In an unprecedented move to address the mounting travel crisis, El Al Airlines will reserve 15 seats on each flight to key business destinations for Israel's tech sector professionals, Globes reported Thursday. The initiative covers routes to New York, London (Heathrow), and Paris, marking a significant shift in the airline's booking policy.
The program, developed after consultation with Israel's Transportation and Economy Ministries, comes at a time when American carriers have suspended their Israel operations indefinitely. Delta Air Lines has extended its suspension until March 2025, while United and American Airlines remain uncommitted to return dates.
The reserved seats will be held until nine days before departure, after which they'll be released to the general public. Pricing will maintain wartime caps: $1,515 for New York, $767 for London, and $699 for Paris through February's end.
The move appears to be a strategic response to "Tech Air," an ambitious initiative by tech industry leaders who planned to charter their own flights at $1,350 for economy seats. That project, which aimed to launch in January, has shown no signs of materialization in global distribution systems.
El Al's market dominance in North American routes has soared to 86% in Q3 2024, up dramatically from 35.1% the previous year. Industry experts estimate an additional 16 weekly flights are needed just to meet current demand for North American routes.
The tech sector's dependence on U.S. connections remains critical, with two-thirds of recent quarter investments originating from abroad, primarily from the United States.
Travel industry observers are divided on the program's potential success. While some praise the initiative's targeted approach, others express concerns about the operational challenges of managing reserved seat blocks across multiple routes.
