With foreign airlines returning to Tel Aviv and November considered a quieter month for outbound travel after the Jewish holidays, an examination reveals that now is the time to fly abroad, with ticket prices dropping to double-digit figures for one-way flights.
Examples abound: a Wizz Air flight to Larnaca on November 3 costs as little as $50 one way (currently discounted through the end of October). Arkia flights to Sofia are priced at $97 one way between November 3 and 14, excluding hand luggage, and Arkia flights to Thessaloniki on November 2 are available for the same price.
Israir is offering round-trip flights to Athens between November 2 and 7 for $130 per passenger, or about $65 each way, excluding carry-ons. A round-trip to Rome on the same airline costs $195, while flights to Larnaca between October 29 and November 4 are just $105 round-trip.
Even El Al has introduced lower fares, with flights to Larnaca starting at $66 one way and to Batumi from $113 for departures on November 4.
Blue Bird Airways lists prices to Vienna, Barcelona, Budapest, and Prague starting at €111 ($120) one way as the Christmas season approaches.
In addition to November’s generally low fares, several airlines are launching limited-time flash sales to boost ticket sales. Arkia recently announced a major deal offering round-trip flights to select destinations for $150, including Athens, Larnaca, Budapest, Paphos, and Tbilisi. Blue Bird Airways, owned by Holiday Lines, launched an even earlier sale, with all seats on selected flights to Sofia, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, and Prague selling for a flat $89 one way.
Looking ahead, Blue Bird has also unveiled Christmas market specials for November, including €77 ($82) to Larnaca, €85 ($91) to Rome and Sofia, and €94 ($101) to Athens.
Yaniv Lanis, founder of the travel website Secret Flights, said: “Prices on the most popular routes from Ben-Gurion Airport already reflect growing competition between airlines, especially on short and mid-range flights. For instance, El Al flights to Larnaca are offered at $84, Aegean flights to Athens at $89, and Wizz Air flights to Budapest at $136 — all very attractive compared to recent months. Even London is available for $145 with Wizz Air.”
A check of the Wizz Air website also shows low fares throughout November, such as round-trip flights to Larnaca for $113, Athens for $119, Krakow for $162, and Budapest for a similar price range — all excluding carry-ons.