El Al confirmed today that they will operate nonstop rotating 777/787 service between Orlando and Tel Aviv starting 7/2/19. Flights are not yet on sale, but will be in the coming days.
Similar to their Las Vegas flight that starts on 6/14, this flight will operate just once per week.
El Al’s other destinations feature service between 3 and 7 days a week, so clearly they are experimenting with the profitability of weekly flights to low-demand destinations.
Globes is reporting that El Al will not be receiving a subsidy for launching this route. Globes is also reporting that El Al did receive a €750,000 grant for starting Las Vegas service, but they note that Orlando did not qualify for a subsidy.
Haaretz previous reported that the Israeli Tourism Ministry offers up to €750,000 for new destinations from Israel, but that the Las Vegas service only received €250,000 as it is only a weekly flight, so I’m not sure where Globes got the €750,000 figure from. The new Orlando service would make sense if there was a subsidy involved, but it’s an odd choice without one. I’m not sure why Orlando didn’t qualify for a subsidy from the Israeli Tourism Ministry as a new destination service from Israel.
El Al is also launching service to San Francisco on May 13th, though that destination is already served by United.
The flight will depart Tel Aviv on Tuesdays at 12:05am and arrive in Orlando at 6:30am. The return flight will depart Orlando on Tuesdays at 11:30am and arrive at 6:30am into Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Israelis might enjoy nonstop service to Disney, but are they looking to spend a full week there? If the flights are successful, I’d imagine that they will move to multiple weekly flights.
But it’s hard to see once weekly service lasting the test of time, so enjoy it while it lasts!
For those keeping score at home, that means that flights between North America and Tel Aviv peak summer schedule should look like:
- Boston: 3 weekly flights on El Al (777-200)
- JFK: 14 weekly flights on Delta (A330-300), 17 weekly flights on El Al (747-400, 787-9)
- Los Angeles: 5 weekly flights on El Al (787-9).
- Las Vegas: 1 weekly flight on El Al (787-9).
- Miami: 3 weekly flights on El Al (787-9).
- Montreal: 3 weekly flights on Air Canada (A330-300)
- Newark: 14 weekly flights on United (787-10, 777-300), 11 weekly flights on El Al (747-400, 777-200, 787-9)
- Orlando: 1 weekly flight on El Al (777-200 or 787-9).
- San Francisco: 7 weekly flights on United (777-300), 3 weekly flights on El Al (787-9).
- Toronto: 7 weekly flights on Air Canada (787-9), 3 weekly flights on El Al (787-9).
- Washington DC: 3 weekly flights on United (777-200)
That’s 95 weekly flights between North America and Tel Aviv, which appears to be a new record!
In the midst of record profits on flights to Tel Aviv, the rumor mill has American reconsidering its decision to pull its Philadelphia-Tel Aviv service.
Meanwhile it looks like Chicago will just have to keep on waiting for its nonstop service until El Al or United decide to make a play for it.
Will you fly on El Al between Tel Aviv and Orlando? What will the next North American destination with nonstop flights to Tel Aviv?
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56 Comments On "El Al Adds Service To Their 9th North American Destination! Roundup Of The 95 Weekly Nonstop Flights Between North America And Tel Aviv"
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who still flies El Al?
Flew elal once this year. Never again spent 10k in seat and they are garbage and not worth it. We are packed packed like sardines. Took a flight on delta in January and even though they have the sky pesos program they are a much more comfortable ride. Flying united in April and got a much better bang for my buck.
10k in a seat? You mean on a seat? And 10k what–dollars or points? Either way incorrect.
11 people including I were flying. so it was about $10,000 in ticket purchases and they are losing lots of business from people i know that fly a lot.
Look at my post above, I spent over $100k and I left them. Their matmid program gave me nothing. Only overseas people fly El Al. I live in Israel no israelus I know use them.
El Al points expire fast and its very hard to accumulate any benefit. I flew from TLV to HK with them in 2016 (no choice in 2016 for non stops now CP flies nn stop this route) I did not enjoy the flight at all. No seat room, inadequate number of flight attendants, very expensive too. Fast forward to 2018 I flew on Hainan TLV to Beijing – excellent flights, plentifukl fight attendants all happy and cheerful, great service at a very reasonable price.
Apparently a lot of people, they have a high load factor.
Seriously?? Orlando over Chicago?? What the heck is going on??
