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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 07:18 15/12/2006 El Al losing NIS 1 million daily to unofficial ultra-Orthodox boycott By Zohar Blumenkrantz, Haaretz Correspondent The crisis that broke out between the ultra-Orthodox and El Al two weeks ago is beginning to affect the company. An El Al source said Thursday that the company estimates it is losing NIS 1 million per day, which may worsen if the ultra-Orthodox community declares an official boycott of the carrier. Meanwhile, the company is trying to minimize its losses with a more energetic marketing campaign among the secular public, with emphasis on weekend packages for couples. Haaretz has learned that the airline allotted 3,500 tickets for the special offers aimed at secular couples interested in a weekend vacation abroad. A Wednesday meeting between El Al CEO Haim Romano and the rabbinic committee on safeguarding Shabbat did not bring a solution any closer. Advertisement The crisis erupted two weeks ago, following an El Al decision to allow a number of its flights to take off after the beginning of Shabbat. The flight schedule had been disrupted when airport workers participated in a nationwide strike two days earlier. The rabbinic committee on Shabbat represents all ultra-Orthodox groups, and would like El Al to appoint a rabbi to decide whether the carrier may schedule flights in exceptional circumstances on Shabbat. Both sides reported that the meeting Wednesday was held in a "very positive atmosphere" following instructions by leading rabbinic leaders to "do everything possible" to reach an agreement. At the meeting, Romano said El Al considers its Haredi customers important clients, and vowed to "do everything so that they would continue to fly" with the carrier. The ultra-Orthodox community has imposed a de facto boycott on El Al, even though one has not been officially declared by community leaders. Nonetheless, when the Haredi public seeks the advice of rabbis on the matter, their view is unequivocal: stay off El Al. The Haredi press is also stating that leading rabbis, both in Israel and abroad, have chosen to use other airlines. Other carriers appear to have taken advantage of the opportunity to tap into the Haredi market. Air Canada advertised Wednesday in a Haredi newspaper, promising benefits to passengers and Glatt Kosher meals. In its efforts to counter its losses, El Al is offering packages of $399 per couple for flights to Athens and Istanbul, while similar packages to Western Europe are on offer for $599. According to company sources, the package is tailored to suit the Israeli public, which likes taking short winter vacations. Bookmark to del.icio.us Mystery fall Avraham and Carmela Cohen are suspected of being involved in a soldier's murder. Lonely no more Many people hold Lonely Planet responsible for the entire globe becoming a tourist site.   1.   Sorry for both sides... 03:16  |  Dan 15/12/06   2.   THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINING-ISRAEL WILL BE A JEWISH STATE 04:10  |  MEIR WEINSTEIN 15/12/06   3.   El Al losing NIS 1 million daily to unofficial ultra-Orthodox boy 04:25  |  Walter Plywaski 15/12/06   4.   Boycott non-shomer shabbat vendors 05:27  |  Chaim 15/12/06   5.   Market Forces in Action 05:34  |  DT 15/12/06   6.   El Al Losing money 05:51  |  robin 15/12/06   7.   I`ll go with El Al 05:58  |  Simon 15/12/06   8.   Dumb! 06:00  |  PETER SM 15/12/06   9.   "RAbbis" in Iran 06:01  |  Ron 15/12/06   10.   good job El Al 06:04  |  mk 15/12/06   11.   It Isn`t Just Ultra-Orthodox 06:12  |  Yishai Kohen 15/12/06   12.   Loosing or not earning ? 06:29  |  Jonathan 15/12/06   13.   "Goyishe" airlines 06:50  |  Peretz Itzhaki 15/12/06   14.   To Simon 07:10  |  DZ 15/12/06   15.   good job El Al 07:13  |  Louna 15/12/06   16.   HOPE they stop taking money from non Shomer Shabbos donors. 07:14  |  PETER SM 15/12/06   17.   El Al 07:51  |  Avi 15/12/06   18.   El Al 08:43  |  David 15/12/06   19.   Seven Days Make a Week 08:52  |  Michael 15/12/06   20.   