‘It’s disgusting’: El Al passengers’ year-long wait for flight refunds
Customers have spoken of their frustration after still not receiving refunds from the Israeli flag carrier airline a year into the pandemic
El Al passengers have been left waiting more than a year for refunds after their flights were cancelled during the first coronavirus outbreak.
Passengers have told Jewish News of their year-long headache trying to get their cash back from the Israeli flag carrier airline after their flights were cancelled last year.
The airline is offering two options for those that had flights cancelled before 21 September: flight credit worth 125% of the tickets or a cash refund.
Among those affected is Mike Mandelbaum, a charity chief executive who lives near Brighton. He booked tickets for four relatives to fly from Luton to Tel Aviv for Pesach.
He said he was owed $920 for the flights, which had been due to fly on 12 April last year. Three of the refund requests have been ‘approved’ – but he still hasn’t got the money.
“I just wish they would be straight with you,” said Mandelbaum.
“If they said it was going to be six months for a refund, then it’d be fine. But if they say they’re going to refund you and don’t, that’s not fine.”
Contact with the airline has been difficult, he said, because a UK landline rings out and an automated WhatsApp number gives back messages in Hebrew. “You just go around in circles,” he added.
A similar problem has been encountered by Nick Conway, whose flight to Tel Aviv with his partner last year was also cancelled.
Conway said they are owed around $1,000, which the airline confirmed was due for a refund in December.
“Right now they are offering flights to Tel Aviv but have yet to pay me back. It’s disgusting. They have the money. They are simply taking advantage of their customers,” he told Jewish News.
When asked how the airline could improve its customer service, he replied: “They could actually have some customer service, that’s how!”
A third customer who claimed to have been affected, called Mike, said his El Al flight was cancelled last spring. “There is no customer service to call,” he said.
He said he had since filed a complaint with the US Department for Transportation. “I’m very frustrated,” he said.
The airline was emailed for comment by Jewish News, but did not respond.
However, its website said that because of the “heavy load” of refund requests, the process was being handled gradually.
“In recent months, EL Al Israel Airlines has been facing the biggest crisis that has ever befallen the aviation industry against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic,” said a website statement.
“The directives and travel limitations of the State of Israel and other countries, along with public health concerns, have almost completely halted our activities.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
