Round-trip tickets between New York and Israel that usually cost around $1,600 were miraculously being offered for less than $400 yesterday, thanks to an El Al Airlines pricing glitch.
The mistake was corrected after three hours — but not before at least 5,000 tickets were sold.
It was every Hasid for himself as news of a bargain of biblical proportions swept through communities like Crown Heights, Borough Park and Williamsburg.
Orthodox Jews frantically tried to score tickets for all members of their traditionally large families, from children to grandchildren to aunts, uncles and cousins.
“I booked me, my wife, her parents and her three brothers,” said Joey Mansour, 28 of Brooklyn.
“Then I booked my in-laws again for March, my wife’s first cousin who’s married with three children, his mother-in-law, my wife’s aunt, her husband, and two kids.”
Word spread quickly on Facebook and via text message after a Web site, Dan’s Deals, which publishes hot bargains, sent out Twitter alerts notifying members.
“I told everybody in the office and five of the eight people in the office immediately booked tickets for themselves and their families — without hesitation,” said Lazar Cohen, 27, an Orthodox Jew from Crown Heights, who learned of the eye-popping deal when his brother-in-law called from Texas.
“The whole office went into chaos mode,” he said.
“I told my family as well. My sister booked a ticket for herself, my parents booked tickets for themselves, my brother — along with his wife and two kids — booked tickets for $1,631 for four people.
“My cousins also booked, and they have a kid.”
The airline blamed a contractor responsible for posting fares and did not say whether it would honor the tickets — even after customer- service representatives promised ticket buyers it would.
El Al promised a decision by later this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment