Israel's New York Flight Market Sees Fierce Competition and Price Fluctuations

Israir has announced strong demand for its newly launched Tel Aviv-New York route, reporting approximately $8 million in bookings within hours of sales opening. However, an investigation by ynet reveals significant price variations for flights, including checked baggage and carry-on, depending on travel dates. Competition on the route is intensifying, with El Al, Arkia, Israir, Delta, and United Airlines all vying for passengers.

During the upcoming High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), demand is already high, and many flights are nearly sold out. For travel later in the fall and early winter, ynet found price differences of hundreds of dollars between airlines. A comparison of round-trip flights for six different dates until early January, including baggage, showed no single airline consistently offering the lowest price.

For the period of September 16-23, availability is extremely limited. El Al has no seats left, and Arkia only has a business class seat on the outbound flight for $2,200, with no return availability. Among airlines with seats on both legs, Israir was the cheapest at $2,299, followed by Delta ($2,889) and United ($3,039).

Prices shift significantly later in the year. For October 22-November 2, Arkia offered the lowest fare at $1,198, followed by Israir ($1,449), El Al ($1,470), United ($1,611), and Delta ($2,204). In mid-November (15-30), Delta was cheapest at $1,229, with Arkia ($1,298), El Al ($1,440), Israir ($1,449), and United ($1,700) following. In early December (8-14), Delta again led at $1,129, ahead of Arkia ($1,198), United ($1,598), El Al ($1,635), and Israir ($1,699).

Around Christmas, the rankings changed again. For December 22-29, El Al was the lowest at $1,355, followed by Delta ($1,456), United ($1,598), Israir ($1,699), and Arkia ($2,048). For December 23-January 3, 2027, El Al again offered the lowest price at $1,355, with Arkia ($1,448), United ($1,638), Israir ($1,699), and Delta ($1,954) behind.

Israir's entry adds competition, but it is not the cheapest on most dates examined. It was the most affordable option for the limited High Holiday period when seats were available. Later dates saw Arkia, Delta, and El Al offering the best prices. Israir considers the sales launch a success, noting that sales for peak 2027 periods like Passover and summer have not yet opened.