I have been a loyal customer of El Al since 2004 and from 2005 I have been a Gold FF card holder. Currently, due to my work requirements, I fly from Tel Aviv to New York twice a month. I have chosen British Airways as my carrier of choice, despite El Al being a more convenient option for me and despite my will to support my national flag carrier.

In May 2008 I have decided to use FF points that I have earned. I have called El Al reservations center and booked a return flight from Tel Aviv to Johannesburg, South Africa. The reservation was for the following dates: October 2nd 2008, and until November 1st 2008. I was told that the ticket must be issued by July 8th 2008. On July 2nd, when I called El-Al's reservation center in order to perform the necessary ticketing, I was told, to my complete surprise, that my reservation had been canceled (!), because I did not ticket it! Fortunately enough, the reservation has been restored, and I have given my credit card number for charges and ticketing purposes.
A few days had gone by and I still had neither received my tickets, nor any other communication from El-Al.
I have called the reservation center again – to be told that the return leg of my flight on November 1st flight from Johannesburg, was canceled. Instead, I was suggested to fly back to Tel-Aviv on November 3rd. Reluctantly, and without being offered any form of compensation for additional costs following the change in flights and the consequent prolonged stay abroad, e.g. extra hotel nights and penalties for changing connecting flight, I have agreed to El-Al's suggestion. This change had cost me a few thousands dollars.
On August 30th, Just when I thought that the series of mishaps and misconducts described above was behind me, I randomly checked my flight status on El Al’s website, I had another unpleasant surprise: I have noticed that the flight on October 2nd ,which was the first leg of my journey, had been rescheduled from 7:10 AM to 9:00 AM. This change in flight departure time had profound consequences for my trip – not allowing me to arrive on time for my connecting flight – the last flight available on October 2nd from Johannesburg to my final destination. This change by El Al accomplished more than just causing a missed connection, namely putting at risk a 3 weeks journey, for which I paid a considerable sum of money. I have to be in my final destination(Windhoek) by dawn of October 3rd. Failure to arrive on time to Windhoek will result in missing the entire 3 weeks long journey, and loss of the sums paid for that trip.
I would like to emphasize that El-Al had not bothered to notify me about any of the changes described above, which all came to my knowledge through my own checks, and never by an El Al representative.
El Al is a registered carrier and yet succeeded to behave, as I elaborated heretofore, as a charter airline, changing and canceling flights repeatedly, without any prior or subsequent notice, hurting its loyal and supporting customers and patrons. The situation is even worse, since it undermines the entire meaning and purpose of the bonus points system for loyal customers, who are encouraged to book bonus flights as far in advance as possible; yet, apparently, cannot rely on the airline’s schedule for their travel arrangements. This is a paradox, reminiscent of Catch 22, at least. Moreover, I would also highlight that El-Al's service and attitude, in my case, comes into direct contradiction with norms established by the Israeli Consumers counsel, and various laws and court rulings. I am aware that an airline is entitled to make changes to its schedule, yet it is also its duty to compensate a customer that had been severely affected by such actions as described in this letter, or at least perform all attempts and efforts to seek feasible solutions for passengers who are affected by its actions. This is both an obligation, and a minimal standard of service, and even a clearer one when referring to a frequent flyer.

Since I was affected by El Al’s changes to my itinerary, I have started to fly with another carrier. Since April 2008 I have made 7 return trips from Tel Aviv to New York, and I expect this number to grow to 15 by the end of the year. I also work for a company that employs 300 employees, almost all are frequent flyers.
I ask you to help me to return to my flag carrier and support it, as well as to encourage my colleagues and friends, many of whom are Gold and Platinum card holders, to choose El Al as a carrier of their choice.
Never have I heard of such a case, that was not followed by airline’s best effort to satisfy the customer and doing all in its power to assure the customer’s safe and timely arrival to his destination.
I have contacted El Al’s customer relations on August 31st and despite the urgency have not received any clear answer, but rather was asked to wait for a telephone call, during which I was asked to wait for another one – for which I am still waiting. when I called again I stil was not given an adequate reponse.I was also not been able to receive from anyone of numerous El Al representatives with whom I have conversed, a telephone number of a representative with whom I can be in touch with, but rather left in the mercy of your junior employees.

I am now going to book a flight on my new regular carrier, a major European airline, with which I hold the highest tier card and book another flight. I am intending to return my gold card to El Al and never fly it again.

I advise those of you who consider flying El Al not to do so , if you desier a punctual service, good FF program and a decent service, not to mention all of the technical problems El Al has been experiencing lately and their poor financial status.

Rudy

P.S. please feel free to post/link/forward this post of mine.