After announcing the launch of its new New York route, Israir is already reporting strong demand. According to the airline, bookings worth about $8 million were made within hours of sales opening. But alongside its promises of "real competition" and "attractive prices," a ynet comparison paints a more complicated picture: Airfares, including a carry-on and checked bag, vary significantly depending on the travel dates.
Demand is already especially high for the upcoming Jewish holiday season, with some flights nearly sold out. Later in the fall and in early winter, however, fares can differ by hundreds of dollars among El Al, Arkia, Israir, Delta and United.
Competition on the New York route heats up
(Photo: Shutterstock)
We compared six travel periods through early January, looking at round-trip fares per passenger that included a carry-on and checked bag, as displayed at the time of the search. The comparison found that no single airline offered the lowest fare across all dates.
It is important to note that airfares are dynamic and can change quickly depending on demand and availability.
For the earliest period checked, Sept. 16-23, there was already very little real competition left. El Al had sold out all seats, while Arkia had only one business-class seat available on the outbound flight, priced at $2,200, with no availability found for the return flight.
Among airlines that still had seats available in both directions, Israir was the cheapest at $2,299, followed by Delta at $2,889 and United at $3,039.
By late October, the picture changes. For travel between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2, Arkia offered the lowest fare at $1,198. It was followed by Israir at $1,449, El Al at $1,470, United at $1,611 and Delta at $2,204.
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive fares for those dates exceeded $1,000 per passenger.
In mid-November, Delta offered the lowest fare. For flights between Nov. 15 and Nov. 30, its fare was $1,229, compared with $1,298 on Arkia, $1,440 on El Al, $1,449 on Israir and $1,700 on United.
Delta was also the cheapest in early December. For travel between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, it offered a fare of $1,129, compared with $1,198 on Arkia, $1,598 on United, $1,635 on El Al and $1,699 on Israir.
Ahead of Christmas, the rankings shift again. Between Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, El Al was the cheapest at $1,355. It was followed by Delta at $1,456, United at $1,598, Israir at $1,699 and Arkia at $2,048.
For travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, 2027, El Al again offered the lowest fare at $1,355. It was followed by Arkia at $1,448, United at $1,638, Israir at $1,699 and Delta at $1,954.
The comparison shows that Israir's entry into the route adds another player to the competition, but as of the current check, it was not the cheapest airline for most of the dates examined.
During the Jewish holiday season, when availability is already extremely limited, Israir was the cheapest option among airlines with seats available in both directions. For later dates, Arkia, Delta and El Al offered the lowest fares.
Israir is presenting the opening of sales as a success. According to the airline, ticket sales began Tuesday at 2 p.m. in stages — first for flights through the end of September, then through the end of November and now through March 2027.
Within a few hours, the airline said, bookings totaled about $8 million. Israir noted that sales have not yet opened for the main high-demand periods of 2027, including Passover and the summer season.