Update, 7/8 at 10:30am: United shares the following statement with DansDeals,
“United service from New York/Newark to Tel Aviv will resume on July 21, 2025, with a second daily flight planned to begin July 22. Tickets for Tel Aviv flights will be available on United.com on Tuesday July 8.
This resumption is in line with United’s longstanding commitment to serving Tel Aviv. Throughout 2025, United has flown to Tel Aviv more than any other U.S. airline. United service to Tel Aviv always follows a detailed assessment of operational considerations in the region and close consultation with the unions representing our flight attendants and pilots.
United will continue to serve Tel Aviv on Boeing 787-10s. United also offers connections to Tel Aviv through partners including Lufthansa Group airlines.”
Update, 7/8 at 10am: United.com is now selling Newark-Tel Aviv flights starting on 7/21, which have just been added back for sale! From Newark, United is selling flight 84 on 7/21 and both flights 84 and 90 on 7/22. From Tel Aviv, United is selling flight 85 on 7/22 and both flights 85 and 91 on 7/23. We have reached out to United for additional comment to confirm their 7/21 return and will update this post when they respond.
El Al also announced it will add an additional 2 weekly flights between NYC and Tel Aviv, increasing their US-Israel flights from 40 to 42 weekly this winter. El Al flight 9 will depart Tel Aviv on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:05am, arriving into JFK at 2:05pm the same day. El Al flight 10 will depart JFK on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30pm, arriving into Tel Aviv at 6:35am the next day.
HT: yandmk
Update, 7/7: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has removed its recommendation to avoid flying to Israel. That has been holding back the return of most EU airlines and should lead to the resumption of more flights to Israel.
Air France resumed flights to Tel Aviv today. Israeli media is reporting that Lufthansa Group will gradually resume service to Israel, that ITA and Air India will cancel their August flights to Israel (those flights are no longer on sale, though the airlines haven’t yet officially canceled those flights), and that Swiss won’t resume Israel flights until October 26th.
Routes and dates have been updated below.
Update, 7/1: Airlines currently flying to Israel have been updated below.
- Air France will resume daily operations starting July 7th on the 777.
- FlyDubai is currently flying a whopping 10 daily flights between Duabi and Tel Aviv!
- EasyJet and others have extended their cancellations and have been updated below.
Previous post updates can be found below.
Below is a roundup of more than 40 airlines’ flight status for Israel, including the next available flight for booking, as of 10pm ET on 7/7:
- AA: JFK-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Aegean: Flights canceled through 9/7. Next flight for sale: Athens-Tel Aviv on 9/8.
- Air Baltic: Flights canceled through 10/1. Next flight for sale: Riga-Tel Aviv on 10/2.
- Air Canada: Flights canceled through 9/7. Next flight for sale: Toronto-Tel Aviv on 9/9. Montreal-Tel Aviv on 9/10.
- Air Europa: Flights canceled through 7/13. Next flight for sale: Madrid-Tel Aviv on 7/14.
- Air France: Flights operational.
- Air India: Flights canceled through 8/2. Israeli media is reporting flights will be cancelled through 8/31. Next flight for sale: Delhi-Tel Aviv on 9/1.
- Air Serbia: Belgrade-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Arkia: Flights operational.
- Austrian: Flights canceled through 7/31. Next flight for sale: Vienna-Tel Aviv on 8/1.
- Azerbaijan: Flights operational.
- BA: Flights canceled through 10/25. Next flight for sale: London-Tel Aviv on 10/26. You can now rebook onto El Al.
- Bluebird: Flights operational.
- Brussels: Flights canceled through 7/31. Next flight for sale: Brussels-Tel Aviv on 8/13
- Bulgaria Air: Flights canceled through 7/31. Next flight for sale: Sofia-Tel Aviv on 8/2
- Cathay Pacific: Hong Kong-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely.
- Cyprus Airways: Flights operational.
- Delta: Flights canceled through 8/31. Next flight for sale: JFK-Tel Aviv on 9/1. Boston and Atlanta to Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely.
- EasyJet: Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Geneva, London, Milan, and Nice to Tel Aviv on or around 10/26. All flights through 10/25 are confirmed as canceled.
- El Al: Flights operational.
- Emirates: Flights canceled through 3/31/26. Next flight for sale: Dubai-Tel Aviv on 4/1/26.
- Etihad: Flights operational.
- Ethiopian: Flights operational.
- Eurowings: Flights canceled through 10/25. Next flight for sale: Dusseldorf-Tel Aviv on 10/26.
- Finnair: Helsinki-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- FlyDubai: Flights operational.
- Hainan: Flights operational.
- HiSky: Flights operational.
- Iberia: Flights canceled through 10/25. Next flight for sale: Madrid-Tel Aviv on 10/26.
- ITA: Flights canceled through 7/31. Israeli media is reporting flights will be cancelled through 8/31. Next flight for sale: Rome-Tel Aviv on 9/1.
- Icelandair: Reykjavik-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Israir: Flights operational.
- KLM: Flights canceled through 8/5. Next flight for sale: Amsterdam-Tel Aviv on 10/26.
- LOT Polish: Flights canceled through 7/13. Next flight for sale: Warsaw-Tel Aviv on 7/22.
- Lufthansa: Flights canceled through 7/31. Next flight for sale: Munich/Frankfurt-Tel Aviv on 8/1.
- Royal Jordanian: Amman-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Ryanair: Flights canceled through 10/25. Next flight for sale: Vienna-Tel Aviv on 10/26.
- Smartwings: Flights operational.
- Swiss: Flights canceled through 10/25. Next flight for sale: Zurich-Tel Aviv on 10/26.
- TAP: Lisbon-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Tarom: Flights operational.
- Transavia: Flights canceled through 9/7. Next flight for sale: Paris/ORY-Tel Aviv on 9/8.
- Turkish: Istanbul-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely. All flights are confirmed as canceled.
- Tus Air: Flights operational.
- United: Flights canceled through 7/20. Next flight for sale: Newark-Tel Aviv on 7/21. Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC to Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely.
- Virgin Atlantic: London-Tel Aviv flights are permanently cancelled.
- Vueling: Barcelona-Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely.
- Wizz Air: Flights canceled through 9/15. Next flight for sale: Abu Dhabi/Larnaca-Tel Aviv on 9/16
Previous post updates:
Update, 6/26: Delta shares with DansDeals that there have been no changes to their previous statement cancelling flights to Tel Aviv through 8/31.
United shares with DansDeals that there have been no changes to their previous statement cancelling flights to Tel Aviv through 7/31.
El Al writes that customers holding El Al tickets for a canceled flight that haven’t been assigned a new flight can book a new El Al flight on their website in the same class of service and get a refund of the price paid for the new ticket. Customers who used a travel agent will have to go through their travel agent:
“Our flights will operate as scheduled – EL AL flights from June 29, 2025, and Sundor flights from July 1, 2025, except for a few canceled flights detailed below. Customers holding flight tickets can check their flight status in the “Manage My Booking” page or through travel agents.
Customers holding an EL AL or Sundor ticket for a canceled flight, who have not yet been assigned to recovery flights to Israel, we are reserving seats for you and making efforts to bring you all back home. You have several options:
- If you have not yet requested a refund for the unused ticket, you can purchase an EL AL or Sundor flight ticket on the EL AL website only (from the same destination and in the same service class as the original ticket) and receive a refund for the new ticket you purchased.
- Customers who purchased a ticket through a travel agent and are interested in an alternative flight, a credit voucher for future use, or a refund, are requested to contact the agent from whom the ticket was purchased.
- Customers who purchased a ticket directly from EL AL or Sundor and are interested in an alternative flight, a credit voucher for future use, or a refund, can contact our customer service center.
- Please note that due to the closure of Terminal 1, all Sundor flights will depart from Terminal 3 until further notice.”
Update, 6/25: You can once again purchase El Al and other airlines’ tickets to and from Tel Aviv. El Al resumes normal operations as of June 29th, you can find a list of cancelled flights from that date and on here.
Airlines operating to/from Tel Aviv this week with modified schedules include Arkia, Bluebird, Cyprus Airways, El Al, FlyDubai, HiSky, Israir, Tarom, and Tus. Contact your airline to confirm that your flight is operational.
El Al capped price list for flights to Tel Aviv for June:
- Larnaca – $99
- Athens – $149
- Bucharest – $210
- Budapest – $210
- Rome – $235
- Tbilisi – $235
- Paris – $300
- London Luton – $315
- London Heathrow – $415
- Bangkok – $589
- New York – $649
- Los Angeles – $699
Update, 6/24 at 1:45pm ET: All restrictions on Ben Gurion Airport have been lifted.
That means the 50 passenger cap, airspace restrictions, and flight restrictions have all been removed. Duty free stores will reopen tomorrow.
Additionally, per the NOTAM below, the nighttime curfew on departures between 1:40am-5am are temporarily lifted through Thursday to allow for airlines to add additional flights to meet demand. El Al wrote to DansDeals this morning that it would operate flights around the clock to add thousands of seats in the coming days, and this will allow it to do so.
El Al also writes to DansDeals that the airline has now lifted the passenger limits on its flights and will be expanding its schedule in the coming days. The airline will allow anyone with flights that have been cancelled since June 13 to fly without any difference in fare. The airline will initially focus on Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Paris, London, Bangkok, New York, and Los Angeles. Flights will also be operated to Budapest, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, Milan, Warsaw, and Sofia.
Flights will initially be allocated to passengers with cancelled flights via registration form for flights from Israel or flights to Israel. Once all passengers with cancelled flights have been accommodated, El Al will reopen bookings for the general public.
It will take time for airline schedules to normalize and for foreign airlines to return, so check with your airline before heading to the airport and watch this post for the latest developments.
Follow us on our app, WhatsApp, X, SMS, or Telegram for instant notifications!
Update, 6/24 at 9am ET: With a tenuous ceasefire in place, El Al writes that it “is preparing to expand its flight schedule to and from Israel starting today. The airline is working on an airlift to bring passengers back to Israel, operating its fleet around the clock to add thousands of seats in the coming days. Once EL AL passengers have been assigned to the recovery flights, the flights will be opened for public booking.
Please note that the airline has capped the prices of incoming (one-way) flights for those who are not EL AL passengers, and these prices will remain valid until the end of June. Flights from Los Angeles were opened for sale today on the EL AL website and through travel agents.”
You can book a flight from LA to Tel Aviv for departure today for $699:
Update, 6/22: Per the NOTAM below, Israeli airspace will remain closed to commercial flights through at least Wednesday at 2:59am local time.
We are told that US-operated rescue flights for Americans trying to leave Israel should begin today. However, many people failed to properly fill out all of the information requested on the form, which means they were not initially selected, as they will have to be contacted for the correct information.
Be sure to properly fill out the requested information, including an accurate date of birth, passport number, passport expiration date, etc. And as we previously reported, be sure to select that you “may need a loan for a commercial flight” or else you won’t be eligible for a rescue flight!
Update, 6/21: In the wake of the incredible US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, rescue flights to Israel are diverting to airports like Larnaca. Israeli airspace is currently closed for rescue flights. May we see true and lasting peace in the region very soon!
Land crossings to Egypt and Jordan are still open, and airports in those countries are open.
El Al has now canceled all commercial flights through at least 6/27.
The Israeli government has approved flights for passengers departing Israel, but with a cap of just 50 passengers per flight. You can request flights between Tel Aviv and New York, Los Angeles, Athens, Bangkok, Larnaca, London, Paris, or Rome.
You can register here for a flight departing from Israel, even if you don’t have an EL Al ticket.
If you have an existing El Al ticket, you can register here for a flight to Israel.
If you have an existing El Al ticket and have an urgent medical need, you can register here for a flight to Israel in conjunction with this form for a flight to Israel.
Update, 6/19 at 6:30pm ET: El Al is operating a cruise between Ashdod Port and Limassol Port, Cyprus, in conjunction with Mano Maritime.
Customers can exchange their El Al flight ticket for a cruise ticket here.
Currently, this option is available from Limassol to Ashdod departing on 6/26 at 1:30pm and arriving into Israel the morning of 6/27.
It should soon be available for a cruise from Ashdod to Limassol on 6/24 at 1:30pm, arriving into Limassol the morning on 6/25. We will post an update when this is available. Follow us on our app, WhatsApp, X, SMS, or Telegram for instant notifications!
Alternatively, you can also purchase a spot on the cruise from €549 per passenger.
Note that by exchanging your flight for a cruise, you will forfeit your right to a refund, and you will have to find your own way to and from Cyprus. Limassol Port is a 50 minute drive from Larnaca International Airport/LCA.
Update, 6/19 at 3pm ET: Americans can register now with this link for a US State Department-organized rescue flight from Tel Aviv.
Amudim shares that in order to be properly registered and added to the list, you must select that you may need a loan for a commercial flight. You can always opt not to take out a loan. You will have to pay the cost of the rescue flight either way.
You can also register with Israel for a rescue flight and see which happens first. The Israeli registration site is not yet available, but we will update this post when it is. Follow us on our app, WhatsApp, X, SMS, or Telegram for instant notifications!
Update, 6/19 at 1:30pm ET: Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced that starting Monday, June 23rd, Israel will operate rescue flights from Israel for tourists, diplomats, youth and sports groups, and those with urgent humanitarian and medical needs.
We will post the link to request a flight when available. Follow us on our app, WhatsApp, X, SMS, or Telegram for instant notifications!
Americans who need to leave Israel can also register through STEP.
Update, 6/19 at 9am ET: El Al has now closed sales of flights through 7/15. Flights are currently cancelled through 6/23. Customers with flights through 7/15 can receive a voucher now, or can request a refund if their flight is cancelled.
British Airways has cancelled flights through 10/25. You should be able to call BA to rebook onto El Al for travel after 7/15.
Update, 6/18: The list of flight cancellations has been updated below.
While flights taking Israelis to Israel are operational and packed with a long backlog, the flights are leaving Israel empty as the government won’t allow outbound passengers to congregate and board flights.
Americans can now register through STEP to be alerted of evacuation flights and cruises.
If you can’t wait for those rescue flights to materialize, thousands of people have successfully flown out of Sharm El Sheikh without issue. Small bribes will help expedite the Taba border crossing, with inexpensive taxis that can take you to Sharm El Sheikh airport.
That’s a better option than Jordan, which continues to have border agents that confiscate religious articles like Tefillin.
Have you made it back home? Share how you flew to or from Israel.
Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures.
You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://t.co/rXymPRTQJJ) You will be alerted w/ updates.— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 18, 2025
Update, 6/17: Per the NOTAM below, Israeli airspace will remain closed to commercial flights through at least Monday at 2:59am local time (11:59pm UTC).
