How many here are actually regular LY travellers, and how many purely enthusiasts?
Sep 4, 2018, 2:05 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
I fly over 25 times a year and am based in Israel. I used to fly exclusively BA then switched to LY when BA changed terminals in LHR. Wasnt' much of a challenge as ElAl matched my status with BA. I'm now at the end of my tether with LY and so will be switching back in 2019 - unfortunately BA won't status match so will have to start from the bottom again.
Sep 4, 2018, 3:10 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: TLV
Programs: UA Platinum, Avis Chairman, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, GA Pilot
Posts: 3,225
I fly from TLV at least once a month and don't remember the last time I flew LY. I try to avoid them wherever possible and they usually make it easy for me by offering much higher fares than their competitors.
Sep 4, 2018, 4:57 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Paris, France
Programs: El Al Matmid, Air France Flying Blue Silver
Posts: 2,294
I presume the question is how many options do you have other than EL Al from Paris to Tel Aviv.
Well depending on the day of the week that you want to fly you can choose from any of 6 other options.
Air France,XL Airways,Transavia,PRIMERA,Easyjet and ASL all fly the route.
Well depending on the day of the week that you want to fly you can choose from any of 6 other options.
Air France,XL Airways,Transavia,PRIMERA,Easyjet and ASL all fly the route.
Sep 4, 2018, 6:12 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
I fly LY about 4-5 times a year. Follow this forum partially due to that and partially because I'm TLV-based.
I don't fly LY for Zionist reasons though there are certain aspects of the Israeliness of LY that I appreciate. I have status elsewhere, but sometimes price, scheduling, and/or work force me on LY. They are really not as bad as they get credit for. The problem is they think they are a major carrier, which they aren't. The soft product on LY is generally solid to very good. They are one of the few airlines who gives out basic toiletries to non-status Y pax on long-haul flights. They made a crappy C and Y cabin on the 787, but no different than most other airlines. They remain one of the few airlines with a real C seat on the 737.
But for just about anything not on board, they are competing with the lowest of the low in standards which is why I don't dedicate myself to them when I don't have to.
I don't fly LY for Zionist reasons though there are certain aspects of the Israeliness of LY that I appreciate. I have status elsewhere, but sometimes price, scheduling, and/or work force me on LY. They are really not as bad as they get credit for. The problem is they think they are a major carrier, which they aren't. The soft product on LY is generally solid to very good. They are one of the few airlines who gives out basic toiletries to non-status Y pax on long-haul flights. They made a crappy C and Y cabin on the 787, but no different than most other airlines. They remain one of the few airlines with a real C seat on the 737.
But for just about anything not on board, they are competing with the lowest of the low in standards which is why I don't dedicate myself to them when I don't have to.
Sep 4, 2018, 6:39 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Gateshead
Programs: BA Gold, ELAL Top Platinum
Posts: 851
I fly LY about 15 times a year. I sometimes call LY and get a good deal when I need to book many flights at once. I also now have to start going from LHR-JFK and then on to TLV making LY my preferred choice on the B789.
Sep 4, 2018, 7:17 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
If you're doing LHR-JFK-TLV, why is LY you're preferred carrier? How are you going LHR-JFK?
Sep 4, 2018, 12:07 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
I am interested because of mostly Zionist reasons. I don't typically fly LY, but once they have the 787 and a real lie flat on YYZ its much more of an option. I've got gold for life on UA, and I'm not flying enough these days to get higher..
Right now its mostly about convenience, so... for me the LY overnight back to YYZ . can be a big deal.
Otherwise, I'm mostly interested in how pathetic they are... Israel as a country has accomplished great things, but LY.... is a joke.
Right now its mostly about convenience, so... for me the LY overnight back to YYZ . can be a big deal.
Otherwise, I'm mostly interested in how pathetic they are... Israel as a country has accomplished great things, but LY.... is a joke.
Sep 6, 2018, 4:51 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: 30,000 Feet
Programs: LY Top Platinum, AA Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 863
I am TP for the past 8 years, PL for 5 years or so prior to that.
Fly LY almost exclusively, TLV-NYC, between 24 and 30 segments each year.
Until the 789, the name of the game with LY and the primary edge which kept me was the upgrading from Y to C.
With the intro of the 789, upgrading has become non-existent and there are NO (as in ZER0) seats that are decent on the 789 in Y. Beautifully deigned aircraft; HORRIBLE functional passenger experience (unless you are paying for C).
Why still here? As long as I am a TP, El Al is pretty amazing - mainly because the airline is so small. They have dedicated agents running interference on your behalf with all the idiotic corporate policies and socialist-era culture still prevalent. (Why they expend revenue to run interference instead of just changing dumb rules and firing the bums is beyond me, but heh, at least there are still some organizations run by DIBs like in the good old days - so El Al corporate is kind of like a museum...).
Once I lost TP - which is going to happen since with the new Matmid earnings structure, there is no way I will be able to renew - I will no doubt begin to spread the wealth.
El Al's in-flight attendants are great IMHO and so are the ground agents. But the hard product is TERRIBLE on the newer planes, especially with upgrades being so scarce.
Fly LY almost exclusively, TLV-NYC, between 24 and 30 segments each year.
Until the 789, the name of the game with LY and the primary edge which kept me was the upgrading from Y to C.
With the intro of the 789, upgrading has become non-existent and there are NO (as in ZER0) seats that are decent on the 789 in Y. Beautifully deigned aircraft; HORRIBLE functional passenger experience (unless you are paying for C).
Why still here? As long as I am a TP, El Al is pretty amazing - mainly because the airline is so small. They have dedicated agents running interference on your behalf with all the idiotic corporate policies and socialist-era culture still prevalent. (Why they expend revenue to run interference instead of just changing dumb rules and firing the bums is beyond me, but heh, at least there are still some organizations run by DIBs like in the good old days - so El Al corporate is kind of like a museum...).
Once I lost TP - which is going to happen since with the new Matmid earnings structure, there is no way I will be able to renew - I will no doubt begin to spread the wealth.
El Al's in-flight attendants are great IMHO and so are the ground agents. But the hard product is TERRIBLE on the newer planes, especially with upgrades being so scarce.