This one caught me a bit off guard.
El Al Suspends All Flights Until Further Notice
According to the Jerusalem Post, El Al has cancelled all passenger and all cargo flights until further notice.
El Al lost $140 million in the first quarter and this move comes amid ongoing disputes between management and pilots, with only 100 pilots currently flying. The rest are on unpaid leave.
El Al also said they are “in advanced stages” of receiving government aid.
I’m certainly not startled by any airline having financial woes right now, but I’m a bit surprised at the sudden cessation of all flights “until further notice”
As far as miles and points go, El Al via Qantas points is a fan favorite NYC (or Toronto) to Israel in Business Class for 82,000 Qantas each and minimal fees.
I remember the “good old days” when you could book El Al using American AAdvantage miles, that that arrangement ended many moons ago. Of course at that time, El Al also only had cradle seats in Business Class – meaning you needed First Class just to lie (mostly) flat!
Remember that if you do have an award flight booked with an El Al partner like Qantas, you’ll need to ring up that booking carrier to deal with the cancellation.
HT: Seth Miller on Twitter
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