Tourists in Israel can fill out this official form to request a rescue flight from Israel abroad. It’s unclear when these flights will begin.
Israeli airlines will begin limited rescue flights tomorrow for Israelis stuck abroad who have registered and been informed of their rescue, but unfortunately, the airlines will not be allowed to bring passengers from Israel abroad on the initial flights. Airlines will ferry empty planes to pick up more Israeli passengers in the coming days.
The modern city of Sharm El Sheikh was founded by Israel after the 6 day war in 1967, prior to that it was not continuously inhabited. Egypt’s closing off access to the Strait of Tiran in May of 1967 blocked the ability for ships to reach Eilat and was considered by Israel to be an act of war.
After winning the 6 day war in June of 1967, Israel took control of Sinai and Sharm El Sheikh was considered critically important in order to retain control of the Strait of Tiran. Israel built the airport, a city, and tourist infrastructure there. Arkia flew nonstop from Tel Aviv and Eilat to Sharm and it proved to be a popular destination for Israelis.
The city remains a popular foreign tourist destination.
In the meantime, Sharm El Sheikh/SSH sure looks different these days than it has since Israel handed back the city together with the entire Sinai in 1982 as part of the Camp David Accords…
Have you taken any creative routings to get home?
HT: chff
Update, 6/16: El Al has cancelled flights through at least Monday, June 23rd.
You can register for government-coordinated rescue flights going to Israel here. Unfortunately, there is no way to register for flights from Israel at this time.
It boggles my mind that the government doesn’t seem to understand the need for foreigners to go back home as well. Will the repatriation flights leave Israel empty?
In the meantime, many Americans have reported getting a full visa on arrival in Taba and have already flown out from Sharm El Sheikh. From Sharm El Sheikh/SSH you can catch a nonstop flight to airports like EIN, FCO, IST, LGW, MAN, NAP, MXP, SAW, VCE, and many more.
Some have been able to take a ferry to Larnaca, but that journey is longer than 24 hours, very expensive, and operates in extremely turbulent waters that have caused many boats to turn around.
Amudim is collecting information for Americans who need to get home here, though it’s unclear what their options will be.
Update, 6/15: Per the NOTAM below, Israeli airspace will remain closed to commercial flights through at least Tuesday at 11:59pm local time (8:59pm UTC).
El Al has cancelled flights through at least Thursday, June 19th.
There have been some boats ferrying people to Cyprus.
Israel is cautioning against land crossings to/from Jordan and Egypt to catch a flight home, though it may be an extended period of time before commercial airspace reopens.
That being said, Amman airport has also been subject to closures, leaving a risk of getting stuck there. There have also been sporadic reports over the years of Jordan confiscating people’s Talis/Tefillin brought through their land border.
That leaves Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh as the most consistent alternate option. From Sharm El Sheikh/SSH you can catch a nonstop flight to airports like EIN, FCO, IST, LGW, MAN, NAP, MXP, SAW, VCE, and many more. However, you may not be able to fly out of Sharm if you enter via Taba unless you have the proper visa, which you can request upon arrival.
From Taba crossing near Eilat, you can take a taxi or bus to Sharm El Sheikh. If you go that route, let us know how it works out!
Update, 6/14: With reports of intensifying fighting that may continue for weeks, please pray for the success of Israel’s mission. You can say a chapter of Tehillim here.
United writes to DansDeals that they are extending the cancellation of their TLV flights through at least July 31st,
“United is pausing flights to Tel Aviv through July 31. For flights scheduled after that date, we will continue to evaluate an appropriate return date with the safety of our customers and crews as our top priority.”
Update, 6/13 at 5pm: United writes to DansDeals that,
“Due to the ongoing conflict in the region, we are canceling our EWR-TLV flights through June 30, 2025. The return flight, TLV-EWR will be canceled through July 1, 2025. We will continue to evaluate future flights for the safety of our crew and customers.”
I’d expect that to be further extended…
Update, 6/13 at 1pm: Delta announced that it will cancel flights to Tel Aviv through August 31st. Their next available JFK to Tel Aviv flight is now September 1st. Customers can request a refund or change to dates through 11/15 with no change in fare.
Officially, Delta is only rebooking onto Delta, Air France, or KLM flights, but several readers have been able to get rebooked onto El Al, so your mileage may vary.
Per this NOTAM, Israeli airspace will remain closed to commercial flights at least through Sunday at 8pm local time (5pm UTC):
HT: chff
Israel’s preemptive attack on Iran has been an incredible success so far and will make the entire world a safer place. Our prayers go out for the mission’s continued success.
In the meantime, Israeli airspace remains closed to commercial flights and planes on the ground have been ferried to Larnaca and other locations. It will take some time to get things up and running again after the airspace is reopened.
El Al and United have closed sales of flights until July 1st.
Delta has closed sales of flights until September 1st, they have not yet responded with a comment on flight cancellations.
United tells DansDeals that,
“Due to the closure of Israeli airspace, United flights between Newark and Tel Aviv are paused. United will continue to monitor the situation and will work to assist our customers through this disruption. We arranged seats on El Al out of Tel Aviv for 26 crewmembers who were on layover and now on their way home safely.
Specific flight information:
- United flight 84 to Tel Aviv returned to Newark on Thursday night.
- United flight 90 on Thursday from Newark to Tel Aviv canceled.
- United flight 91 had already left Tel Aviv for Newark when the closure began, and continued to Newark.”
- Delta’s free change waiver can be found here.
- United’s free change waiver can be found here.
- El Al’s free change waiver can be found here.
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744 Comments On "[United Confirms July 21 Return Date, El Al Will Increase Winter Flights!] Roundup Of Cancellations And Next Available Flights To Israel On More Than 40 Airlines!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Flight on UA July 1.
hoping to make it BE”H
Not cancelled yet B”H.
Extremely high odds that it will be cancelled.
What do you think will happen with Arkia flight from jfk on June 15th?
It will probably be cancelled.
just to be clear for elal, your saying “next flight for sale” july 1 but that doesnt mean elal wont be flying until then?
“El Al: Flights canceled while Israeli airspace remains closed. Next flight for sale: JFK-Tel Aviv on 7/1”
They’re going to fly as soon as the airspace is open. Right now they’ve only canceled through the 17th, but they are closing sales to the end of the month because they want to first accommodate people whose flights have been cancelled before they sell seats to people who didn’t already have reservations.
I am a bit confused. Why is Israel attacking another country right now when they’re already having a civil war?
Because Iran is a threat.
BiBi can keep at this everyone is a threat with hit potato immediacy if the people of Israel allow it.
What about Neos Air?
Klm flight booked through Delta canceled. Call regular Delta customer service or call the Delta Israel number?
Either.
They told me that elal has blacked out all their flights and they can’t rebook me until September.
In general, when it says Delta cancels, does that include flights booked thru Delta that are actually El Al flights (thru the code sharing)?
No
I had a delta flight to return on today June 16
Yesterday they rebooked me to fly out June 22 jfk -> CDG on Air France and then take an el al flight from CDG -> TLV
Does that mean I will still have that flight even though it displays on my ticket reissue as “Air France”?
Also you said that el al is not flying through June 23 – does that mean they are not flying on June 23?
Thank you for starting a new page instead of updating the old one
Family member in Israel. Delta ticket flew them INTO Israel 5/29, but ELAL flight OUT on Sunday 6/15 ( —> through Delta <—) cancelled.
Must get back to US ASAP for medical reasons.
What is best advice where to start?
Try the embassy? Maybe there are military flights they can be put on if a true medical emergency that can’t be addresses in Israel.
If they’re not an Israeli citizen, then they can leave Israel through the Jordan or Egypt border crossings and take a shuttle service to Amman or Sharm el-Sheikh airports. Not exactly the safest options, but if there’s a real medical reason, it could be worth it. If they are an Israeli citizen, then they’re prohibited from traveling to either country (Israel’s prohibition for security reasons) and they’re going to need to escalate the issue and hope for a miracle.
I believe Jordan has also closed its airspace.
Jordan was on and off with its airspace. Plus, they do fly over Syria, so not a great idea. Sharm el-Sheikh is another option, but the crossing and travel is very long. At the end of the day, if there’s a medical issue that’s serious enough, you do what you need to do.
Flights from Amman are NOT flying over Syria. They are currently flying south around Eilat and then northwest through the Sinai.
Israeli’s are “prohibited” it’s just recommended they don’t.
On what El Al flight did united arrange seats for their crew? And is that united flight currently sitting at ben gurion?
I don’t know for sure the answer to the first part. My guess is that when El Al flew their planes empty to get them out of Israel, they were permitted to take foreign flight crew on board to Europe.
There were no United planes on the ground at the time of the attack. The night flights had already left, and the day flight is flown with a plane that arrives in the morning (which was the one that got turned around over the Atlantic: https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL84/history/20250612/1940Z/KEWR/KEWR). The crews that had to be evacuated were the ones that operated the previous day’s flights and were on their rest period.
I ave El-al Miami to TLv on June 24, think ill make it?
https://www.ask8ball.net/
HAha…I wish you had a “like” button. But it’s really anybody’s guess.
Same date from London to TLV, its still going, correct?
So I was on 8/6 delta flight jfk-tlv. Will they charge me air fare difference to switch to elal?
They shouldn’t, but let us know.
They are saying I have to pay the fare difference
Refer them to the waiver on Delta.com.
I did. They’re saying the waiver no longer includes switching to elal
Several other readers have made changes to El Al today, HUCA.
Just making sure I’m doing this right. Calling delta and asking them to switch me to elal on 8/6
Doesn’t look like that’s working anymore. I’ve tried 3 times and keep getting the same answer which is that elal has blacked out all the seats from Delta and they can’t rebook on elal at all but even if they did they would have to charge the fare difference
What’s the waiver? Calling them now
Dan we appreciate the new thread.
הן עם כלביא יקום וכארי יתנשא.
https://x.com/Osint613/status/1933366587156746389
I just had Delta switch our reservations to ElAl.
However on ElAl’s website we can’t choose seats nor Kosher food.
Any ideas?
I had the same a few months ago. El al customer service needs to finalize the booking
ElAl customer service claims that all free seats are taken and we either have to pay for upgraded seats or just wait until the actual flight & be assigned seats which would mean splitting up parents & children.
Anyone with experience with this?
Thanks.
US-IL or IL-US? US law requires them to seat families with children under 12 together. (Although, practically, that means 1 parent with all the kids, not necessarily both.)
To be clear, the children are over 12.
Then you will very possibly be split up.
Even though it’s one itinerary?
It’s a canned response from phone rep. At airport you’ll most likely be assigned seats together.
On our recent flight, we were at online check in given middle of middle row seats, one traveler behind other, not next to each other, few hours before flight, before we were at airport, they changed our seats on their own seating us next to each other (isle & middle).
On our return to JFK, at online check in, boarding pass said “seats will be assigned at airport”, few hours before flight, before we were at airport, they assigned us El Al space seats on their own, at no additional cost.
Bracha, I hope you’re right!
Even spirit (), who charges to choose any seat, would generally assign adjacent seats for passengers on same itinerary. Its not good reputation for airlines to split passengers on same itinerary.
Well, it really makes a big difference for us so hopefully it’ll work out for us to sit together.
you need the ELAL reservation code
I have it & can get into my itinerary on ELAL’s website.
Yet, seating & special meals are greyed out.
When I called, the ELAL rep. said there’s nothing to do until right before the flight. 🙁
For Mehadrin meal I’ve had luck with El Al’s automated WhatsApp system, even when website doesn’t allow
An ElAl rep was able to add the special meals for us.
Thanks.
BYOF!
This post got me to message Delta and switch to an ElAl codeshare flight for my son’s August return ticket.
Yasher coach AGAIN for your news, discounts, travel advice, credit card tips and everything else. You’ve done more for our family than any financial advisor I ever had. Thank you kindly.
Pleasure, safe travels!
My wife and I are (still) booked for 6/15 on the ELAL 9pm EWR-TLV. I understand there is about a 1% chance this flight is not cancelled–was just curious if I’m better off waiting until Motzei Shabbos to see if ELAL themselves cancel–this way I’d receive a refund rather than voucher.
Of course.
if we call delta now, can they find a seat on elal for june if elal is blocking sales of seats until July 1? i am supposed to travel on delta on 6/18- have delta on the phone but they don’t see any seats on elal and they have so far checked from 6/18 through 6/25.
any suggestions?
thx
I have the same day as you and I’m trying to get them to change to elal. They told me the earliest date they can put me on all hours July 15th. But in my case is not going to work. So I am not sure what else to do except trying to keep calling them and maybe call them Sunday.
Please we need an update Neos air
What do you think a realistic timetable for reopening is? 1-2 weeks? Months? Or absolutely no clue, no possible way of knowing?
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם.
יִתֵּן ה’ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם איבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: וְנאמַר אָמֵן
Amen!
delta reps telling me they will not honor the rebooking fare difference waiver with el al. they claim that el al is not allowing them.
Have a delta flight June 29 to tlv and back on July 24. They are telling me no availability for the way there and the way back only business class but ill have to pay for the price change. Any tips?
Be flexible on your dates. El Al flights are closed for June.
And economy is booked solid for July.
Called again and they said they are only booking on Klm or airfrance:(
Rebooked over the phone one family member 8/31 flight to tlv from Delta to ElAl.
Same Delta representative said he was not allowed to rebook my other family member’s 6/24 flight to tlv to ElAl 🙁 . Rabioked to later date to Air France.
If you want to go to Israel; save your money, save your points, and fly El-Al. They will get you there. Otherwise, you’ll get what you pay for.
El Al is not going right now either lol
Fly Dubai reservation on Monday afternoon. They haven’t canceled. Do you think we will fly?
No. Airspace is closed through Tuesday. Nobody is flying until at least Wednesday.
Dan, can you help me? It looks like most posts are for getting to Israel. We are here and stuck. Costing a fortune to stay where we are. Running out of medicine, etc. Can you help us find a flight out of here once the airport opens? I’m afraid it will take weeks to get out! I’m willing to fly just about anywhere that will get me to a country that will then get me to Tampa! On any airline.
I’m not “the” Dan (though I have the same name). 2 recommendations: 1) contact the US embassy in Israel, they may be able to help you either with evacuation or getting your prescriptions transferred to Israel. 2) Contact your travel insurance (if you have) or the credit card you used to book your flights. They may have compensation available for your hotel stay caused by cancellation (though they may have an exception for war)
Doesn’t travel ins exclude war?