If it does eventually happen, I hope it will be United and not Elal, for so many reasons. But beggars can’t be choosers
It is strange, but my guess is that they feel weekly service to Vegas or Orlando could work, but Chicago would require at least 3 weekly flights to work.
I think a realistic option is to fly direct into Orlando for Disney, stay a few days, then drive down to MIA/Ft Laud for family, friends, and the Miami experience, then fly with more options from MIA.
Bring flights to Atlanta!
Delta seems keen to keep adding JFK-TLV flights, where they make a higher profit margin.
They already have the data on the ATL-TLV flight and they still decided a 2nd JFK-TLV flight will be more profitable than ATL-TLV.
It may come back one day, but it won’t be anytime soon.
Wasn’t ATL-TLV canceled due to Middle East politics (pressure on Delta from Arab countries)? Has something changed?
100% #FakeNews
Joseph, if that were the case, then what’s the deal with JFK-TLV?
I think regarding Chicago United is waiting for all to start and as soon as they will start flying they will also add flights
United will want to make sure IAD-TLV is profitable before starting ORD-TLV.
i dont know why no one seems to think about a texas route ? evangelicals,hubs,good connections from the Midwest…
Dan would you say Delta is the best economy seat out of all the airlines that offer non stop service from North America to TLV?
Definitely
Yes its a great seat grea flight attendents
56 flights a week from NYC to TLV. Kanfei Nesharim!
Assuming it’s a religious traveler on vacation in Orlando, the once a week flight only provides about 3.5- 4.5 days of “Park days”. I’m thinking of my own preference, but I couldn’t imagine jumping off a 12 hour flight (7 hour time difference) at 6:30AM and spending a full day at a park (on Day One- Wednesday). Of course, Fridays typically allow a limited day at parks. Unfortunately, because most Israelis are not sabbath-observant, they would look at that week’s itinerary as more of a complete trip, with Friday and Saturday as full park days.
Why do you say that most israelis aren’t shabbos observant, thats horrible & not true.
We have to look at Yidden with love
um. if they aren’t, then they aren’t. you are right, it is horrible. but even if we love them, that doesn’t make them observant…
1. I say that most Israeli’s aren’t shabbos observant, because it’s not only just a well known fact, but statistics and polling proves such. I will always stand for the State of Israel and the IDF, but I’d be naive and incorrect to believe that it is a majority-Orthodox country.
2. Who says’s I’m not looking at Yidden with love? If anything, you’ve proven my point even more that we should love all Jews regardless of their shabbos observance (which I absolutely agree with). Where am I wrong?
3. I’ve never taken the Shabbos United and Delta flights from NYC to TLV, but I imagine there is a level of success if the carriers continue to avail those flight offerings. I do know that I can’t promise you that 100% of those flights are evangelical Christians. My job is to try to make a Kiddush Hashem to the best of my ability, not deny or knock those Jews who don’t keep Shabbos.
If I’m understanding the post, your landing in Orlando on Tuesday morning and not Wednesday
Good call, you are correct. So Tuesday will be that “dead tired” day to take it easy in Orlando, not Wednesday.
I don’t like elal after the shabbos incident,
but i live in jerusalem and my randmother may she live and be well, lives in orlando, so this is great
connections are pricey and annoying.
How is Latam successful with a once weekly nonstop from São Paulo to Tel Aviv? Don’t know or hear much about that flight.
It’s 3x weekly.
Fascinating. Is there a sizable Jewish community in São Paulo to support those flights? Although officially in North America, I always thought the only city south of Miami (in the Western Hemisphere) which can provide a sizable market would be Mexico City? The city has 20 million+ population, plus I believe large Jewish communities.
4-5 Flights a week this summer for TLV-EWR-TLV
ELAL they be flying with 747-400 or 777-200
All other Elal flights from EWR will fly the Dreamliner 787
I still dont understand the draw of flying el al
Paying more for a worse experience.
Rude flight attendants
Broken tvs
Packed
bad food
Annoying
I flew Ukrainian for much cheaper and yes the seat/amenities situation is nothing to rave about but the people were pleasant and I got first row in coach for free to Ukraine and flight to israel I got an exit row
Local Askan, outside of the NYC area if someone wants a nonstop flight to Israel, ELAL might be their only option. Sometimes in the NYC ELAL is the most affordable option, or has the desired flight times. Regarding Ukrainian Airlines, many on Yelp and TripAdvisor would strongly disagree with your stellar experience. I’m assuming you weren’t on the November Ukrainian Air flight which stranded passengers in Ukraine for 12+ hours with no kosher food (source: https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/1630727/fiasco-in-kiev-ukrainian-airline-passengers-delayed-for-twelve-hours-airport-not-providing-kosher-food.html).
Agreed thats why many people stopped flying elal. It will continue to fall. Plus united and even skypesos delta have better award programs. imagine if AA joins back suit to try and get market share again. I have a ton of AA points
people would pay more to go direct even if it means a garbage airline and i have friends that flew UIA and they said it was garbage
El al is terrible
but any flight is okay as long as you stop off at Essen first and get a pastrami on rye
(hall of fame move)
Dan, how can you not write what plane they will be using, or at least what you think they will use in that route?
LOL!
Did you read the first line of this post?
No, I skim through.
Dan, perhaps you may want to consider giving some basic Critical Reading tips in one of your next seminars to minimize people asking such obvious questions already covered in the post.
#ReadDaPostTwiceB4Responding
Indeed odd selection of a route. Look at other foreign carriers that have multiple US gateways. Orlando? Las Vegas?
Turkish flies to: NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Houston, LAX, SFO, and IAD.
Air France flies to: NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Houston, LAX, SFO and IAD.
Lufthansa flies to: Atlanta, Detroit, NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, LAX, SFO, DFW, Miami, Denver, and IAD
I can name other foreign carriers with multiple US gateways, and they all put Chicago (and other cities) ahead of places like Las Vegas and Orlando, but I guess the Israelis think they’re smarter.
Interesting analysis. I value the work put into finding those stats, but I think it’s a bit of “apples to oranges”. 1. Those countries are much larger in size, population, and economies to support a wider base of business and vacation travel. Turkey’s population is about 80 million, Germany is 83 million (> 10X the size of Israel) 2. When I talk with non-Jewish colleagues or neighbors, most have an desire to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the lights of Tokyo, and the waterways of Venice. Although they have told me that Israel would be a great vacation, I don’t think they have that in the forefront of their mind. 3. Take a look at Detroit. They have about 4.5 million people in the metro area. Only about 75,000 Jews (according to their Federation, and I believe that is overly generous. It also includes all denominations and “types” of Jews). I think Paris travel trumps Tel Aviv for the 4.5 million Detroit area population.
Sounds like you’re the one who thinks he’s smarter
Are you sure about the Washington DC routes?
When is the next dansdeals seminar ?
Orlando and Las Vegas are two of the top convention destination cities in the US. (Yes, I know about Chicago.) They’re betting on business travelers who need to be at these conventions, not just the tourist trade. You’ll find lots of them flying in/out of NY or San Francisco one way and then the convention city the other way.
And for pure int’l visitors, Las Vegas is the number 2 city behind NY. With that and Orlando, El Al will fly to the top 6 US destinations for int’l visitors. I’m not saying these routes are going to flourish, but it’s not crazy. El Al is besieged by LCCs to Europe – this market still offers them high margins.
As far as all the complaints, El Al does not pack you in like sardines any more than other airlines. The 777 is still 9 across in coach, right?
AC yul tlv route is off during the winter
Read the post…
Houston please! The Mayor even wants it!
Dan, do you think AA will come back to TLV?
if i was aa i would make a strong partnership with elal with codeshare so then its like then ppl will fly with elal and earn miles and eqm which should help them win more corporate account given the tlv network they would have with them
El Al sucks. I spent over 100,000 usd on elal tickets from TLV to JFK sending my wife and kids to visit her parents almost every summer in NYC from 2003 till about 2014. I never received a single perk or upgrade. Before leaving El Al I emailed elal asking for something. Incredibly, after 2 weeks, I received a boilerplate email telling me to join matmid and I’ll receive great benefits. I wrote back that I was already a member and I’d switch to Delta if they don’t give me some upgrade on the upcoming summer ticket purchase. El Al never responded. They could care less. So I did switch to Delta. Better food, better service and the Delta points don’t expire so I’m almost qualified for free tickets. I was a frier (sucker).
Thank you for the info. I hope American will bring back PHL-TLV. I took it a few times when it was US Airways and though the aisles were extremely narrow, it was an excellent flight overall.
We are waiting in Houston for direct flights to Israel !!