Who actually cares about this nonsense anyway ? 09:12  |  Philip Angell 15/12/06   21.   How much daily do these ultra-Orthodox cost ? 09:25  |  Paul Henzen 15/12/06   22.   ain`t capitalism grand? this is our perogative! 09:35  |  we haredim.... 15/12/06   23.   Let them walk to Amerika 09:40  |  FOX 15/12/06   24.   Make it official or dont tell me about it 09:50  |  anom 15/12/06   25.   DT, Chaim 09:51  |  sh 15/12/06   26.   To karkur: Chareidim also fly FROM America 10:24  |  Charieidi 15/12/06   27.   Secular fly by nights cannot make up for Orthodox customer base. 10:30  |  Sim 15/12/06   28.   To Ron (#9) 10:37  |  SJCA 15/12/06   29.   Not unlike the idiotic Chabadnik in Seattle!! 11:00  |  Ari ben Yisrael 15/12/06   30.   #3 Walter Plywaski 11:03  |  Jo Jo 15/12/06   31.   Chariedi Baby #26 11:11  |  FOX 15/12/06   32.   # 7 Simon 11:11  |  Jo Jo 15/12/06   33.   #18 David 11:20  |  Jo Jo 15/12/06   34.   If El Al wasn`t a state airline 11:27  |  Axel 15/12/06   35.   ill go with el-al too 11:29  |  mikey 15/12/06   36.   We need a legitimate compromise 11:31  |  Joseph 15/12/06   37.   freedom to choose 11:40  |  edward 15/12/06   38.   Shabbat services 11:42  |  Maerton 15/12/06   39.   An Economic/Demographic Reality-Check For Ari ben Yisrael 11:45  |  Yishai Kohen 15/12/06   40.   Charedi p.r. disasters mount up! 11:45  |  Ben Azai 15/12/06   41.   to joseph 11:47  |  jimbo 15/12/06   42.   GOOD! Let them know there is a G-d in Israel!!! 11:55  |  Yaakov K. 15/12/06   43.   Ron rabbi`s [?] in Iran 11:58  |  charles 15/12/06   44.   Jonathan 12:08  |  charles 15/12/06   45.   From somewhere over the mediterranean 12:15  |  Lev Mallinger 15/12/06   46.   Yaakov K 12:16  |  FOX 15/12/06   47.   Seculars of the world, unite !! 12:49  |  PJ 15/12/06   48.   Reason why Rabbi`s say not to travel Elal... 12:55  |  Martin H 15/12/06   49.   #14 DZ & #32 Jo Jo 13:09  |  Simon 15/12/06   50.   to 2 13:18  |  Michele 15/12/06   51.   Martin H 13:39  |  charles 15/12/06   52.   Ultra-Orthodox rabbis/ideas keep Israel in the Middle Ages 14:01  |  Sara 15/12/06   53.   LY is the ONLY airline... 14:17  |  Fred 15/12/06   54.   Reply to Jimbo 14:25  |  Joseph 15/12/06   55.   Haredi stupidity. No, El Al; Yes,Foreign airlines 14:26  |  Toronto`s Finest 15/12/06   56.   22, "we charedim". And you`re talking about capitalism???? 14:43  |  zmogus 15/12/06   57.   EL AL vs. Orthodox 14:44  |  MrJersee 15/12/06   58.   Charieidi comment # 26 14:53  |  Honest Observation 15/12/06   59.   Fly ELAL 15:06  |  Fred 15/12/06   60.   What Airline Does Neturei Karta Use? 15:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/12/06   61.   I hope the government subsidises El Al 15:23  |  Stephen Murray 15/12/06   62.   An appropriate Israeli response to this blackmail 15:29  |  Stephen Murray 15/12/06   63.   saturday flights- boycott 15:40  |  harold 15/12/06   64.   I`ll fly ElAL 16:11  |  Nathaniel 15/12/06   65.   About time 16:22  |  Asher 15/12/06   66.   No # 63........SHAME on YOU 16:32  |  Joe Moer 15/12/06   67.   Nobody is obliged to fly in Shabbat if he doesnt want 16:49  |  GF 15/12/06   68.   Tora Keepers- paid to screw 17:44  |  Danny 15/12/06   69.   Haredim 17:50  |  danny 15/12/06   70.   El-Al should use rabbinic logic 18:00  |  Tosefta 15/12/06   71.   #60, Air Iran 18:12  |  Momo 15/12/06   72.   Good luck, Haredim, to find Glatt Kosher food on Lufthansa, etc. 18:33  |  Jake 15/12/06   73.   To "we haredim" #22 18:36  |  Jake 15/12/06   74.   EL-AL USED TO HAVE THE WORST 18:43  |  Robert 15/12/06   75.   zmogus 18:51  |  Jake 15/12/06   76.   zmogus, are you part of the "secular Israeli public"? 18:53  |  Jake 15/12/06   77.   to #50 Michele 18:58  |  Klew 15/12/06   78.   El-Al should use rabbinic logic 19:06  |  Tosefta 15/12/06   79.   El-Al losses due Orthodox so-called boycott 19:20  |  Paul 15/12/06   80.   orthodox 19:23  |  rafiq 15/12/06   81.   Simon is Right-No Votes for Arabs 19:37  |  Harold 15/12/06   82.   Rude People On El Al? 19:41  |  Scott 15/12/06   83.