charge..
something to consider forsure.

However, I'd still go with LX, the KSML out of ZRH is great, not so from IST.

TK would save you:

3:30 on the outbound
5:20 on the inbound

Dont forget that we are on FT: on TK u would get 4230 miles less , or if i get 200% 8640...

Indeed, as seen yesterday when a TK aircraft on route to BOM landed in Tehran following a medical emergency.

As per the last time this happened, it seem the Israeli passengers were treated well just like any other passenger on board.

This is not to say I can't understand those who are nervous fying TK over this.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...494837,00.html

Pax didn't need to disembark. I do wonder if the situation would be any different if they had to disembark.

Honestly, I don't believe Iranian authorities would "kidnap" them. But I could see them banning entry and leaving them to basically fend for themselves