(JTA) — Wow, what a deal! Or not?

The headlines screamed at me from every Israeli newspaper, in both English and Hebrew: only $149 for a flight from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to New York on WOW air.

The Iceland-based airline has plastered Israel with advertisements featuring its distinctive purplish logo for the new deal, and many Israelis are talking about it. Flights begin on Sept. 20.

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However, the Israeli business daily Globes helped to put the $149 fare into perspective.

The no-frills flight goes through Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland

And the $149 price is only for a one-way ticket, and there is no guarantee that you will get the same fare for a return trip. The cost of flying home on the airline is more likely to cost around $400, according to Globes.

In addition, one suitcase of 44 pounds or more costs $70 dollars, each way — though a personal item such as a purse or backpack is thankfully still free.

After adding all of those considerations together, a round trip between one of several major cities in the United States and Israel on WOW air could cost around $700 or $800.

To put this into perspective, El Al, Israel’s national carrier, has $665 mid-week round trip flights in September.

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