Officials at American Airlines insist the decision to cancel the Philadelphia Tel Aviv line in January 2016 is strictly due to the fact the line does not make money. American officials’ explain the line never made money and it was given every possible opportunity, including the merger between American and US Airways. Due to this reality the decision was made to cancel the service.
Company officials acknowledge the importance of the Israeli market, explaining this is why the line was given so many opportunities to prove itself but at the end of the day, the flight is 13 hours and it requires two planes and it is simply not economically viable.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
Anyone wonder why AA discontinued the route after purchasing TWA from bancrupcy? It was due to outstanding financial obligations that AA assumed from TWA. Now that they’ve purchased US Air, those obligations may have just been awakened.
It would make sense that this line doesn’t make money, considering how impossible it was to deal with them.
I booked that flight last summer; it was a nonrefundable, nontransferable ticket. Because of the war in Israel, I called to cancel my ticket, hoping that the fact that the FAA had issued a warning against traveling to Israel would be enough for them to issue a refund or, at the very least, allow me to switch my flight without the $300 international change fee. Of course, no such luck. Then, when I re-booked my flight in January, the flight was $300 cheaper- but they wouldn’t let me credit the $300 difference to pay the international fee, so I ended up paying $600 more for the January ticket than I would have otherwise.
Then, when I was on my way back from Israel, my flight from Philly to NY was canceled- of course, I was not notified until I had already checked my luggage. They told me that they MIGHT be able to get me a flight at 2:00 the next day. I told them I wanted to get my luggage and I would find a different way home; it took over 3 hours for them to get me my luggage. I ended up taking the Amtrak line to Manhattan, and from there getting back to Brooklyn via the subway. Once I got home, I received a flurry of messages from US Airways (at the time) notifying me that my flight was once again delayed.
I tried calling the airline to get a refund for the flight from Philly to NY, but no such luck- I couldn’t even find anyone to talk to, they just gave me the runaround!
American Airlines simply isn’t interested in this route, albeit they fly plenty other non lucrative routes. They have a pattern of this behavior, from when they procured TWA
When United Airlines acquired Continental, they proudly took on this route.
I have cancelled my AA visa and refuse to fly them because of their horrible service.
After their fiasco with TWA’s JFK-TLV route, I wondered how long it would take them to cancel the PHL-TLV one.
BTW British Air still flies to Tel Aviv from Philly via London.
Philly airport is a pleasure to use, especially after experiencing JFK or EWR.
Maybe the reason is true. Everyone on the Phi-Tlv flight is flying for next to nothing. They are all using points!
As an out-of-towner who had too many experiences schlepping into JFK or Newark in order to fly to Israel, the PHL-TLV route was such a relief!! Losing it is beyond disappointing.
HOWEVER – those of us who know this route know that flights are ALWAYS full with out-of-town frum Jews and Christian groups. Fuel prices are falling and Israel Airport Authority reports that the passenger number has gone up 2.7% in the last year. ONE CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT AMERICAN AIRLINES IS RESPONDING TO THE BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) against Israel.
American Airlines was a leading force in creating OneWorld which includes Qatar, Jordan and Malaysia’s national carriers. WE MUST BE VOCAL AND COMPLAIN! I know that many frum Jews from Lakewood and Baltimore prefer this route over going via NY!!
No one can accuse Haaretz of being too easy on Arabs or Muslims….However, on August 23, 2015 there was an article about AA cancelling this route and they said the financial reason given is just a cover up for BDS!!!
WE MUST SPEAK UP!!! WE NEED THIS ROUTE FOR TRAVELLING TO ERETZ YISRAEL and we CANNOT allow American Airlines to get away with this anti-semitism!! This is American and in America the customer counts. Our needs count and American Airlines has to hear from us that we want and need this route!! I have filed my complaints with American and I urge each and every one to do the same. THIS IS BLATANT ANTI_ANTISEMITISM.