We are an American family currently in Tel Aviv. Have an El AL flight to Europe on Monday June 16th. If EL AL cancels the flight will they rebook us on a new one? It’s not possible to rebook ourselves. We need to get out of TLV and be back at work
They will be responsible for rebooking you in the next available space at no additional cost, and you’ll get priority over people who want to book new reservations (that’s why they’ve closed for new bookings through June 30), but there are a lot of people in the same boat, so I would not assume that you’ll get out the first day that flights reopen. Theyve indicated that they will have an online rebooking system dedicated to people in your situation when they reopen. Whatever you do, don’t ask for a refund for your flight until you know how you’re getting home. Once they issue you a refund, they are under zero obligation to help you.
i see that delta only cancelled till june 22 do you think that they will actually cancel till sep 1?
Wondering this too. My ticket on the 26 Tlv NY hasn’t been canceled yet.
It will be cancelled, just takes time.
you thnk that it will go so far?
because delta was the second non israeli airline to start flying last time
Any chance United States embassy will step in? We were supposed to fly out Sunday 6/15
They may, it pays to be in touch with them and register with STEP. But I wouldn’t assume anything.
Is anyone arranging a boat or something to Cyprus with a option of flying out from there?
Or any other ideas how ppl can get from israel to USA?
https://www.tzedekassociation.org/contact
You can get yourself to SSH/Sharm el Sheikh in Sinai. There are nonstop flights from there to CAI, EIN, FCO, IST, LGW, MAN, NAP, MXP, VCE, and more.
How hard is it to get to Israel from Sharm el Sheikh
I drove a rental car into Sinai in 2007, I’d uh, not recommend that
There are bus and taxi options from Taba crossing to Sharm.
waiting for that trip raport, in more raleaxed times
How safe is it for a dual American Israeli citizen to go through there? Has anyone tried?
What happens if my El Al flight booked via Qantas rewards is cancelled?
I’m in the same boat. Any update?
We are making a simcha here in US iy”H on Wed., family was to depart TLV on El Al Sunday night after 1am; any chance they will be able get here by Wednesday (aged person unable to go to Sharm EL Sheik etc.
Extremely unlikely short of finding a boat to Larnaca or driving to Sharm.
Thank you for the answer, and thank you for being there for the Klal.
Pleasure, hatzlacha!
What about driving to Amman? There’s $493 RJ tickets direct to JFK all week!! That’s a nice way to MAKE money off your cancelled ELAL ticket!!
The only issue can be teffilin…but it’s much closer than Sharm El-Sheikh
If doing the Egypt route just go with a group to feel safe the take a taxi straight to airport
Someone should put together a group if ppl wanting to leave
@dan would it make a difference that the isreali gov is against Israelis crossing into eygpt?
It means that you should think about it many many times if the flight is worth the possibility of ending up dead.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=134544.msg2949976#msg2949976
To my knowledge, it’s not possible to fly out of Sharm if you entered Egypt via a land border. They will turn you away at the airport/passport control.
Wow, is that confirmed?
What if you get a full Egypt tourist visa?
If someone is willing to call this the airport number
+20 69 360 1140
I’m pretty sure it’s a general rule no matter what, there were discussions about it in a local frequent flyer WhatsApp and someone suggested that a $50 bill in your passport could very well help bypass the rule…
Please plesae please can you confirm this issue. My brother getting married in Israel on Wed and many of us are stuck here in the US…
Does this only apply to Israelis or USA & UK nationnals?
Flying domestically from Sharm to Cairo without passport control, that they will allow?
That’s only for Israeli passport holders, since their agreement to bar exit from different port of entry to discourage going to Sinai
From my understanding you cannot take a domestic flight from SSH as that is the border for the Sinai visa. But you can take an international flight.
Friend of mine just came in thru Taba border crossing via SSH
Can you enter via sharm if you have Israeli citizenship?
Boat charters to Cyprus . Don’t know anything about it but I see these flyers going around. I’ll post the numbers below.
0549042242
0533100040
Update the first number appears to be a scam.
Sharm is not an option: “Please note, that whichever way you enter Sinai is the way you need to exit. For example, if you fly into Sharm el Sheikh, you must fly out of it. You can not enter through a land border or airport, and then leave another way.”
You are conflating 2 things: “with the 14-day Visa- free Sinai resort permission stamp” If you fly into Sharm el Sheikh, you must fly out of it, you can’t move outside the Sinai area and fly out from a different airport.
With that said, you can enter Egypt via a land border from Israel (e.g., Taba crossing) with a Sinai resort permission stamp or Full Visa and fly out of Sharm El Sheikh International Airport by air, provided you follow the rules:
You must stay within these designated areas and not travel elsewhere in Egypt
Ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date.
Do not overstay the 14-day limit, as this may lead to fines (e.g., ~1,515 EGP) or issues at passport control.
Tip: Obtain in advance e-Visa online before travel via the official Visa2Egypt portal.
That Is only if your an Israeli passport holder thus their agreement with Israel to not allow exit from different port of entry
Friend of mine just came in thru Taba border crossing via SSH
I saw on flightrader24 so e private planes going out and coming in
My brother in law along with about 1000 others are stuck in Cyprus with no idea how how they are getting home to Israel. He said Chabad cooked for 1000 for shabbos…
Are there currently flights of Cyprus (if you manage to get a ferry there from Israel)?
Any idea how we can ask for help from the US consulate to send boats to Cyprus and other locations like they did after Oct 7?
I had booked a return with United miles for Tuesday night with stops in Athens and Vienna on Aegean and Austrian but of course Aegean cancelled. Would United rebook me on Elal? Or would Aegean? Any solutions?
We’re in Israel trying to get to Cyprus. Any idea how to get on one of the boats ferrying people??
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkejhmhqgx
For all those saying SSH isn’t an option because of the visa requirements, it looks like have options for online visa application (3 – 5 days) or visa on arrival. Anyone have experience with either of these?
It’s not nessecery for American passport holders, friend of mine just came in thru Taba border crossing via SSH
El AL, flights to and from Israel for the following destinations are canceled through Monday, June 23, 2025: Berlin, Tbilisi, Barcelona, Batumi, Warsaw, Rhodes, Munich, Tivat, Lisbon, Tokyo, Krakow, Venice, Thessaloniki, Marseille, Crete (Heraklion), Kefalonia, Santorini, Chisinau, Belgrade, Tirana, Porto, Mykonos, Lefkada, and Moscow.
What about to go into Israel?
my flight with ita for july 29 the second leg from rome to Tel aviv was cancelled. What are my options now (Rebooking,refund)?
can you post boat options to cyprus
Is it possible to do the Sharm el Sheikh way to get in to Israel or only out?
Friend of mine just came in thru Taba border crossing via SSH
when I was a bochur in Israel 2 years ago many of my friends were turned away at Sharm El Sheikh airport because they arrived into Egypt via the Taba border.
There was a policy in place that however you entered the Sinai thats how you have to leave the Sinai not sure if thats still the case.
I see that Emirates are selling tickets for next week to NYC via Dubai. Is it safe to book? Will they refund if airport is closed?
United is also showing available flights from tlv-ewr this week through Dubai. But its a bluff. If you look at the FlyDubai website, at first it shows available flights this week, but when you click on a date, its says no available flights.
@dan what means propper visa for Egypt?
In order to leave through SSH
What about entering EGYPT through CAI from NY to get back to Israel and then continuing to SSH?
Also needs a Visa?
This sounds like the best option going home. Buy a round ticket to Cairo, and show up to isreal via land, leaving the return leg hanging
Delta rebooked me on Air France August 20th
Have tickets on Elal from JFK on June 22. What are the odds it operates?
Close friend of mine is underway he’s boarded already and is enroute
From where to where?
Zero info in your post
He’s landing in Sharm shortly, heading to Israel
Passed the Taba border crossing safely, came with a flight from Naples Italy
Where can I find out more information on a boat to Cyprus? Where do they leave from?
UPDATE:
CYPRUS BOATS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED!
There have been some reports of boats ferrying people from Cyprus to USA.
1 ferry turned around after an hr due to bad weather and nausea from people on board.
Captain said it was 36 hours vs the 24 hours they were told.
Confirmed by a brother who traveled to ashkelon to hear about the scam!
I heard it was boats from israel to cyprus then flights from cyprus to america
Correct, it was a typo on my end.
Boats were from Ashkelon to Cyprus and were sail boats.
After the 1st boat left for a voyage of 20 hours they were told by the captain its actually 40 hours and those onboard asked to return after an hr which they did.
I am confused…
Elal, Delta and United have all cancelled thru July 1 and beyond
But officially there are no flight only thru June 17?
That’s only for Israeli passport holders
Is it true that I just heard Israel airspace closed until 6/21 ?
Anyone have info about thr ferry option?
Officially the Sinai special visa requires you to enter and exit the Sinai through the same border crossing. I’ve heard reports of people going from the Taba land border crossing to Sharm el sheikh airport and getting on a flight without any issues but there are also been reports of people being denied. If you are a country (which includes the US) that is eligible for the Egyptian e-visa, I’d recommend getting a full Egyptian visa which should allow you to go to sharm el sheikh airport (or even travel to Cairo airport) and fly out that way.
There’s no need for that if you’re an American passport holder my friend just came through the taba border from SSH
My Israeli brother in law and family bought Delta tickets to travel from NYC to Uruguay in August since they were coming over to work at a camp in the Poconos this coming week (in El Al). As of now, they can’t leave Israel as you well know. Is there any way to work with Delta to either cancel or get a voucher for future travel?
What happens to young adults on Birthright trips now?
Birthright Israel Trips
Due to the escalation and the high alert declared by Israeli authorities, all Birthright Israel groups and programs currently in Israel have paused their programming until further notice.
Rest assured that all participants are safe, located near secure zones and shelters, and are being cared for by our professional operational teams and staff on the ground.
Birthright Israel remains in constant contact with Israeli security authorities and is taking every necessary precaution to prioritize participants’ safety and well-being.
In addition, upcoming Birthright Israel trips and programs will be postponed until further notice. Participants scheduled to travel in the coming days will receive a separate update.
We are monitoring the situation in real time and will resume regular programming as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Any updates will be communicated promptly and transparently.
Aqaba in Jordan also has an airport. Flights only to Amman, but probably much easier & safer then trekking by land to Amman. Aqaba Airport is a 10 min drive from the Eilat/Jordanian border
I got a message from Etihad:
Etihad Airways flights operating from Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) to Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) between 17 to 22 June have been cancelled in response to the ongoing regional developments.
el al just announced thursday the earliest
Through Thu.
elal officially cancelled all flights through thu the 19th
https://x.com/EL_AL_ISRAEL/status/1934289896371298639
American passport holders do not need a visa to visit Taba, Egypt, if they stay for a maximum of 15 days and remain within the Sinai Peninsula resorts, including Taba, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, and Nuweiba. Upon arrival, they receive a free entry permission stamp valid for 14–15 days, which allows travel only within these specified areas, including St. Catherine and the eastern coast from Ras Mohammed to Taba.
If you plan to travel outside these resorts or stay longer than 15 days, you must obtain an eVisa or a visa on arrival. An eVisa can be applied for online before travel, costs $25 for a single entry (valid for 30 days), and takes about 3–7 days to process. A visa on arrival is available at Egyptian entry points like Cairo International Airport or the Taba border crossing for $25 (cash only, preferably USD), also valid for 30 days. For the visa on arrival at Taba, you may need a support letter from a travel agency, which can be obtained at the border but may incur variable fees.
Ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date. If you plan to enter from Israel via the Taba border crossing, note that those without a pre-obtained visa will be limited to the Sinai-only stamp unless they purchase the 30-day visa with agency support.
Sharm El Sheikh is part of the visa free zone, US passport holders should not have an issue going from Taba to Sharm El Sheikh and flying out to Europe. SSH then has very cheap flights to EIN NAP LGW MAN VCE and FCO. FCO and LGW then have very cheap flights to NYC.
What about dual passport holders (us Israel)?
I’m no expert, but it seems to me they don’t have to know about your Israeli passport.
I called the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv this afternoon and they confirmed that’s fine – as long as you fly directly from SSH outside of Egypt.
Did they approve this for an American passport or also for an Israeli passport?
Stolin Rebbe returned via sharm with heavy security
Looking for more info/dtls on this other then a small post on YWN…?
I have a relative coming back on El Al on July 9. Is it conceivable that things will last so long? Does this fall under the “Crystal Ball” department? For sure he isn’t gonna be ‘Sharm’-ing.
No way to know for sure at this point.
an anyone help. How do I get from the Eilat border to ssh airport in Egypt it is a 3 hr drive. Is it safe to travel with Tefillin and looking like a religious jew.
Same question
Several positive reports so far.
“Should You Try To Take An Alternate Route Home?” Home only!
Thank you for this post, I hope other readers realize that you should not be attempting to enter a war zone, unless you live there! It is hard to miss a simchah but I think if you ask your lor it is assur to put yourself in a sakana for that!
If it is truly a sakana, what would be the heter to go back even if you live there? And if it is not a sakana, people have a right to go even if they don’t live there.
From Eilat, how get to Sharm El Sheikh?
See the updates from today.
Hello Dan, I was stuck in Israel and, BH, I am at this moment back home in NY. I am sharing my experience so maybe it can helpful for others. We, a group off 5, visibly Chasidic Jewish, long payaos, beards, black hats and long suits traveled thru Shahram El-Sheik Egypt with out any issue, we did not dressed up differently.
We took a taxi from Bnei brak for 1,500 shekels, a four hour ride. Crossed the Taba crossing into Egypt, it took us about 2 and half hours. We did not have e-visas before hand and got them at the border. 4 of us are US passport holders and 1 with an Israeli passport with a US green card. We took a pre-arranged taxi to SSH airport for $160, it took about 3 hours. There, we took a flight to New Castel England with TUI airways. Then connected thru Paris with Air France to JFK. Total travel time 35 hours.
I’m booked on a LOT airlines flight via Warsaw for July 4 which I need to cancel, and for the moment they’ve only cancelled flights through June 19th. Should I wait to maybe get it refunded, or try to get a credit now?
Wait of course.
Update— they FINALLY cancelled both flights this morning (round trip to Israel July 4-12). I put in a refund request, hope that will be straightforward. Really glad I waited it out, thanks for the advice!
Pleasure!
Anyone have any info on Arkia policy in the event they cancel? I have a flight on June 26 which I am not confident in actually flying. Do they refund or just issue a voucher?
If it’s cancelled you should be able to opt for a refund.
My daughter has an Arkia flight to come home from seminary on June 18 I’ve been trying to get an answer from them via WhatsApp if they will get her onto a flight when they start to fly. They are not responding does anyone know how to get in touch with them or if they plan on helping the people that have reservations
My DD was supposed to leave seminary on an El Al flight today 6/15. Should I do anything with the ticket? Or just assume El Al will rebook us whenever they have a flight and have space?
