Happened to have run into some FA's at the airport tonight, got a flight next Sat night and stuck in coach since 1st is sold out,so went down to arrange for the emergency row(12 hr flight).They told me TW will be adding 5 more flights per week to TLV,guess with FFs(Tower Air)out of business everyone is trying to get more seats on the run since they were running for their flight didnt get the time slots or if they to be via CDG(Paris).

If they are adding flights , it will be around 5-6PM JFK-TLV , and around 11-12AM TLV-JFK. this is to compete with CO that run the flight at this time.
AC are adding a second daily flight YYZ/YUL-TLV at these times, and CO are adding a second daily flight at the night (time of the TW,LY flights).

A few yrs ago TW had a 1pm from TLV and a 4pm I believe fromJFK they didnt do to well with them. I understand wanting to go against CO & LY but cost wise they'd probably do best if they had the 2 flights close to each other time wise. TW orginally had the non-stop out of TLV at 9am,till they were shown why 1am is far better. I wouldnt be surprised to see them fly via CDG to pick up where FF(Tower) left off. CDG was a daily for them till 1/96.

Remember when TWA had two 747s a day going into TLV? Of course, that was when they had a major CDG hub and two full terminals at JFK.

Hi all,

I remember the CDG->TLV flights i flew when i was a kid. These flights gave me my passion for travel and flying. The service was alway amazing and professional.

I have to say that my last TWA experiences from TLV to west coast made me change my mind: bad service, average planes and insulting ground agents caused me to give my business to CO.

I started to fly CO in November and i am already a Platinum FF. I whish i could have stayed with TWA to respect the famly tradition of flying with them... But as we say everything changes http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Anyway if you have the occasion try the CO fly to Tel-Aviv which is at my opinion one of the best flight you could have on this route... The 777 is a very good plane and the service is great. They are even adding a second daily one this summer.

However i whish they was a US company to propose flights through Europe since it could have brung me an alternate way to travel there on my way to the US.

Best,

Cyril,

Were there pianos on your 747 TWA TLV planes, or are you too young for that? And yes, I would like to try the CO flights. First though I need to figure out a way to use up my TWA equity miles. It has not been easy.

I hope these new flights make it easier to get C seats with award miles. I have tried to find a flight to get C seats with award miles on several occasions, with zero luck. I can give the agent dates 9 months in advance and have them search 2 weeks each direction and there are never any seats available. Does anyone have any tips? Is it a ploy to make you cash in 200,000 miles each way for the "unlimited" seats?

Should I just give up and cash the miles to Hilton HHonors or something? The only place that makes sense for me to go on TW is TLV, since you can't go to Hawaii on TW from SEA! (and it's difficult to get to TLV on *A, which is where my loyalties lie now)

Usoftie,

You may want to try flying TWA to Cairo (it is very close to TLV and has its own amazing sites) and then fly to TLV, or go Jordanian to Ammam and take the bus over. I am trying to use my equity miles (90,000 for two C class) and would not be happy to switch to the anytime 400,000 mile awards (for two), over four times the cost! I too have been told that there are NO seats available to TLV for the next 11 months. The only answer might be to fly 100,000 miles and hit the Platinum level (with no restrictions) but that is NOT an option.

the only way i always got the 1st class upgrade was because i'm a Plat member otherwise you can dream all you want.Unfortunatly my next flight will be in coach since its very near and NOTHING is open in 1st for the days I need it so this time even being a Plat cant get me into 1st,but then the flight was sold-out and i got coach since as a Plat i get booked in'Y' for the free tkt. Id really be interested to know how many of the 28 seats TW allows to go for freebes and ups.I really dont think things will change with the new flights if anything itll get worse.TW will want us to go on the flights with the less desirable flight times and i feel serverly limit even more the tkts on the present flights.

freakflyer,

I don't remember these so i may be too young http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Btw i agree with you a good way to reach TLV from New York would be to take the jordanian airline (TWA partner) to Tel-Aviv through amman. The flights amman->TLV are very short one and are used by many Israelis (mainly when going to far east on royal jordanian)

Best regards,

I don't recommend the jordanian airline. A friend of mine flew with them recently and had many troubles. it's rated one of the most dangerous airlines in the world.
2 days ago one of their planes almost landed on the wrong runway in TLV on a plane about to depart!
think twice before suggesting this airline!

apirchik,

First it's nice to have another israeli here.
Second jordanian airlines is not that bad... I have a lot of friend who used it to go to far east from israel.... Their is a constant problem is TLV with the runways i am sure that you heard about the complains of several pilots from over the world saying that the TLV airport runways are very baddly signed... And i am not talking about the drunk russian pilots who constantly try to land on the Highway nearby http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I heard that the biz class service is ok too. The only problem would be that some of their flight are smoking ones...

Best,

dear cyril_b
1st - those who fly RJ to the far east are those who look for the cheapest flights available. Same like those who flew (and probably will fly soon) FF(Tower Air). Biz class is not an option for them.
2nd - Runways at airports have names in numbers which mark their direction in degrees. When a pilot lands on the wrong runway it means that he doesn't know his way , or doesn't look at the meters in the cokpit!
3rd - RJ is one of the only airlines that demand reconfirmation of flights(Even El Al doesn't any more!). A friend of mine went into this problem - try to reconfirm your flight from a mountain somewhere in Nepal!
When he got back to kathmandu he got on the flight to amman after many shouts at many officials there , but he didn't have the same luck in amman to TLV.

Buttom line - if you are looking for the cheapest, you will probably fly the cheapest you can find without considering the level of service. If you look for service and comfort , don't fly the cheapest.

We are using the FF miles for two free tickets on TWA (for me and my daughter). We had to get them 50 weeks before the flight (that is when they open it up). I do know that we have had problems with getting them, but managed (and had to talk to several managers). Try 11 months before you travel date, and see if you have any luck. If not, then it is time to yell - because there should be something...

Hey, be nice to those drunk Russian pilots. They taught everything they know to the dimwits on Northwest and Alaska Air!

And, I hear that it is easier to land on the highway than on the runways at BenG!