U.S. airlines have yet to resume flights to Israel, leaving El Al as the only carrier offering direct flights to the country. The same situation applies to routes to Thailand, where El Al is the sole airline operating direct flights. As a result, there are virtually no available seats in economy class for both destinations and ticket prices have skyrocketed, exceeding $2,500 per ticket.
In many cases, travelers are left with no choice but to book seats in premium or business class, making a connecting flight with a stopover almost unavoidable.
“There is a significant shortage of available seats to New York, which has led to higher-than-usual prices, both for connecting flights and El Al’s direct flights," said Yaniv Lanis, founder of the website Secret Flights. According to our research, the lowest price for a New York flight is $660 (2,432 NIS), offered by ITA (with a stopover in Rome), British Airways (stopover in London), and Iberia (stopover in Madrid).”
Additionally, Virgin Atlantic flights to New York via London start at $675, and flights from the Lufthansa Group (including Swiss, Lufthansa, and Brussels Airlines) begin at $695.
What about flights to the East? According to Lanis, the cheapest flights to Bangkok are currently offered by the newly rebranded ITA Airways, which will open its route to Bangkok in November. While this flight is slightly longer due to the European stopover rather than one in the UAE, the price is attractive, starting at $612, including luggage and meals (for dates between November 30 and December 13).
Another shorter stopover option is with Air India, which will resume flights to Israel in October. Tickets are priced at $670 for travel dates from June 1 to June 18.
Etihad Airways offers flights through Abu Dhabi starting at $720 (for dates from February 25 to March 11), and Emirates, with its partner FlyDubai, offers connecting flights through Dubai starting at $752 (September 15-30).
As we mentioned during the summer, September—right after the school holidays and just before the October holidays—is the most affordable time to book a flight or vacation. The price difference can be substantial, and if you’re willing to let your kids miss a few days of school, you can save a lot of money and avoid crowds during your holiday.