Just wait for now.
We have a NYC-TLV flight with United Aug 5 which was not (yet) cancelled.
We have a return ticket Delta Aug 21 which was cancelled.
Question 1: Is there a possibility that Delta will re-instate flights earlier than August 31st if the situation calms down?
Question 2: Should we attempt to rebook delta return flight on El Al and then maybe our United flight to TLV (Aug 5) will be cancelled, and then we’ll be stuck with the return ticket we won’t be able to cancel because El Al will resume flying?
Is the Delta ticket not refundable? Every fare I’ve seen from them in recent years has been.
my flight with ita for july 29 the second leg from rome to Tel aviv was cancelled. What are my options now (Rebooking,refund)?
What are my Options with ITA?
Anyone have any confirmed reports of people leaving from Eilat and getting on planes from SSH with American passport? Not coming in from SSH rather leaving and not private charters. Just regular plain people. Any confirmed reports of success?
My friend did it today and I know a family doing it tomorrow.
On what airline?
Elal just cancelled my June 22 flight from JFK
They have just opened up registration for “rescue” flights.
https://t.co/HiQ6s2NSDB
At least on mobile the link takes me to a site in Hebrew how do I get it to translate to english
Dan, I’m stuck in israel and considering to get home thru Egypt. My question is it safe to sit in a car service in Egypt? Do you by chance know how I can pre arrange with a driver to wait us there to take us to the airport?
June 25 from London – Israel Via ELAL
Any hope that it will be flying?
You should flag that SSH is considered as dangerous
Miri Regev (Transportation Minister) said foreigners will be able to leave on the rescue flights.
Amit Segal:
Transportation Minister Regev: There are 100-150 thousand Israelis abroad. We are working to gradually bring them back to Israel.
Regev announces: It will take time to return them to Israel. It won’t happen overnight. We are starting with Operation “Safe Return” of Israelis Home
Regev announces: We will not approve Israelis going abroad at this stage. Those who go abroad are tourists or diplomats
It’s quite likely that flights will leave empty.
They want to minimize time at TLV. It takes much more time to load a plane for departure, including people being in the terminal than planes landing and people going home
To the extent foreign nationals want to be repatriated from Israel, I would expect that to fall on the governments and embassies of the respective foreign countries (in coordination with Israeli security officials) rather than on Israel.
Dan, we were meant to fly back to Israel on elal but the tickets were booked using Qantas points. Any idea if we are eligible for this elal rescue flight? Also, does anyone know what it will cost?
Hey!
Stuck in Israel looking to get home and booked with Qantas. Any update on your situation?
Qantas claims I have to call ElAl for them to rebook my flight but unable to contact ElAl.
@Dan thanks for all the info.
My name is Sister in law and Brother in Law were supposed to fly back o El Al from TLV to JFK last night (monday morning (06/16). What do you suggest they do? Is there a sign up list for the foreigners trying to leave?
Dan, any updates you have or coming up from Transavia? My daughter has a flight from Paris to Tel Aviv next week (Flight# starts with TO), but had to cancel her trip because she got called up to miluim (TLV closed, and outbound flight on different airline was cancelled also got in the way). Currently you show cancelled to 6/17 and selling starting for 6/23. Trying to help see if they will cancel further so she can not lose the money. Any insights or updates? Thank you!
Repatriation flights are not departing from Israel as the planes are already in cypress and elsewhere… that explains not taking people from Israel who want to get out.
There’s over 100K Israelis to bring back. Those planes are going to be continually flying back and forth.
” It boggles my mind that the government doesn’t seem to understand the need for foreigners to go back home as well.”
see
https://www.gov.il/en/service/virtual_office
It would boggle your mind more if they allowed flights to leave and 400 foreigners got blown up on take off.
Most of El Als fleet was sent out of the country before the attack, so they may very well not be taking off from Israel at all .
There’s over 100K Israelis to bring back. Those planes are going to be continually flying back and forth.
When you get the last page you can switch to English.
lol 57000 people ahead of me
Yes, but the line moves rather quickly.
Aren’t there 1-2 ElAl planes alrady in NYC, dan? They turned back.
My daughter spotted one at EWR.
Regev literally said she doesnt want tourists in the country. I think more clarity is needed
The Israeli government does not want people in the airport waiting to fly out of Israel to be ‘sitting ducks”
checking in, going through security and passport control.
They are working on solutions such as off site check in, and are trying to see what can be done.
This situation is nothing like the last 20+ months.
Maybe you have to be here to understand
Flight from TLV to EWR on June 19 was canceled. Would taking a voucher vs refund give a better chance to rebook a first available EL-AL flight once it starts flying?
Same
Hi,
If anyone here has personal info on getting TO Israel via Amman or Egypt can they please comment here. Yes I’m aware it’s not suggested, and I’ve read above. But I am asking this question anyway.
Personally I think Amman is easier to get to and not far from Israel border, so if you have done this please comment.
The planes won’t leave Israel empty because they are already abroad
My flight on Arkia that was supposed to be this past motzei shabbos got cancelled. It was booked through my Chase Reserve points. Usually whenever something is cancelled, I immediately get my points back. This time, they said that Arkia is not giving a full refund and that I may not be able to get a new flight without a change fee. They said I have to wait 3 days to see if they can get a waiver from Arkia. Any advice?
if you don’t want to rebook on Arkia, just file a dispute with the US DOT. Simply state your flight got cancelled and Chase Travel isn’t giving you a refund
Wait 3 days
Not a big deal
I think it’s time for Bibi to go
Flights are cancelled-won’t happen.
Israir – Canceled till June 30th
Also seems weird that western countries aren’t having evacuation flights as normally happens during time of war. The US has great relationships with both Eqypt and Israel. I’m surprised the US can’t arrange secure buses from Eilat directly to Sharm El Sheikh airport (coordinating with Israel/Eqypt to effectively pass the border without stops and then arrange special flights from Sharm to the USA. Egypt Air could make a killing flying non-stop from Sharm to NYC. They could serve mehadrin food and charge as much as El Al 🙂 They are already operate flights from Cairo to NYC so I would think it could be a pretty easy process for them.
Will United rebook on Egypt Air from SSH?
Or even better, on Turkish?
Let us know if they did
How get to Sharm El Sheikh? There’s no buses or taxis operating in Israel from Jerusalem.
bus
Now there is…
BH, I’m back in NY. We, (group of 5) took a taxi from Bnei Brak and paid 1,500 shekels to get to Ilat.
El al flight for Thursday the 19th was canceled.
El al saying to choose refund or voucher. Will they rebook me if I don’t choose either?
Probably not
How about flying from SSH to CAI to NYC?
Did anyone take a stopver in CAI, do you need a special VISA for that?
You need a visa for that
You can get it in the airport or online 25$
Booked Qantas points via ElAl and my return flight has been cancelled.
Qantas said need to call ElAl to rebook. Can’t get ahold of ElAl.
Will I need to rebook with Qantas or ElAl? Will I be online to get a new flights once things reopen or in a bad situation because I booked with a partner airline?
Thank you!
Have a canceled ly thru quantas but they can’t pull my 6 digit elal booking code (required on the emergency flight registration) any help?
On elal website there’s option to enter ticket number instead of booking reference. (After that it should show you the LY booking reference)
It’s the same as the Qantas conformation number
Had a chase travel hotel booking in Dubai for this week non refundable. I am currently in Israel and can’t get to there. Is there any way I can get it back. Chase told me the hotel doesn’t want to issue a waiver.??
You’re likely out of luck since the hotel sees it as not their problem
I have a flight with arkia on june 26th on there website it says that flight are cancelled through motzai shabbos – why is elal cancelling through monday ?
My flight on June 28 booked with Delta operated through Air France has been canceled. In the email it says that they are unable to rebook me onto another flight. Any ideas? I thought delta can rebook onto elal
Delta can rebook onto El Al, but there needs to be availability on El Al, which is very hard to come by. At the moment they’ve zeroed all availability through June 30 because they don’t know what the situation will be like later on and don’t want anyone rebooking onto flights that might be canceled.
You can try asking them to rebook for El Al in July.
The idea of leaving Israel via Sinai and Sharm el-Sheikh may be only for Americans. An Israeli who wants to do this may encounter difficulties. Since the Egyptian authorities require that an Israeli entering Sinai exit through the same border crossing they entered, I doubt they would allow an Israeli entering Taba to exit through Sharm el-Sheikh.
Dear Dan, Do you have any information on this?
I know plenty of people who entered taba and left from SSH , what you can’t do if holding an Israeli pp is to fly from SSH to Cairo, so as long as you fly out of Egypt from SSH your good to go.
The only flights available now from Israel is to Iran..
jump out of the frying pan and into the fire
You can fly to baku then cross the land border with iran and fly tehran-tlv with F15,F16 or F35!
Via Bombay?
my son’s flight on united got canceled they gave a travel credit any way to get refund? or to rebook on elal?
they are required to give you a refund call them and tell them you want a refund
Yesterday Delta showed free rebooking options on July 5, 6, 7, 8 economy El Al flights Boston – TLV.
Can someone please advise. I havto pay my CC for many tickets with ITA in a week. my tickets to Tel Aviv were cancelled. Do I pay the CC bill or not? What are my options?
If ITA canceled your flights, you’re entitled to a refund. If you intend to claim that refund and that hasn’t been processed yet, it’s up to you whether to pay it now and just have the credit later (don’t know how American credit cards work and whether you get refunded for credit balances or whether it would just cover future months), or wait and pay interest for the period until the refund comes through.
thank you for the response. Why wouldnt i take the refund do I have any other options?
The alternative would be to be rebooked onto a future flight once they resume (potentially on a different airline, if they’re willing to do that).
Pay and when you get a refund you can ask for a credit balance refund.
Will Elal rebook on any of these flights?
The sole purpose of the El Al flights is essentially to rebook passengers on them (they’re currently only planned to be available to passengers holding tickets on canceled El Al/Sundor flights).
I have a United flight from EWR to TLV on July 2nd. I see from what you wrote that United will not be flying through July 31st, but that is not acknowledged by United yet. On the website, they say that they are flying but that I may cancel and get a refund if my flight is through July 30th. Is there any chance they are still in wait-and-see mode? (I get it is unlikely, but is it still a possibility?)
My EWR -tlv flight on the 2nd was cancelled. I got the email on sunday. probably same one (1PM).
Really? I don’t understand what I’m missing. I just checked the website and it still says I’m not canceled, but that I can request a travel waiver. And I got a text, not an email, at 1:30 on Sunday, also giving me the option to request a refund or rebook.
Per the NOTAM – closed till Sunday 11:59 PM
Iberia just cancelled my August 6 flight. They are still showing flights on that date – codeshares with El Al and British. What are my chances on getting rebooked on one of those?
Call and ask?
Let us know if they rebooked you on Elal
Yes!!! After a couple of tries (we kept on getting cut off) I was put on a flight one day earlier with a better itinerary with El Al for the flights in and out of Israel, and AA for the Spain – Nyc section.
Wow i almost couldnt tell theyre jewish with those baseball caps 😉
Also another proof why giving back the Sinai was a terrible deal.
The hasgacha pratis – and refuah lifnei hamaka – of Israel building this airport almost 60 years ago, for it to be available for yidden now…!
We are arranging yachts from Israel to Cyprus.
We have a 30 passenger yacht going tomorrow. It will return to Israel on Thursday.
We have larger vessels going on Sunday. Fill out the appropriate form if interested:
Cyprus to Israel
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhcW_91M5oHQinaTlYuYDvaWZI0WgYLQJhIoBf14OmdeBvoA/viewform?usp=header
Israel to Cyprus:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCvjksfUDA5n_lz-ikS1gyUNYXNad6LOvxIhWxDEvB4fGd7Q/viewform?usp=header
Who exatly is “we”?
[there are many many scams going around, promising non-existing “cruises” from Haifa to Cyprus]
No offense to the OP, but as a frum Jew I would be very suspicious of someone who posts online under the name Yehoshua King, unless I could confirm that is their real name.
Birthright had a yacht from Israel to Cyprus today for their 1500 Birthright participants currently in Israel. It was escorted by the Israeli Navy .
They then boarded chartered flights directly to Tampa which were arranged by Governor Ron DeSantis…
That’s what connection$ get you…
It would be great if similar arrangements can be done for the stranded yeshiva boys and seminary girls as well…
(Not necessarily on the same cruise ship:))
great idea to solve shidduch crises.
You might have a different opinion if you saw video of the type of partying on it.
That wasn’t a yacht, that was Mano’s cruise ship.
Very good idea, but you need some sort of a face on this.
Also it would be much helpful if you can set a budget rather then asking a “budget range”
Can you share more information about who this is? How much has it been costing per person?
anyone have a link for Arkia rescue flights (can only see Elal)?
currently stranded in Greece
Fly to Amman or Sharm el Sheikh
Dan, any idea why flights can not fly to/from Ramon airport now? I understand at the beginning but at this point it seems like it would be safe to have flight operate to/from Eilat with planes following similar flights paths by avoiding flying over Israel. For example flights to Europe can fly towards the Red Sea and fly northwest through the Sinai (similar to how flight Amma. Have been flying).
AFAICT Iranian missiles targeting the airport is the issue.
They haven’t fired one missile that went even close to Jerusalem let alone Eilat. Also there are now rescue flights operating to Ben Gurion so I’d think (at least limited) commercial flights would be able to operate now out of Ramon airport.
A. You have no idea what fell where. IL has widespead gag orders on this… which most international media follow (otherwise they’ll get thrown out of the country). unless you are following specific miltary analysis sites.
B. JLM is not relevant. TLV and the surrounding areas… (like where the airport IS….) have been hit alot.
C. It’s potential targets… not what has been hit already.
Also, I would imagine they are trying not to target Jerusalem. It probably wouldn’t look too good if they did and one of their missiles accidentally hit, oh, I don’t know, the Dome of the Rock….
My flight for today on ELAL was cancelled . Do I apply for a voucher or wait to see if el al would offer an alternative flight
I don’t see any reason to take a voucher rather than a refund, if you’re interested in cancelling. If you wait (assuming this is for a trip originating in Israel that you’re interested in taking later?) you should in theory be able to be rebooked onto an alternative flight eventually.
Are they giving dollar value vouchers or a voucher for a flight? If the latter, could be major savings down the road. (Who knows what pricing is going to look like in a month!)
anyone knows if there will be another elal flight from Rome today?
If you had an El Al return ticket, have you filled out the form on their site? If so, it’s just a matter of waiting until they assign you to a return flight. The flights that they’re announcing aren’t flights that are available for booking, all the seats are being assigned to people holding tickets to flights that have been cancelled.
If I get on one of these rescue flights will I still get a refund or voucher?
