El Al Business Class, 2 Seats (Jan-Jul 2024)
We don't see a ton of business class award space on nonstop flights between the US and Tel Aviv, so it's great to see a big chunk of dates with space for two.
My recent posts:
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Now, let's get into it!
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Straight To The Points:
Routes: JFK/EWR-TLV
Operating airline: El Al
Class of service: Business class
Dates: January - July 2024
Seats available: 2
Cabin layout: 1-2-1
Book with (per person, one-way):
- *Alaska Mileage Plan:
- Jan-Mar: 85,000 miles
- Apr-Jul: 100,000 miles
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: 90,000 points
*No surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person):
- From US: $5.60 (~$25 with fees)
- From TLV: ~$51 (~$248 with fees)
Alaska has a $12.50 partner booking fee per person per direction.
Bank transfer partners:
- Alaska: Marriott
- Qantas: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Marriott
Let me know if you book!
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Flight Experience
El Al's business class cabin on their Boeing 787 Dreamliners is similar to what you'll find with United Polaris. Each seat is lie-flat and the cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 layout so each seat has direct aisle access.
The inflight catering gets solid reviews overall. However, I will note that some have found the service to be a bit blunt. Just something to keep in mind.
I was supposed to fly them back in late March 2020. Alas, that didn't happen so I don't have firsthand experience to share.
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Available Dates
Please note that the bookable dates with Qantas points and Alaska miles did not line up exactly. Some may be available with one program but not the other.
JFK-TLV
January: 2, 7, 9, 14, 21, 28, 29
February: 19, 20, 25-27
March: 3-5, 17, 18, 24-26
April: 1, 2, 7, 8
May: 6, 7, 12-14, 19, 26-28
June: 3, 4, 10, 16-18, 24
July: 1, 2, 6, 7-9
TLV-JFK
January: 9-11, 16-18, 23, 24, 30, 31
February: 2, 6-9, 13-15, 21, 22, 28, 29
March: 5-7, 12, 13, 20, 21, 27, 28
April: 24, 25
May: 7-9, 14-16, 21, 24, 30
June: 4, 6, 13, 19, 20, 25-27
July: 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 30, 31
August: 1
EWR-TLV
January: 14, 16, 23, 28, 30
February: 4, 6, 10, 11, 19, 20, 25-27
March: 3, 5, 24-26, 31
April: 1, 2, 6, 8, 23
May: 7, 12-14, 19, 26-28
June: 2-4, 10, 16-18, 24, 30
July: 2, 7-9
TLV-EWR
January: 12, 17, 24
February: 1, 7, 8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29
March: 7, 12, 19-21, 28
April: 24, 25
May: 8, 9, 14-16, 21-23
June: 4, 6, 18-20, 25-27
July: 2-5, 12, 16-18, 23-25. 30, 31
August: 1
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Best Ways To Book
Alaska Mileage Plan: Best Award Rate Jan-Mar
While 85,000 Alaska miles for a one-way business class ticket to the Middle East is a bit steep, this is a tough award to get.
The key to getting this rate is to travel between January and March. Once you hit April, the rate jumps to 100,000 Alaska miles.
Please note that Alaska can only book awards up to 330 days from departure.
Qantas Frequent Flyer: Transfer Partners + Better Rate Apr-Aug
Qantas' award rate is similar at 90,000 points one-way. The big advantage with this option is that acquiring Qantas points is significantly easier than earning Alaska miles. Plus, the award rate doesn't increase once you hit April.
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How To Book
Here's how to run the search with Alaska:
- If you want to book a one-way, check "One-way"
- Check "Use miles"
- Enter your origin & destination
- Select your dates
- Select number of passengers
- Run the search
- Complete the booking
Please note that Alaska's calendar search option isn't useful for this search as it will display the lowest business class rate for a date which is often a British Airways flights via London.
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Final Thoughts
If you want to avoid connecting in Europe on your way to Tel Aviv, this is a great opportunity to book business class. This could be especially useful if you want to lock in a spring break trip next year!
Happy Booking!
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