Cost of Pesach in Israel way down

Travelers who already booked could still realize savings

By Jewish Star staff

Issue of March 13, 2009 / 17 Adar 5769

With so many Americans facing new financial concerns, the number of people planning expensive trips to Israel this Pesach is way down, with some travel vendors reporting as much as 50 percent drops in reservations from past years.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the cost of a holiday trip to Israel, while still not cheap, has also declined precipitously. In addition, travelers who revisit arrangements that they have already made for the coming chag (holiday) could realize substantial savings, according to Meir Weingarten, president of Ariel Tours, a travel wholesaler that specializes in Israel.

Lower fuel surcharges and newly reduced fares are the reason the overall cost of a trip to Israel has come down, Weingarten said, as well as discounted packages being offered for the first time by popular Israeli hotels.

The average El AL fare to Israel is now about $1,200, plus about $300 in taxes and fuel surcharges, said Weingarten. That’s down from a total of about $2,600 a ticket on trips booked last December.

“There is a penalty to refund a ticket and then repurchase a new ticket,” he noted. “But if the penalty is less than the amount you are saving, it’s worth it.”

He cautioned against blaming travel agents for the significantly higher fares of several months ago.

“Obviously, the travel agent goes nuts in this case because you’re spinning your wheels selling and reselling the same ticket. A lot of people don’t understand and they think the travel agent is a thief.”

This is not the case, he said, explaining that, in the travel arena, shopping around for the best price can work against you because if the same names are booked with two different agents the airline computer system will find it and likely knock out both reservations, the higher and the lower cost one.

“You’ve got to pick someone you know and trust and go with them,” he advised.

Packages being offered by hotels to encourage wary travelers to make reservations for Pesach in Israel mean there are good deals to be had –– nine nights at the Sheraton Plaza in Jerusalem will cost you $2,310, he said, including daily breakfast and six yom tov meals.

At $4,000, all inclusive, American programs may seem to present a better deal, particularly because they include every meal and all sorts of entertainment, he said, but if you travel to Israel for Pesach, then you’re in Yerushalayim which presents all the entertainment most people could need, Weingarten said with a smile.

“Obviously, someone who has been hit by the [economic] crisis is another story,” he said, but others “may want to consider going. It’s not as expensive as they might have thought. It’s still expensive, but it’s in Israel. It really lends a whole different dimension when you say, “L’shono Haboh B’Yerushalayim” (next year in Jerusalem), at the end of a Seder.”