If you’re referring to the El Al rescue flights, my understanding is that those are being provided at no further cost, as a substitute for your cancelled return ticket. If you opt to cancel the ticket for a refund/voucher, presumably you would not then be eligible for these flights.
Arkia shows a flight out of Tel Aviv this Saturday night departing at 1155 pm. Is this possible?
Breaking: US Embassy to organize evacuation flights and ships
Article in Jerusalem Post says first rescue flight (from Larnaca) has landed. My daughter who was flying (domestically) out of EWR today said she saw an El Al flight in the departures board and some El Al planes at gates.
looks like one elal flight from EWR is en route to DET and one to FLL…
Any updates if ELAL will be flying June 24?
I know but I can’t say.
I know people have asked (but I didn’t see an answer), but does anyone have specific info on the specific cost and methods of getting from the Border to SSH airport? Also, how long should we plan to actually cross over, get visas, etc. My parents have an 11:30 AM flight tomorrow on Turkish and we were going to plan to be at the Israeli side of the border at 5:30AM. If it takes more than two hours to cross over and then it’s a 3 hour car ride I’m thinking we will be cutting the time too close. Should we maybe get to the Israeli side around 4AM? Also, do people know if the taxis/buses on the Sinai side only start later in the morning? Any info, anecdotal info is helpful so thanks in advance!!
Sure, always good to leave extra time as there are a lot of people crossing there now.
Lots more discussion on DDF:
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=140204.0
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=134544.3060
Thank you, those were very helpful threads! Just so others will have the specific info, they went to the Taba border around 4am today (just a couple of hours ago). Even with no line on the Israel side it still took about 1.5 hours to cross all the way to the Egypt side so anyone leaving at a more normal/busy hour should leave ample hours to cross over the border. They were then able to easily get a private cab to SSH for $200. They also had the option to take a shared van for $40 per person but preferred a private ride. They are not at all savvy or experienced travelers and it was straightforward and easy for them so it seems like this should be a solid option for anyone looking to return home from Israel right now and is totally doable without booking a door to door package from Israel to the airport in Egypt.
JUST WONDERING WHEN FILLING OUT THE STATE DEPT FORM LISTED ABOVE IF WE SHOULD WRITE OUR SON’S CURRENT ADDRESS IN ISRAEL OR AMERICA?
IF ANYONE CAN SHED LIGHT?
USA address
Sorry for being blunt, but what’s the nafka mina from when Indians last won world series to people being stranded and desperately trying to get home? save your jokes for Purim.
no shaychus between the 2 nor was I implying any…
just the system saves your username and I didnt change it since the last time I posted…
I am not sure how this shters anyone but I apologize if it shterred you..
I am also trying to get my kid home and I am wondering how putting his name as a resident of an American city without any Israel info will help him come home…
US address.
Communication will be via email
I know no one can predict with certainty what will be but what is the most prudent thing to do – we are a family of seven with tickets on Virgin Atlantic to LHR, then ELAL LHR-TLV on Tuesday night all on one ticket booked through Virgin Atlantic through Chase. As of now, the flight is on. We don’t want vouchers as it was booked with points. We could wait until it’s officially cancelled and get a refund, but what happens if it isn’t cancelled, we fly to London and then it’s cancelled? Or do we just ask for vouchers assuming it’ll be cancelled right before the London flight? I assume if Virgin Atlantic flies us back home, that’s the end of the trip and we’d only get reimbursed for the London-Israel part which torpedos our budget (and a collosal waste of time) just looking for ‘What would you do?’
Wait till Motzei Shabbos to see if they extend the TLV cancellations.
I think I am on the same flight
I booked points through Air France, and its a connecting flight
So If they cancel I only get reimbursed for the second part?
Based on what’s been happening so far, it looks like cancellations have mostly been happening at least a couple days out. It’s certainly possible the airspace closure will extend past Monday, but I would strongly expect that if that happens it’ll be announced by Saturday night or Sunday morning. And I would assume they wouldn’t do that if they weren’t fairly confident in the stability of the situation. By Tuesday morning, if flights resume, I would assume that they wouldn’t be cancelled the same/next day.
If the flight does get cancelled, I would try to get rebooked (at the moment it seems like it would have to be for a date later than July 15) if you’re interested in that, and if not then yeah, just take the refund.
Worst case scenario, if the second segment were to somehow be cancelled while you’re en route, then since it’s all one booking I would VS should fly you back and give you a full refund:
“If your flight is cancelled
You have the choice
To cancel your booking and receive a refund on your unused
ticket, and for the part of the journey already made if the
delay means your flight no longer serves any purpose in
relation to your original travel plans. Where relevant if you
have already completed one or more segments of your flight
we will also offer you a return flight to your first point of
departure at the earliest opportunity.”
https://help.virginatlantic.com/content/dam/documents/Compensation_booklet_FEB2025.pdf
thank you!
What did you end up doing?
Officially, Delta is only rebooking onto Delta, Air France, or KLM flights, but several readers have been able to get rebooked onto El Al, so your mileage may vary.
**************
Called Delta Friday 6/13 and they switched my late July flights to ELAL quickly & easily.
just curious if you were ticketed for the ELAL flight as I had delta switch my sons flight to ELAL as well but they just made a reservation and when logging into ELAL I wasn’t able to manage the booking make seats etc.
so it turns out that (after speaking with a supervisor in Delta ticketing dept. she told me that it is a problem that since we CANNOT rebook onto ELAL a lot of ppl will show up to ELAL gate thinking they have a seat but will be turned away. basically all the delta reps who rebooked ppl onto ELAL were not following protocol and all those rebooked tix (unless u were ticketed) wont be honored..
BASICALLY THIS NEEDS FURTHUR CLARIFICATION AS IT APPEARS
(AS PER THE TICKETING REP)
THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO REBOOK ONTO ELAL!
It’s normal that you can’t manage seats when Delta books you onto El Al.
The Delta supervisor made up a story. Plenty of people have been rebooked and traveled on El Al, but Delta doesn’t want to rebook the ticket as it costs more.
Delta said that my July flight is not cancelled yet so can’t switch to El Al without a fare difference?
I just spoke to Delta about my kids flight on July 3rd from Israel returning Aug 6th and they said the flight was NOT cancelled. I asked them to speak to a supervisor who also said the flight was NOT cancelled. When I went to the Delta website to (possibly) book a ticket TO Israel on August 6th, the flights are still available. According to the above:
Delta: Flights canceled through 8/31. Next flight for sale: JFK-Tel Aviv on 9/1. Boston and Atlanta to Tel Aviv suspended indefinitely.
I’m just confused. I can’t rebook or deal with it if Delta doesn’t acknowledge that the flights are cancelled. What do you recommend I do please?
Referred them to the link above?
I had an AA booked flight (AA ticket #) for travel on Iberia from TLV-MIA roundtrip and Iberia canceled their TLV flights and AA rebooked me onto El Al operated flights but with Iberia flight numbers.
BA CANCELED TILL OCT 26
BA just notified cancelling of Aug 5 flight LHR-TLV
Delta flight on Aug 7 still not cancelled on the PNR
Don’t wait to rebook. As things stand now, it will be cancelled. I imagine my Delta Aug 6 will be cancelled JFK – TLV, so I booked my own El Al same day/route for $799. El Al has a flat rate fare now. When Delta finally cancels, I will choose a refund. We needed two seats and were able to only get 1 in extra legroom and one in premium. Good Luck!
How does this work with partially flown flights?
You can get a partial refund or reschedule.
Anyone have an idea of what’s the probability of pre-booked flights from Israel resuming by July 1?
37.8456%
Correction 38.356231%
Everyone knows that 38.234645% of statistics are made up on the spot.
While birthright website shows canceled untill further notice they are sending acceptance emails for their August tours. What does that say?
That they hope things return to normal?
I currently have a flight with El Al from TLV to OTP on July 4th (LY 575). Should I hold tight or change the flight to the same flight on July 18th?
https://ask8ball.net/
8ball says “outlook good “…lol hopefully a good omen
I have an itinerary with LOT polish on June 29th and I just confirmed with the airline that the itinerary is still active. Please update your post which indicates that flights are cancelled through the 29th. Thank you
It is canceled. Hatzlacha!
I just spoke to customer service and they assured me that it isn’t cancelled as of now
And this is why we say on DDF, DROPR.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=10531.0
I now have written confirmation for a supervisor at LOT Polish that 5 minutes ago has officially confirmed at flights on June 29th to Israel are not cancelled. Please correct your post or bring some indication of your sources that trumps this one.
Seriously??
You’re taking a Polish reps word over Dan???
You must be new here…
i have a elal 2 one way tickets booked with virgin points from nyc 7/14 and back from tlv 7/22 can i get elal vouchers for both or nothing ?
You can’t get vouchers for award tickets.
Dan, I have an elal flight booked with Qantas points on July 16th. Do you think it will get canceled?
https://ask8ball.net/
I was in Israel with an united flight and they canceled are the responsible to cover my way home? I went through Egypt
No. They only owe a refund.
My El Al flight today was canceled, and El Al has suspended new bookings through July 15th…
1) am I better off taking the refund now and removing myself from their system, then rebooking as a new customer after the 15th?
Or,
2) if I hold off on taking the refund, does staying in their system improve my chances of being rebooked by ElAl on one of the earlier flights that may resume before July 15th (but are currently unavailable for new bookings)?
2.
If you mean outbound from Israel, I would think that keeping the ticket sounds like a better option, assuming you still want to travel later. Both in terms of the chances of rebooking sooner, and in terms of being rebooked without having to worry about any potential fare difference.
“Customers with flights through 7/15 can receive a voucher now”. Is that even for booking made after 6/13?
Per the email they just sent me Etihad is suspended through June 30
Oh, boy. Getting closer. Outgoing El Al flight scheduled for 7/9. (Not through points.) If a notice is sent out that it’s cancelled, we call them and they rebook, or it’s better to try ourselves without waiting for an agent?
Any significance to the 7/15 date, regarding previously booked flights? I have a booked flight for 7/15. Was hoping this war will be long over by then…
I made it back home last night BH. Crossed border at Nahar HaYarden Tuesday AM, had a fixer on other side take us through Jordanian customs, and an American company take us to a 4 star hotel in Amman Tuesday night. Flew out of Amman to JFK Wednesday at noon on flights that I bought Monday for 2k one way each. Left tefillin, tzitzis, yarmulkas, siddurim all in EY with my kids. I saw an undercover bochur in front of me have tefillin confiscated at the border by Jordanian police. I dressed like a secular American with baseball cap, t-shirt/polo. About 10-15 other undercover frum ppl were on our flight. I am told those flights are now very sold out for a while and much more expensive.
I have a BA ticket TLV – LHR for October that was just cancelled. Called BA and was told that since it was booked through Chase travel, they won’t help me, and I should call chase to take care of it. The Chase rep said that BA won’t book me on the elal flight that day.
Any advice?
Ask Chase to conference in BA for approval. Might have to ask for a manager and/or HUCA.
You mean I can eventually get them to rebook on Elal even if it’s more expensive ticket?
Yes
Thanks!
Response to – Chase help
I have a BA ticket TLV – LHR for October that was just cancelled. Called BA and was told that since it was booked through Chase travel, they won’t help me, and I should call chase to take care of it. The Chase rep said that BA won’t book me on the elal flight that day.
Any advice?
If BA / Chase dont reroute you on EL AL you may make your arrangements and claim it all back.
Yiu can contact me for assistance.
The only flight with similar timing (going for a simcha) is to LTN. The rep told me that they would only do same route without charging fare difference. Instead they offered to rebook for the previous day (which means I’d have to pay for another night at the hotel.
Any advice?
I had a flight with BA for 6 prem econ JFK-TLV 8/5-8/20; as posted above it has been cancelled. I booked with Chase using points, so I just called them to rebook on El Al. I was told that the waivers that BA were giving until now for El Al rebookings are only valid for a BA itinerary booked on or before 5/23. I missed that cutoff. The above link for rebooking onto LY seems to verify the reps claim…hopefully BA will update the cutoff date for a waiver now that they extended their cancellation.
See comment above.
I should HUCA even though the BA website still shows that the waivers are only for flights booked on or before 5/23?
Sure
Ok. Thank you for all your help!
I just spoke to a different Chase rep and they were willing to rebook us onto an LY flight for the legs between LHR and TLV. They were not willing to rebook us on a nonstop LY flight from JFK-TLV. Should I still HUCA?
Pigs get fat, hogs get…
Just take what you can get.
@Dan
My son had an open El Al ticket Good for a year but the return flight was for June 18 and has been canceled will I get a refund or a voucher if I exit Israel another way and don’t wait until airspace is reopened
You should get a refund.
When it says for Tourists do yeshiva students and seminary girls who went for the year are they included in that category?
Yes
have a flight June 24, jfk-tlv any ideas if this will be canceled? Elal has posted cancellations through June 23rd, but haven’t extended it in past few days. Wondering should hold out for refund or apply for voucher.
I assume it will be cancelled. No reason not to wait and see.
Just want to say thanks Dan! Because of these posts I knew which airlines were likely to cancel. I booked my child’s September flight on BA because of their rebooking on El Al. (Couldn’t afford El Al or Arkia.) I was hoping not to need it but today was very relieved that I did it. Rebooked for that leg on El Al now.
Awesome!
Israel will operate rescue flights from Israel for tourists, diplomats, youth and sports groups, and those with urgent humanitarian and medical needs.
Sport groups are probably the most important.(For those who don’t have anything more important)
My sister has a flight out of israel on June 30th with ELAL for my youngest sisters wedding, any chance of that still not being cancelled at this point? or when we can expect that to be clarified one way or the other?
I’d expect it to be cancelled. Book travel via SSH?
shes really not looking forward to do a 7 hour drive plus stopover flights with 2 children under 3, but she will have to make that decision
Nobody’s looking forward to that. 😀
If she’s traveling without Tefillin, AMM is also a closer option.
my brother in law is going also, they are applying for rescue flights/boats, lets see what happens by mid next week, wedding is July 2nd
Any chance that BA will restart flying before sukkos if things clear up or once they cancel there’s no turning back?
Extremely unlikely.
Thank you Dan, you are such a good yid taking so much time to personally help so many others! Yasher Koach!
It’s my pleasure. Hatzlacha!
I’ll second that!! You should be gebentched with tremendous bracha and hatzlacha!
Once you submit your request, the link they shared to update information takes you to a page you can’t log into. Do you have any ideas? It asks for a login and password
What are the costs of these flights per person?
I’m afraid if I leave now I wont be able to return on my flight in September.
yup. no one knows.
are any of the rescue flights free?
