Name: Danny Saadon
Title: Vice President and General Manager
Company, city: EL AL Israel Airlines; New York City
Number of Employees: 110
Recent project: Introduction of our GlobaLY/Matmid program
First Job: Summer lifeguard
Little-known fact about you: I speak Italian fluently.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: Maintain an open-door policy, delegate with trust and empower reliable managers.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Lead the market rather than follow it.
Yardstick of success: Track customer feedback, ensure service-oriented employees, deliver on-time performance and sustain profitability.
As a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? iPad
How do you spend your time on board? Solving Sudoku, reading, listening to music and enjoying a glass of red wine.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world? Turkiz in Tel Aviv and Quinci Gabrieli in Rome.
What is your favorite destination in the world? Tel Aviv and Rome, in that order.
About Your Brand
What can travelers expect from EL AL Israel Airlines? The Israel experience begins the moment passengers check in with EL AL and continues throughout the journey. As the national airline, EL AL delivers warm Israeli hospitality with attentive flight attendants and highly trained Israeli pilots who help passengers feel at home.
From the United States, our in-flight entertainment includes a wide selection of programming in English, available on a personal screen at every seat across all classes. Our enhanced in-flight dining emphasizes healthier meal choices served to all passengers, complemented by quality Israeli wines.
EL AL operates the most non-stop flights between New York (JFK/EWR) and Israel, and offers the only non-stop service from Los Angeles, along with direct flights from Toronto. Through a codeshare with American Airlines, customers can connect from more than 30 North American cities to EL AL non-stop flights with automatic baggage transfer and an optional free stopover in Europe in either direction. EL AL also partners with other major carriers, including JetBlue Airways, to facilitate smooth connections to our non-stop services.
What makes the business-class cabin unique? Business-class passengers enjoy personalized service by Israeli flight attendants, authentic Israeli cuisine and a curated selection of Israeli wines, all designed to create a distinctive onboard experience.
What are recent or future developments for the airline in the North American market? EL AL recently launched Economy Class Plus, which provides additional comfort, increased legroom and a wider seat, plus other amenities for an added fee above standard economy fares. We also introduced EL AL Vacations, a streamlined way to customize trips to Israel affordably. Additionally, we are evaluating another potential U.S. gateway city as part of our network expansion plans.