Near monopoly status: How the Israel-Hamas War impacted El Al ticket prices

Flag carrier El Al has had a record-breaking past year. Its share price has risen by 173% as the Israel-Hamas War caused other airlines to cancel flights, giving El Al a near monopoly status on many routes, Globes reported last month. The airline’s 2024 Q2 net profit was $147m, far and away from $59m a year ago, Reuters reported. Critics have accused El Al of price gouging, as some customers have struggled to book tickets for prices anywhere near what they booked before the war, and others have struggled to find tickets at all. The airline has said that it is doing all it can to provide a response to the “strong demand and unusual load on El Al’s service network.” Some consumers’ anger over ticket prices has been exacerbated by El Al’s marketing campaigns in which the company said it was supporting Israelis through the war and through the travel challenges imposed by it.<br/>