El Al’s rescue flights are “free” (no additional cost) for those holding tickets to canceled El Al flights. Essentially the flights are dedicated to rebooking their passengers. I think I saw that other airlines (Israir/Haifa) air doing that too at first. Arkia has said that they won’t be doing that — they’re putting the flights up for sale (at inflated fares) on their site, first come first serve, and saying that anyone with a canceled flight is only entitled to a refund.
Note that Israeli law entitles the passenger to *their choice* of a refund or a substitute ticket, so their conduct seems to be a violation of their legal obligations. If anyone reading this was supposed to be flying Arkia, as a practical matter you presumably aren’t going to get what you’re entitled to in real time, but I would avoid filling out the refund form, and after arrival contact them demanding a refund for the substitute ticket.
anyway to get a entirely free flight without any existing ticket
no.
I tried logging into the link you provided. The next link I clicked which showed Mytravel……….does
not allow access. Do you have some idea how I can get to it?
Just wanted to update you that I got back my points from my Arkia flight through Chase Reserve.
Dan, My son in yeshiva has a flight home, 6/30 TLV-ATH then AA from ATH-JFK.
He’s booked to return JFK-TLV on 8/30
What are the chances he gets on his outbound flight?
Should he be filling out the embassy forum?
Should I be concerned that he won’t be able to return on 8/30?
TY
a. low
b. if you want
c. no one knows, so yes.
Re. Bolt app shows taxi should be around 60-70 euro from LCA to Limmasol marina
The cruise departing Ashdod can already be booked for money.
https://cruise.mano.co.il/cruises/?&&destinations=143
Departing Ashdod Tuesday 9Am
Sold out. @Dan does that mean Elal can’t either get me a ticket on this cruise?
It was buggy most of the day Friday but I was finally able to book the Tuesday 6/24 mano cruise in the afternoon- it wasn’t sold out.
After being in Cyprus for 5 days, I flew on wed from larnaca to aqaba, 10 min drive from there to Eilat border. Smooth crossing BH, no issues for anyone in our group.
The flight was a charter with over 150 Israelis.
Why in the world would anyone exchange their flight for a cruise when they could just get a full refund and then pay the 549. ?
So they can get out sooner? And dont want to go the Egypt/Jordan route? Expensive any way you slice it, but this seems safer. The cruises do not have unlimited seats anyways.
It depends what the origin and fare of the original ticket was. If it wasn’t a ticket to the U.S. or a premium class or something like that, many one-way fares from Europe (and especially from Cyprus, for people who were there in the first place as opposed to relocating to there as part of trying to get back) could easily be less than €549.
@dan on the Elal website it shows that the cruise available as a REPLACEMENT TICKET is the one on Thursday landing in Cyprus on Friday. They are also selling a cruise to the general public, that’s the one on Tuesday and that one is sold out.
Was just able to book into the Tuesday from Ashdod cruise
Any feedback to share ?
My flight to israel on iberia for sukkos was canceled. (no suprize there) iberia offered to change travel dates or refund. do they have the ability to rebook on elal? i don’t know how long it would take for refund to come through and i don’t have money for new tickets now. worse case scenario i will take the refund and go a different time instead.
Call them. They rebooked my August flights on El Al. The first agent wasn’t particularly helpful, but after we got cut off. I called again and got someone very helpful.
Dan, maybe post this for those trying to get out of Israel.
https://www.lalechet.com/tour/1466
Says it’s full
I have flights on Delta (booked through Virgin) to Amsterdam and then separate flights on El Al to TLV for next week. Assuming Elal cancels, will Virgin refund them? They were booked on Amex Business Platinum, but it seems like war is an exception to what they cover. Any ideas? Thank you!
If it’s a separate ticket I don’t think you’re entitled to anything. You might get lucky explaining the situation (perhaps escalating to a supervisor or their customer care department, if they have one?) and hoping they’re willing to make an exception, or maybe e.g. your ticket’s terms allow for a credit or something.
I have a flight on Elal on July 10 which I will not be using. I prefer refund then a voucher. any risk with waiting until they actually cancel the flight? (any chance they will stop offering vouchers)?
Hello Dan, I was stuck in Israel and, BH, I am at this moment back home in NY. I am sharing my experience so maybe it can helpful for others. We, a group off 5, visibly Chasidic Jewish, long payaos, beards, black hats and long suits traveled thru Shahram El-Sheik Egypt with out any issue, we did not dressed up differently.
We took a taxi from Bnei brak for 1,500 shekels, a four hour ride. Crossed the Taba crossing into Egypt, it took us about 2 and half hours. We did not have e-visas before hand and got them at the border. 4 of us are US passport holders and 1 with an Israeli passport with a US green card. We took a pre-arranged taxi to SSH airport for $160, it took about 3 hours. There, we took a flight to New Castel England with TUI airways. Then connected thru Paris with Air France to JFK. Total travel time 35 hours.
Thanks for sharing !
Ba canceled a flight booked with AS miles. Will they still rebook on elal?
I’m trying to get an ElAl voucher but it says my eticket number must start with 114, when I search Elal, it says my ticket starts with 125. Anyone know what this means? I did book via Chase on BA originally and they switched it to ElAl when they cancelled
114 is El Al ticket stock. 125 is BA ticket stock. BA likely reissued the ticket for travel on El Al so they have the funds, El Al has no money to turn into a credit for you.
ELAL will and can only issue refunds or vouchers for tickets booked thru ELAL. Yours is a Ba ticket so you must ask BA for the refund. Your other option is to have ELAL rebook yiu for another date.
I have a flight with arkia on thursday the 26th is it cancelled?
Almost certainly.
ty
if I dont receive a email that its cancelled then can I assume they will let me on or they wont cause its a rescue flight?
the flight is from jfk to tlv
is there anyway I can get arkia to change my flight instead of giving me a refund I booked through chase
They have posted that no alternative flights/rebooking will be offered, and that everyone will only be eligible for a refund. However, this is in violation of your rights/their obligations under the Aviation Services Law. As a practical matter, if you need to get back ASAP, I wouldn’t bother trying to get them to rebook you, but rather try to book a ticket on the “rescue flights” (once those resume — don’t know when that will be, post-U.S. attack), refrain from filling out the refund form, and then afterwards contact them in writing demanding a refund of the alternate flight ticket you purchased from them despite being entitled to receive it in exchange for your canceled flight ticket (assuming it’s more expensive).
ty
can I get on a rescue flight even though I am not a american citizen?
what about getting a niftar to israel for burial?
If the airspace is closed, there are no civilian flights.
@dan
Registration for flights out of israel on ELALs website is available for those that don’t have a ticket also.
As it says on the bottom of that page in the FAQS.
What the best was to get from Sharm to Israel safely these days if I fly into Sharm? There is a direct Milan-Sharm flight that gets in around 7:45pm
You can take a taxi to the Taba border crossing or arrange for a service.
Any recommendations for a service?
The first link in El Al has a FAQ that says OPEN TO ALL (not only for El Al ticket holders). https://www.elal.com/eng/general/campaigns/recovery-flights-from-israel
what are the criteria to be selected for a rescue flight many people including myself weren’t selected and they filled out the information properly
There are tens of thousands of people trying to fly in or out on a rescue basis, so it may take weeks to get through that.
If you need to go sooner, consider flying via SSH or the like.
@dan I had a hotel booking out of Israel in Dubai was booked through Chase travel and the hotel doesn’t want to give a refund on it
I am stuck in Israel and can’t make it to that non refundable reservation. What should I do?
We had the same prob with an AA flight. Our to US ticket was cancelled, and we lost the money and miles used for our AA flights within US. It’s trivial compared with the people in TLV who lost their homes.
My daughter who is trying to fly back to usa registered correctly, but, hasn’t revceived a reply yet. Know how much these rescue flights will cost?
I don’t know about the other airlines, but with El Al, if you had a ticket on El Al to leave the country the flight will be at no extra charge, otherwise the flights to New York and Los Angeles are $795.
https://www.elal.com/eng/general/campaigns/recovery-flights-from-israel
I registered on El Al site for a flight out of Israel with a cancelled El Al reservation and it says I should get an email confirming my registration. I did not get an email. I checked my spam, as they instructed. Not there either. Did anyone get an email confirming? Should I register again?
I am in a similar situation. I did get immediate confirmation that my form was submitted. The registration is different now!
I filled up the form properly on Friday morning and have not heard back re the Department of State rescue flights
Dan, what info do you have regarding safety of flying Emirates for frum Jews from Larnaca to NYC via Dubai?
It’s perfectly fine, I’d even call it safer then Lufthansa…
I was booked on United June 25 flight ewr-tlv. It was cancelled. I didn’t call yet for a refund. IF airspace is open by then, do you think United and/or partner airlines will start flying within a couple days or will they wait to restart flights? (Confirming I can wait till day of to cancel, it was booked on United points? Also what about waiting till a few days later to see if I can get on a flight in time for the simcha I was hoping to attend, can I wait till after my orig flight to ask for a refund or it has to be requested before?) Thanks!
Did anyone get a confirmation of a flight out of Israel for this week yet?
On a round trip from the US to TLV on Elal does ElAl cancel the first leg or the whole booking?
If you choose to cancel the ticket for a refund, the cancellation will be of the whole round-trip ticket.
I had a flight cancelled for this week, going to Israel, returning over a month later. I thought I had read earlier that recovery flights to Israel are limited to Israeli citizens, but I can’t find anything about that now. As a visitor, am I allowed to register for a recovery flight to Israel?
Yes you’re allowed, but you might have difficulties returning if the situation continues
Be aware. ELAL is turning away non-Israelis from the rescue flights. Even after receiving boarding passes. Even for visa holders. Communication has been terrible.
@Dan can you please reach out to ELAL for clarification on this? I’ve heard of this happening to multiple people.
Yes this happened on the flight today…all American passport holders were denied boarding
HELP!!! I have a flight departing tlv going to Bucharest Romania leaving next Monday morning with Tarom Airlines – it’s not cancled yet! should i rely on it, whats the chances its still flying, can i get a refund, what are other options PLEASE HELP ME ANYONE!!!!!!!!
Idk if there’s any chance that they’ll fly but if they don’t then you should get a refund
I have flights via LOT Polish AIR to Tel Aviv July 2.
I have not received a cancelation email. (as of now)
So Dan, as of of now do you think its safe to assume i will make it? or cancelation?
If its the later will i see money or vouchers?
thanks
I have a flight to Israel July 2nd via LOT POLISH AIR.
I haven’t received a cancelation email.
Dan is it save to assume it will be a go? or cancelation?
If its the later will I be seeing cash or a voucher?
Thanks
If the airline cancels your flight (as opposed to you choosing to cancel your booking) you’re legally entitled to a refund, if you so choose.
We submitted a request to ElAl on Motza’ei Shabbos. It was a request to fly OUT of Israel (for a minimum of 21days) – we had a previously scheduled trip that had been cancelled by ElAl due to the situation. We live in Israel and are dual citizens. Looking to hear from anyone that **heard back from ElAl** after submitting the request form, all we got was immediate confirmation that the form had been received.
You can check your status here
https://www.elal.com/eng/general/campaigns/recovery-flights-status
What are the options for an Israeli who has a canceled Arkia flight, to get back to Israel?
Given Arkia’s current (seemingly illegal, and contrary to what everyone else seems to be doing) conduct, it appears that the answer is “same thing as anyone else”. They’re telling people their tickets are cancelled and they’re only entitled to a refund. If you can manage to buy a ticket on one of the Arkia “rescue flights”, I would refrain from filling out any form requesting(/accepting) a refund, and once back in Israel, contact them demanding a refund on the (assumedly more-expensive) return ticket rather than the original ticket for the cancelled flight.
Other than Arkia, I’m not sure if any of the other airlines are selling tickets for the coming days to the general public. Your best bet might be either to try and book a room on Mano, or to try and find a flight into Aqaba (which from what I’ve been reading sounds like the safest option, only a few minutes from the border crossing into Eilat).
I see that the arkia is chedluled to fly tomrrow from jfk to tlv any chance my thursday morning flight wont be cancelled?
They are not flying tomorrow from JFK
Good luck getting that from arkia
Same as any Israeli who doesn’t have a cancelled arkia flight….
and what are those options?
taba sharm or aqaba
or try to book air haifa
or mano ship
its seems from the link that they are flying on Wednesday
https://www.google.com/search?q=tracking+arkia+flights++jfk+to+tlv+wendsday&safe=strict&sca_esv=a644fcbfba2a63ce&ei=udFZaN_sMcOIptQP0Y_M2Ag&ved=0ahUKEwifrabDyIiOAxVDhIkEHdEHE4sQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=tracking+arkia+flights++jfk+to+tlv+wendsday&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiK3RyYWNraW5nIGFya2lhIGZsaWdodHMgIGpmayB0byB0bHYgd2VuZHNkYXkyCBAAGKIEGIkFMgUQABjvBTIIEAAYgAQYogRI7qYBUPgDWO-hAXABeAGQAQCYAYYBoAHNCaoBAzcuNbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCC6ACqgjCAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgIEECEYCpgDAOIDBRIBMSBAiAYBkAYIkgcDNy40oAfJJbIHAzYuNLgHowjCBwUwLjcuNMgHIA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
עדכונים שוטפים
מעודכן לתאריך 22.6.2025, שעה 20:42.
בעקבות סגירת המרחב האווירי של ישראל, ובהתאם להנחיות רשויות הביטחון והתעופה, כלל טיסות ארקיע מישראל ואליה*, כולל טיסות ל/מאילת, מבוטלות עד ליום שני, 30.6.2025 (כולל). נוסעי טיסות אלו זכאים להחזר כספי על מרכיב הטיסה בלבד (נוסעים שהזמינו חבילת נופש הכוללת מלון, דמי ביטול עשויים לחול על מרכיב המלון, אלא אם תתקבל הסכמה אחרת מהמלון). לבקשת החזר נא למלא פרטים בלינק: https://refund.arkia.co.il/
what do they mean when they write לא כולל נוי יורק does that means that the flights from jfk are going?
WOW
WAR ENDED!!
AIRPORT WILL (probably) BE OPEND NET WEEK!!!
what’s your source?
For what part?
I just spoke with United Airlines and they confirmed that all flights are canceled in to TLV until July 30th. As of now the August flights are still good.
War Started again…..
If ceasefire holds, do you think they’ll extend cancellations past 27th ? Or will those tickets be good
Also wondering this. Have an El Al ticket TLV-RHO on 7/1. Hasn’t been cancelled yet…
@Dan – Any chance your United contacts have preliminary news on restarting service in July?
July is canceled. I would not expect that to change.
Just to confirm the capped price list you posted says one way tel aviv to new york would be $649?
Those prices are to TLV.
