Related post: Enough Is Enough: The Time Is Now For El Al To Issue Refunds For Cancelled Flights And Stop Violating DoT Policy!
El Al previously suspended all commercial service from March 27 through April 4.
They later extended that suspension through May 2nd and closed down their call centers, though they remain open for charter and cargo flights.
Then they extended that suspension through May 30th. Though they didn’t make those cancellations official until today, a week and a half after they stopped selling those flights.
Then they started operating select one-off flights while they are “closed.”
Today they shut down sales on all flights through June 27th, which typically means the flights will be cancelled, though it may be a while until they make it official. Their next flights for sale are on June 28th.
El Al is refusing to discuss refunds on cancelled flights until they reopen, so this buys them even more time to use customer funds as a de facto bailout.
If your flight is cancelled, you are owed a timely refund based on US and Europe law:
- Dispute the charge with your credit card. (Note: If you purchased through a travel agent, this may or may not wind up hurting that agent).
- File a complaint with the US DoT and/or with the relevant local complaint board.
- If those options fail, you can take the airline to small claims court.
- Like and Retweet:
Enough Is Enough: The Time Is Now For El Al To Issue Refunds For Cancelled Flights And Stop Violating DoT Policy! @ELALUSA @EL_AL_ISRAEL https://t.co/0jbDnnxDYB#YallaElAl #IssueRefundsNow #DoTheRightThing
— DansDeals (@DansDeals) April 26, 2020
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42 Comments On "El Al Appears To Be Pushing Back Service Resumption Yet Again, This Time Until June 28th"
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I have a ticket booked with ElAl via Chase UR (CSR), any chance of getting the points returned?
Have you filed a DoT complaint?
I didn’t attempt to do anything yes as I was hoping that somehow a miracle would happen and we would end up in Israel as planned for Shavous.
Should I contact chase first?
Sure, see if they can dispute anything. Then file a complaint.
Thank you!
why not a class action suit against ElAl by a group of people. would be more effective then small claims court, no?
Go for it.
oh I dont fly elal. would rather pay more money to fly on another carrier
are you giving a heter arkaos?
I’m not giving anything other than telling people how to get back what was stolen from them and is illegally being withheld.
they can’t payback until they get bailout money
otherwise they will go bankrupt
They took your money for a service not provided.
Holding onto your funds like that is illegal according to US law.
Ponzi scheme?
Just curious. Do you prefer they give everyone a refund now and then you write about them going bankrupt in 3 months? I know it’s illegal and all, but I am asking about if the end result is better for everyone.
Can you post on how to make a complaint to the European transportation boards? I’m seeing conflicting and confusing info on that on other sites. Thanks for all your advice!
El Al’s policy to refuse refunds on cancelled flights until they reopen is meant to permit the survival of the airline. What do you think you’re accomplishing by encouraging customers to initiate chargebacks??
This is nothing short of thievery. They can’t force passengers to bail them out. For US and EU passengers, this is violating the law.
If they need a bailout then they should go to their creditors or their government, but what right do they have to refuse refunds for services that were paid for and not rendered?
And those who can’t pay their CC bills and have this money RIGHTFULLY owed to them?
So you book a trip to Israel and cannot pay the credit card bill for the trip. If the flight wasn’t canceled would you all of a sudden be able to pay your card bill? There is always risk in life when it comes to these things and the smart person doesn’t book a trip to Israel with their last penny they would need if they lost their job. Just sayin
If someone decided to use his last penny to pay for a service which he had received – that is absolutely his/her prerogative. The reasons why they chose to do so and how they can pay it back is no-one eles’s business. Over here, we are dealing with something completely different. Elal is illegally withholding money that they took for not doing what they said they would do. Since the service wasn’t provided, the law mandates that the monies be returned to the owner.
To further the instruction, there is to reason to claim that the company should reimburse all additional damages incurred to the claimant due to delayed payments.
If a person is financially struggling due to to the pandemic and is in need of financial relief (like many people people are,) under what sense of ethical logic can one claim that the financial well-being of an airline is more important than their own. El al has to understand that that it is specifically in these tough and trying situations that companies are being observed. If the public views them in such a negative manner, that would truly be detrimental to their financial well-being. However, If the company shows understanding and respect to their customers, I am fully confident that after this pandemic is over people will seek them to be their trusted airline.
I have a round trip ticket that originated in Israel and I used the first half to come to the US for Pesach can I get part or all of my money back?
I’m seeing an El Al flight on May 7th from NYC to Tel Aviv on Kayak.com. Is that a mistake?
https://www.kayak.com/flights/NYC-TLV/2020-05-07?sort=bestflight_a
Kayak is not reliable.
I had a flight with ElAl scheduled for today that I booked thru Chase ultimate rewards using points. The flight was canceled i spoke to Chase they claimed they will get me refunded but then sent me the same email that ElAl has been sending….blah blah blah
Ask Chase to open a dispute.
File a DoT complaint.
Does this indicate restrictions to foreigners will be extended? I was looking into booking a flight from Brazil to Israel for early June. Any prediction when foreigners will be allowed to enter Israel? Thanks
I highly doubt they will let foreigners in then.
When would you estimate, Israel would start allowing foreigners again?
Mid August theyre saying here
Do you happen to have a link or some source mentioning mid August? I’m trying to inform my family. Thanks
June 14 is isreal all open
Says who?
@Moshe June 14 is the date to have the day to day life within the country totaly open, noone knows when their going to open the borders – especialy not for travelers from the US where more people died in NY than Israel has total infections!
I asked someone big in isreal they told me June 14 is open for all
While I would never wish evil to others even when I don’t agree with their model, if I had skin in the game I would be cursing them out and wishing their demise. I just can’t figure what the pr plan is after shafting thousands of customers. Customers have a choice where to spend their dollars, anyone getting the raw end of this will choose to spend their dollars to any other airline. With high competition Taking the high road will make the difference in the consumer confidence to book another flight.
Maybe a bit off topic here, but I have tremendous gratitude towards United Airlines, who have kept open TLVEWR daily this whole time. This is, literally a lifeline for many. Because of this flight, my daughter will be iyH home soon, safe and sound and out of quarantine. I, for one, will not forget who kept flying and who didn’t, and will direct my business accordingly.
Dont thank them too much they’re thanking you alot more hamayvin yavin
A newbie here, completely unfamiliar with flight tickets and points, so I appreciate your kind explanation and guidance.
I applied for and got a Chase Ink card a few months ago. I spend about $8K to buy ElAl tickets for the family and become eligible to get the points the CC offers as a sign up bonus. The reservation was made for 6/22 to 7/8
1. Is the money spent gone because the airline can always claim the return flight not canceled?
2. If the airline returns the money or I dispute and CC accepts the dispute, will my point be gone?
Any advice?
It would be the very first time in our lives to go to Israel and my son is becoming Bar Mitsva.
If El Al cancels even that first 6/22 flight then you are eligible for a full refund. If El Al doesn’t issue it to you, then I’d call chase on 6/22 when there is no flight and initiate a chargeback and you will get your money back in your account. Whether chase pulls back all your bonus points, I’m not sure of.
How would I go about the small claims court option. I filed with DOT. Inpaid with chase reserve points so charge back is not an option I tried a million times
Dan when in your estimation, When do you think Israel will reopen its borders to foreigners?
Any idea?