My parents are in need of a refundable fare from nyc to Israel. I looked at the basic economy fare (O) rules and it appears that El Al allows a refund before the first segment for a $250 cancellation fee. Can someone confirm that this is accurate? Is it an easy process to obtain the refund?
Most likely, the fare is not refundable, but rather if you cancel before the deadline, you would receive credit towards a future flight (usually to be used within 1 year), less the fee. The only true refundable fares are the full Y class (maybe a couple more), that typically cost as much as (or more) than a business class flight.