My aegean flight for July 22 is suspended
ELAL flight TLV to JFK June 29th. Does the 50 person per flight apply to flights for which we havent (yet) received cancellation?
50 Person per flight restriction has been lifted!
My family and I are US citizens who were supposed to fly this week from Boston. We would still like to go from Boston and retain our original return flight. Any idea how we get reaccommodated on a Boston flight when they restart next week?
So it seems that ELAL is cancelling the open ended tickets (will refund, how much? who knows) that Sem girls have, and charging them around $1100 to get home on flight on sun, mon and tues. disgusting
They should not request the refund and instead sign up for recovery flights. They should be returned home for no additional cost if they have a ticket for a flight that was canceled by El Al that they haven’t refunded
open ended tickets that were not actually ticketed onto a flight home that was then canceled are likely not eligible for that. The open ticket is valid for 12 months, on any regularly scheduled flight with available seats, in your booking class. Their flight was not canceled. They can wait for later in July or August when things return to normal to use the return portion.
absolutely untrue
some seminaries arranged a charter flight for 1100 dollars a person and you can then cancel your elal tciket and request a refund from elal or you can wait to get your elal flight for free
its a charter flight? The email did not say that at all. If it is then i understand why
yes it is a private charter that they are charging 1000 a seat for-it has nothing to do with elal. My daughters seminary is one of the seminaries on the charter. They gave parents a choice either book on one of the 3 charters and ask elal for a refund or wait until elal can accommodate you to take you home but it is unknown at this time when elal will get to your child’s ticket to rebook them for free
Interesting. my daughters Sem did not tell us that at all. Took me over an hour trying to reach the sems travel agent to get answers about that
I have a flight to Tel-aviv in august with United. Assuming the ceasefire holds, is it safe to assume that United will be flying?
It is not safe to assume that. United’s unions will fight to extend the cancellation.
Why is ElAl so eager to resume flights if war is still going on and then they will have to cancel again?
El Al will fly as long as TLV is open.
My UA flight on july 1 was cancelled. I imagine it won’t happen.
If I fly AA to athens can they put our luggage directly on an ELAL flight?
or would united or delta work better?
I know things are very uncertain now but am exploring E”Y options.
TIA
AA is very stingy about checking bags through on a separate ticket in my experience.
Thank you!
DAN my flight with delta for july 1 Jfk tlv was canceled you think there is a way to get transferred to elal?
You would have to wait for El Al to open up availability. Don’t count on it happening.
@Dan LY 25 June 29th Still no cancellation. Do you think that will go as planned?
https://ask8ball.net/
hi Dan
I have a flight out tonight on arkia at 00:05 from tlv to jfk flight # IZ993
i was able to print a boarding pass. how do i know if its really flying
It is canceled.
is the farkia flight on thursday from jfk also cancelled
Thanks for all your help
My son was scheduled on this flight too & able to print a boarding pass. I’m concerned that flightaware is still showing it as scheduled. I hope it won’t be considered a missed flight…
from where did he get his boarding pass both chase travel and arkia are telling me its cancelled, if you could help me I would really appreciate it
a representative from arkia told me just because you printed a boarding pass doesnt mean it wasnt cancelled – I really dont know what to do myself cause on jfk website it says the flight is still going
now that they cancelled the flight did your son get pushed to a different flight?
I asked above but I think it got lost in the shuffle. Assuming El Al resumes their full schedule after shabbos, is there a mechanism for those with cancelled flights (who have not yet requested a refund or voucher) to get directly reacommodated on those flights? I have a Boston departure that was cancelled this week and I’d rather get on a Boston next week than a New York this week.
I’m in a similar situation and would love to know!
I have a LHR-TLV reservation on July 1st that was not yet cancelled. Anyone think EL AL will keep this flight and honor uncancelled reservations?
I have an El al flight on July 1 you think it’s going to be honored or will be canceled.
Hi Dan,
I had a direct flight from Tel Aviv (TLV) to Newark (EWR) with united on July 13 booked using Aeroplan miles. Unfortunately, it was cancelled. United tells me to contact Air Canada, but Air Canada isn’t willing to make any changes or rebook me.
Do you have any idea how I can get this or nothing to do
Try calling back?
Air canada or united
Air Canada
What’s the chances United and Delta return soon?
Small.
The first flight available from NYC now on ElAl is 7/23.
Stay tuned…
Will Delta resume flights in August? right now they are canceled until Aug 31 i am ticketed on Aug 17 JFK to TLV, which they canceled yesterday, they told me to wait before asking for a refund, and if they resume flights they will honor my fare
What to do?
Thanks
Wait and see I suppose, but don’t hold your breath.
If you need to make the trip, book on Israeli carriers.
I am confused. Is this for any cancelled company flight (I.e. Delta) that ELAL would book you on for free or just ELAL cancelled flights?
Just El Al.
If I book a delta operated flight on ELAL website and delta doesn’t fly, who is responsible to rebook me?
Will elal take responsibility to rebook me on elal?
Hi Dan! What happens if I currently have a flight on July 1st on El Al from TLV-LAX? Will my ticket still be valid or can they cancel my ticket and prioritize passengers whose previous flights were cancelled in June?
It should be valid.
I had a flight today with EL AL which was cancelled
How long do you think I will have to wait until I will be rebooked on a new flight?
“Flights will initially be allocated to passengers with cancelled flights via registration form for flights from Israel or flights to Israel. Once all passengers with cancelled flights have been accommodated, El Al will reopen bookings for the general public.”
DOES this mean flights not yet cancelled might still be cancelled to accommodate ? or will those prob remain as ticketed
It’s a possibility. TBD.
From months ago I had ElAl booked for Mon. 6/30 TLV-ATH
Can I trust that it will operate as originally scheduled?
I have ElaL flight for 6/28 which they cancelled as of Sunday. Will they reinstate it as they are flying then or will be like all other canceled passengers and have to wait for availability?
Elal cancelled June 28???
Dan,
I have a flight ELAL, FCO to TLV July 2nd, as of now it is not cancelled ,will they give my seat away to a passenger that had their ticket cancelled on a previous flight or is it safe to say that my seat is secure, being that I’m flying United EWR to FCO I don’t want to arrive FCO and not have a ticket to TLV.
Thanks
As of now scheduled flights are only cancelled this week, if they extend it to accommodate stranded passengers you will receive notice a few days before the flight.
what are the odds of the American carriers un-canceling flightsA?
Not happening
I have 2 one way flights from TLV-LAX (for 2 different people) that were supposed to fly in to TLV (each on a different record – so each person had 2 one ways in and 2 one ways out) Their inbound (AMS-TLV) got cancelled so they never made it in to TLV and those flights have been fully refunded. The return flights (TLV-LAX) have not been cancelled but they’re not here to take those flights. If it’s not cancelled by EL Al then I dont think id be able to get a full refund, which is quite annoying. Do you think theres a way around it or will i have to eat it?
What’s the date?
If it’s before July 23 you can get a voucher credit
The TLV-LAX is June 30 which is why the flight isn’t cancelled and therefore if I cancel i lose some of the $. If I get a voucher, while not terrible, doesn’t put the $ back into the organization’s coffers and doesn’t help the accounting. The bigger question is if I do accept the voucher do they put the $ into my Matmid account which is what booked their 2 tickets or is does it go to them – who don’t have Matmid accounts) We shall see how this plays out.
Voucher’s don’t go into any Matmid account, when you get the voucher you can put it in anyone’s name and email. and you can book travel for anyone (not only voucher holder) until it expires (likely 12/26).
Just keep in mind you need to request it minimum 24 hours before flight
any word on if yet to be canceled elal flights (June 30th TLV-JFK) will fly, or when to expect word on that?
never mind, US embassy just called them to offer a flight to Rome in 5 hours, can only take 2 suitcases and no strollers, they are flying with 2 toddlers, gd help them
I have to leave Israel on the week of July 20. Do you suggest I book an annoying long stop over or do you suggest I wait for more flights to open up
hi can u please let us know more info we have a grandchild bar mitzva on july 17 and have tickets with united and they canceled and said we can get refund is there any way that the flight will fly? or are they still cacnelled till….. and if they fly will we get our ticket back or we will have to rebook thnx in advance!!
Very unlikely they will fly, you should rebook.
,thanx so much we just rebooked to TLV Elal 799 (couldn’t find the 649) and the way back arkia 1199
if i was supposed to go ELal from london to Tel Aviv
And now I want to go from NYC
Will they accommodate me?
ElAl’s website reads: “Complete the dedicated registration form
Please ensure that all details are entered exactly as they appear in your passport.”
Anyone know WHERE exactly this form can be found?? It’s not at that linked location
Seems to be fixed now. Just keep clicking the “register” button https://info.elal.com/forms/169666bfd1f9c910457f36b83f5a3a9a?r=use1?&queueittoken=www
Just to note- I had a TLV-BOS flight for this wed night/Thursday early am- June 26th that was cancelled. I had registered with them for a flight out. ELAL called me tonight at 7.30pm to say they put me on a 7.30am direct to JFK (12 hours later). Thank you ELAL for all your efforts!
United emailed me to call them.
We had direct EWR-TLV for July 1st.
I did (they picked up very quickly) they said we could either get a refund or get rebooked to 6 cities: zurich, athens, brussels, amsterdam and (shudder) paris, (I forgot the 6th, maybe London?) They would not let us switch origination from EWR to IAD and they mentioned that the TLV leg was our responsibility.
They said they would not be flying till august 1st.
I did find PHL to athens direct for a reasonable amount.
I am hoping that even with a self-transfer ATH-TLV will be doable.
My flight to TLV from Athens on Aegean for 7/14 was cancelled yesterday AM. Requested refund and hoping to rebook another flight. They said they are not flying the route until September 8th. Any chance you have any updates on their schedule post ceasefire?
Big news. Thanks for this. if Aegean won’t resume most of that ath-tLV will be ELAL which will take a while to regularize.
I reached out to chase and they said my flight is cancelled (jfk to tlv thursday morning) but I got no message from arkia is that a sign that its not cancelled (as a side point chase said that if really cancelled no need to acept refund thy will but me on a different flight – but wont be till mid july) is there any chance my flight is still on??????????
First non Israeli airline to come back
Hisky from RMO June 25!!!!
can anyone provide ANY insight into the ElAl TLV-JFK rescue algorithm.
How are they deciding who to send and when? Is there any way to find out when i am flying?
Sitting and waiting for a phone call or email seems silly.
Also, they no longer provide any updates on when to expect a rescue flight on their website.
Should i just buy an Arkia ticket and cancel the ElAl?
Dan,
We booked a flight from LA to TLV for this coming Thursday and when we called about something else, we were told the flight is cancelled. We have no email cancelling anything and the flight says confirmed. How is this possible? We originally had a flight to London on Virgin Air from Vegas and then from London on ELAL which was cancelled so we rebooked on this.
What is going on with El Al?
They’re offering flights, but then the agents on the phone are claiming that the flights do not exist in the system and they aren’t flying.
Which is correct?
For ex. flight scheduled from LAX to TLV this coming Thurs, clearly showing on their flight schedule on the site (this is after the restrictions were cleared), purchased tickets, got a confirmation number, and now the agent on the phone says there’s no such thing.
Are the agents just so overwhelmed they can’t keep up with what’s being updated, or the flights really don’t exist??
I guess agents are not updated, I have a few friends currently waiting in line to check in at LAX.
Please let us know how it goes!
They’re on the flight now BH, flight was booked yesterday when LA was opened for bookings
Any update please the flight is not on radar. Ty!
https://www.flightradar24.com/ELY1006/3af7f78c
Ty so much! These were not Israeli citizens correct?
No, they’re US citizens
Did the flight actually take off? Did they have any issues?
Flight took off https://www.flightradar24.com/ELY1006/3af7f78c
Except for not being able to check in online and long check in line, no issue at all
Were they citizens or foreigners?
US citizens/passports, these are no longer “rescue flights” everything is back to normal now
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions!
Thanks for the update! We’re on tomorrow’s LAX flight and the elal agent went nuts on me saying that there is no such flight and there’s no way we’re on it even though I bought it through their website and I’m all checked in. I think part of the confusion is that this is not the regular LY6 flight, it’s a special flight LY1006 that was opened to the public yesterday without telling their agents.
Hi Dan
I had a connecting flight booked through AF, leaving JFK with Virgin, and from Heathrow going to TLV with ELAL on June 24
I submitted a claim to be rebooked on a recovery flight, but is ELAL responsible to rebook me if I didnt book it through their website, but through AF
If yes, will they rebook me again from London, or anywhere else? In my claim I said I am in NY.
If not, will AF be the one rebooking me in the recovery flight, and not from when the flight officially opens?
( I want to go ASAP)
Thank you!
You need to contact AF to be rebooked.
Thanks
And will it be rebooked as part of the recovery flight, or in a few weeks when there is a flight available just like new people who start booking
Based on regular availability.
Flights are available now, selling out fast though.
new update
https://www.elal.com/eng/about-elal/news/recent-updates
“Starting next week, our flights will operate as scheduled, except for a few canceled flights detailed below. Customers holding flight tickets for departures from June 29, 2025, onward (Sundor flights from July 1, 2025) can check their flight status in the “Manage My Booking” page or through travel agents.”
does anyone why my arkia flight from jfk is cancelled if arkia is fully operational?
All airlines have modified schedules this week.
ty
so does that mean my flight is really cancelled?
am I supposed to go to the airport in the morning even though chase and arkia are saying its cancelled?
No. It’s cancelled.
Iberia and Air Europa also show slight for sale commencing June 29
How do I access the capped El Al flights?
I have a friend who has an ElAl ticket back to Israel from canceled flight. He registered for a rescue flight, but he is having an issue with his email account. He has called ElAl, and they insist that all notifications will be via email. Any advice?
Dan please help.
I had flights booked on Elal leaving this week and returning at a later date. Because of the war, Elal canceled the outbound flight only. I’m now stuck with a return flight which is of no use to me (since I never began my trip) which they will not refund.
Any help or guidance would be much appreciated
They have to refund, call back.
I had an Emirates flight booked for August with the TLV-ATH leg being run by Aegean. Aegean cancelled the first leg and Emirates said I can not keep the second leg because its connecting flight. Aegean is not offering any rebooking on other airline. Any option besides taking refund and starting again?
how do u contact elal now???
@Dan is there anything we could do about israir and Arkia’s outrageous pricing? I got desperate and booked 3 tickets to ATH for $1200 which are now available for half the price or less on ElAl and Bluebird…
it’s 600 each way or both ways?
One way to TLV.
i am confused so now someone with a flight out of israel that was cancelled is in the back of the line and just whatever seat is available will be given even though they have a cancelled ticket from a week ago
I’m feeling the same way 🙁
I waited 1.5 hours to speak to ElAl yesterday and they told me wait for an email with my new flight
Very frustrating. EL AL now says they are selling tickets to new customers, but my flight out of TLV was cancelled, I registered for a new flight, no one contacted me (I didn’t even get an email confirmation when I submitted the repatriation form-but I did take a screenshot), and it is impossible to contact EL AL (i.e. takes 2 days to get a response via Whatsapp asking if your query is still relevant). Although until today EL AL specifically said not to even bother to contact them about the replacement flights. Anyone else in a similar situation?
Yes exactly
It took many calls to get through today & call wait time was close to 2hrs. But the ELAL agent did get usa recovory flight
not seeing $600 fares anywhere
Then it’s sold out….
If you need a roundtrip make sure to book 2 one ways, Roundtrips are verry expensive
i dont see capped fares between jfk-tlv
So look again
how able to use points to book El-AL flights between NYC-TLV?
after selecting flights, getting error message banner — “Please note: Due to high demand, the flight and price you selected may no longer available. Please try again in a few minutes, or choose a different date.”
Did elal waive their change fees?
I have a flight in February I want to change booked with chase travel and they want $325 in change fee even before checking for a price change
Just got EWR-TLV online – keep trying.
air france resuming operations tomorrow
Source?
Their website says cancelled
Sorry July 7
Dan, Now that things appear to be reopening, do you think there’s any chance that some of the airlines will move up their reinstatement dates?
Yes
Air Europa and air France already did
Any chance Delta is starting to fly before September?
Yes
I guess YOUR crystal ball is working!
Glad to hear..
Hope ur right..
Are people with canceled tickets (not elal) who signed up for the reparations flights, still getting emails from elal to go on those flights?
No
Is it capped? Just now, the economy was sold for tomorrow’s flight JFK to TLV for $1806
Screenshot?
Probably premium economy.
Saw that too
I was economy
Don’t know why…
Does anyone know if the arkia IZ992 from jrk to tlv 1030 AM tomorrow morning is cancelled or not?
It is cancelled.
Their next flights from TLV-JFK are June 26 and 28.
Their next flights from JFK-TLV are June 29 and 30.
United is refusing me to rebook me on a mid-july flight from TLV to EWR, even though they sell one via Dubai. Any suggestions?
Elal is saying that the flights operated by Sundor are only restarting regular schedule on July 1st but I have a ticket booked with them on June 29th. The flight is still showing as operating, is that accurate?
I cancelled my Arkia flights(eligible for full refund) and they said it will take 45 days to issue refund back to my credit card! That’s way too long. What are my recourses?
does anyone have an idea if there’s a way to get back money from El Al for accommodation and transportation for the people that they dropped off in Europe on June 12th
Delta refusing to rebook my on El Al. Every agent gives me a different story. Is there phone number for someone at Delta who know what they are talking about?
I’ve had success in the past by chatting with delta online and asking for a ‘global ticketing support’ representative.
I chatted with them by text and they offered to put me on El Al right away
Awesome!
Did you text them by phone?
Yes
Is the Elal site working for booking or did it crash? Each time I click book, nothing happens..
How far away can I book elal for the refund?
I have United EWR – TLV aug 19. Do you think they will fly?
works just fine as of now
what about partially used tickets ?
If klm isn’t selling flights until 10/26 does this mean Sept flights are going to be canceled? Just will happen at August?
Anyone coming to JLM on Mtz Shabbos or Sunday from LKWD? Need a small item urgently.
do we feel iberia is reliable to fly to israel next year?
I have had no issues with getting them to rebook me for ELAL for the TLV – Spain part of the ticket both now and last winter
Did you book directly from the airline?
yes
@dan – what do you think here? They are offering some decent priced options. Looking into March which is far away. Incase they do cancel, how has Iberia been with placing people on el al flights. They do have a codeshare per their site.
with the amount of money ELAL is raking in I wish they would invest some of it into customer service. Impossible to get a hold of them, no difference between now or before the war. Daughters confirmed flight was supposed to leave 5am then they moved it to 11am then 1:30pm. No way to contact them.
How much money did they lose the last few weeks? Dividing their profit by number of passengers show that they had net profit of $83 per passenger (I saw $90 in some places) and $26 in the first Q of 2025.
does not sound like “raking it in”
Per Dan on an earlier post from June “Israel’s flag carrier swung from a net loss of $34.4M on revenue of $500M in Q1 2023 to a profit of $80.5M on revenue of $738M in Q1 2024. In Q1 2025 the airline made a net profit of $96M on revenues of $774M, a new record for Q1.”
What happens to the people who returned through Egypt and didn’t use their EL-AL return flight, can they get any kind of credit or refund?
of course any ticket on a flight elal cancelled is eligible for a refund
Dan i think you got Smartwings date wrong….
I have a return flight booked on Elal TLV-NYC in 2 weeks, but I never made it to Israel as my flight on Delta got cancelled. I booked the Elal flight thru Qantas. Any ideas what I should do? just cancel thru Qantas and pay penalty miles? call Elal and ask for a credit? thanks in advance!
Just as a side point, on June 11th, it was posted how El Al was being sued for price gouging. Then for a few days, there were comments, many were very against El Al. Then on the 15th or so, El Al totally shut down. Nothing is a coincidence.
We lose what we don’t appreciate. Maybe in general, negative public comments should somehow be limited?
So ridiculous I can’t even articulate everything so wrong with this comment… The last thing that should be appreciated is sky high prices for 2 years – and I was one saying how they weren’t price gouging. But still sky high prices and raking it in is not something anyone should ever appreciate. And it was way cheaper to get home through Egypt then the average ELAL ticket (just more inconvenient) so wasn’t the worst thing that they got shut down.
Good Morning, does anyone know if the Arkia flight on Monday, at 1:45 a.m., IZ992 from JFK to TLV, has a stop in Larnaca or not? I can’t verify it online. Some site show direct to TLV, some show to Larnaca.
It appears they’re only doing the technical stop on the westbound flights, not the eastbound.
Does anyone know if I book a Delta flight on elal website
As in “operated by Delta ”
And then Delta cancels their flight, will elal (being the travel agent) rebook me on elal?
Yes
Will Elal flights regulate within the next few weeks? Last week there was a ton of availability for TLV-ATH in beginning of August and now there is absolutely nothing. Is this because they are all sold out or will they open more available flights?
Sold out
Hi Dan,
We had flights to TLV booked with United for July 25 (outgoing with Lufthansa), and I was trying to rebook for Aug 1, but got refused – United claimed the reboking without fare difference is only for flights within 2 days from the original date, as described here: https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/trip-planning/travel-alerts.html
But the jetstream link that you posted mentions +/- 7 days, which is exactly Aug 1.
What should I do?
HUCA and reference JetStream.
Hi Dan, I have tickets for August booked on Emirates (thru chase travel) fir EWR-ATH-TLV and they canceled my Aegen flight from Athens to TLV. I didn’t get any correspondence. I just see it on my itinerary. Any suggestions how to best get onto a different airline for the second leg or is my only option to try and get money back and cancel the whole trip?
Call and ask what they can offer?
So far Chase Travel offered to submit for a full refund. Emirates escalation lines seem to be down now. Does it make sense to book EWR- TLV on United for August or are they likely to end up canceling their August flights? Also, did they give refunds for canceled flights or just vouchers?
Thanks
They will probably offer to fly via Dubai
Any idea who to talk to? I spoke to 3 reps at Chase Travel and they couldn’t get an Emirates rep on the who was able to switch the reservations. They said they can email Emirates and let me know in a week or so if they can switch for a flight thru Dubai. Emirates CS can’t help me cuz I booked thru a travel agent.
Suggestions on how to use points for tickets departing from TLV – nyc, even with stopover?
search on pointsyeah.com TLV to anywhere filter it to el a partners, and find a spot in Europe to self transfer. Points yeah is not full proof they do miss a lot but gives you a basic idea of where there are points tix on el al.
Permanent stain on El Al?
El Al broke their promise to hold sales until July 1, as if to prioritize getting people out who already had tickets with them prior to the war.
It gets worse. I am one of the people who bought after the war but before Jul 1. I’m also one of the people El Al decided to throw off their flights. I had a premium seat reservation. I suspected something is wrong after not seeing a pending charge on the card. Got to a live agent after much effort. She said ‘the system cancelled your reservation’. She claimed it could be for non-payment (nonsense, i used the same card that have saved in my profile).
It gets worse. Immediately after getting off the unpleasant long call where the El Al agent repeatedly threatened to disconnect, I decided to buy a first class ticket. At the very end, their website threw an odd numbered tech error on the webpage and didn’t give the six character reservation number. But the credit card was charged. So much for El Al’s earlier claim of non-payment.
After much effort, I got threw on the phone, the El Al support guy: ‘your first class order fell’. I’ve been traveling for decades for business and leisure, never heard of falling orders. Charging of the credit card didn’t fall though. The El Al agents suggestion: transfer to another team to buy that first class ticket. So sit on hold for how much more to buy a seat for how many thousands of dollars?
I may have spent more time calling El Al than it takes to fly from Israel.
what is the status of NEOS airline?
Operational Update – Flights to/from Tel Aviv
Due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, all flights to and from Tel Aviv scheduled between June 16 and July 25, 2025, have been cancelled.
Neos is closely monitoring the situation and will resume operations only when it is safe to do so.
If you have purchased a ticket for travel to or from Tel Aviv during this period, you are entitled to a full refund.
BTW, I remember seeing on an isrealy travel site that delta is resuming August 23. Is that BS?
what site?
My mistake, I reread and it says 8/31
Passportnews.co.il
Family has tkts on UA from EWR to TLV for early July. United has posted they are not flying to TLV until July 31st. For the particular flight my family has tkts, United says flight is “cancelled or not confirmed” as such no refund, yet.
They are basically holding people’s money hostage!! How can we get the money back so we can rebook with another airline?
HELP DAN!!
Had a premium economy ticket that a got form Qantas points. Flight was canceled and was not allowed to re-book on other flights that are flying. Only to get a refund. They claim there needs to be available again for points even if the flight was canceled. Does this make sense?
Dilemma: Have 2 rt tickets BA ($900ea) Aug 4 JFK-LHR-TLV, rt TLV-LHR-JFK Aug 21; BA cancelled, would put on El Al but there is no room on those dates; BA won’t put on El Al from JFK direct. Any suggestions? Does waiting make sense (any likelihood of room opening up Aug 4 LHR-TLV)? Refund avl but El AL tickets (JFK-TLV) thousands more.
You can keep trying and eventually you might find a agent who will put you on ELAL direct from JFK, as there have been many who have managed.
Alternatively you can ask to be put on BA to somewhere in Europe (via LHR) and then a connecting Elal flight.
Permitted LY Services
TLV-AMS / AMS-TLV
TLV-LON / LON-TLV
TLV-ATH / ATH-TLV
TLV-MAD / MAD-TLV
TLV-BCN / BCN-TLV
TLV-MIL / MIL-TLV
TLV-LCA / LCA-TLV
TLV-PAR / PAR-TLV
Dan, I believe it’s in your readers best intrest to be reminded that this summer 2025 is the last opportunity for over age (26-32) to do birthright isreal for free. Somehow they manage to put everyone onto solid-overbooked elal direct flights.
Some are on arkia
Hey Dan. Which airlines would you consider the safest bets as far as offering to rebook on El Al in such situations?
Delta and Air France are pretty reliable options regarding rebooking, however it all depends on the availability on el al, with the the robust summer season at toe the flights are generally booked solid leaving those partnering companies at square one in the good company of United Lufthansa and the rest of the clan
I Think air italia is cancelled for August!! I have flight in August but I just heard they cancelled through September. Can you confirm ?
https://passportnews.co.il/article/197771
Per their website there has been no change yet – unless they have not updated it but the article you shared does not provide any link to any announcement so unclear as to how much faith to put into that article just yet
https://www.ita-airways.com/en_il/fly-ita/news-and-activities/news/Tel-aviv-flights.html
Same issue – see my comment below.
They officially canceled my August flights today.
Any one want to give their perspectives on united flights for august?
Reliable?
Will cancel?
TIA
Anybody have experience with the Arkia New York – TLV service? Is it reliable?
Food is great. Timings can change.
We have tickets to fly ITA on Aug. 4. Haaretz is reporting that ITA has extended its suspension of TLV flights through the end of August. But I called ITA yesterday, and they said our itinerary hasn’t been officially canceled, so no refund etc. yet. This is frustrating, as it makes it hard to make alternate arrangements. Anyone have any ideas about what avenues there are to address this?
got email today they cancelled
yeah, me too
Any perspectives on Bluebird? Are they more likely to fly than united in case of a missile near BG?
Yes. Its israeli owned
Is HISky thru bucharrest a safe option for a chareidi person
Sure, (it’s just a long stop)
What about royal air Maroc??? Are they ever going to come back????
Did anyone have success with switching a United July flight to fly through Dubai? You can purchase a new ticket with FlyDubai on the United website.
Is there any way to get to Israel early August affordably?
What does this mean for tickets booked from Tel Aviv-Brussels with Brussels Air, on August 6th? Flights canceled through 7/31. Next flight for sale: Brussels-Tel Aviv on 8/13?
@Dan
Why does United service TEL AVIV?
I’m glad they do, for the record, but even as a profitable route, don’t they have space for added capacity elsewhere? Why put up with constant changes, cancellations, and unfortunately lots of BDS type pressure.
Because it’s very profitable to do so.
Thanks. Supposedly ELAL with its great year made like 84-90 net profit per passenger in ’24. Are United’s operating costs so much lower that they beat that? Maybe I am just missing the power of scale…… We are lucky investors don’t redirect their money out of airlines.
@ Dan what are the chances that Air Canada will fly on September 9th As planned?
Will Delta also resume earlier because of United?
Very high chance
Wizzair coming back august 8th
I am trying to book united as posted on united.com EWR to TLV on July 23 but there are still no flights available. Any ideas?
You must be doing something off. shows up by me on united.com
Any idea if BA will open up?
@dan klm cancelled August flights yesterday
See https://www.klm.co.il/information/travel-alerts
My ITA flight was canceled – anyone have any experience or perspective on Etihad via Abu Dhabi to TLV?
@Dan ITA Airways has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 31 (including flights AZ809 and AZ815 scheduled on September 1st) for operational reasons. Passengers can either have their flight rebooked at a later date or refunded.
Anyone know the most affordable way NYC to TLV for august approx 3 weeks, stopovers fine. I had ITA Airways and they just cancelled
What’s with Delta?
Emirates and Aegean is now selling tickets to/from TLV from July 15th!