EL AL

[coupongal]

I am flying elal and I dont have a matmid account. is it worth opening for 1 flight? Can I earn miles on a different airline with this flight?

[Der Deutsche Jude]

I am flying elal and I dont have a matmid account. is it worth opening for 1 flight? Can I earn miles on a different airline with this flight?

Check if you can still open one for free.   http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/38687

[sky121]

Will United check my bags through all the way to a connecting EL AL flight?

[Yitz]

I am flying elal and I dont have a matmid account. is it worth opening for 1 flight? Can I earn miles on a different airline with this flight?

Points wise the program is not good. The only reason it might pay is if they are overbooked you have a chance to get bumped to BC

[ilherman]

Will United check my bags through all the way to a connecting EL AL flight?

most likely not

[zow]

Not sure this is the best thread for this question (better in ex-TLV?), but here goes:
I need to travel BOS - TLV for a meeting in late January.
I am going to see if I can get the trip paid for in J.
How lame is El Al's J on the 767? The "angled lie-flat" is ... not so bad? ... pathetic? ... worth flying through YYZ or IST if I can get a comparably priced flight?
Thanks.

[ExGingi]

Not sure this is the best thread for this question (better in ex-TLV?), but here goes:
I need to travel BOS - TLV for a meeting in late January.
I am going to see if I can get the trip paid for in J.
How lame is El Al's J on the 767? The "angled lie-flat" is ... not so bad? ... pathetic? ... worth flying through YYZ or IST if I can get a comparably priced flight?
Thanks.

I don't fly ELAL so I can't speak of them.

Both YYZ and IST are huge airports, so expect long walks between gates for your connections.

I'm unfamiliar with the AC J hard product, but the TK hard product isn't as good as the DL product (if you can get a comparable price connecting on DL via JFK, that would be my first choice, you might also like UA via connecting via EWR).

IMHO AC schedule on the North-America to TLV is convenient (arriving in the AM), but I would avoid it for the return (TLV-YYZ) as it is a daytime flight.

[zow]

I don't fly ELAL so I can't speak of them.

Both YYZ and IST are huge airports, so expect long walks between gates for your connections.

I'm unfamiliar with the AC J hard product, but the TK hard product isn't as good as the DL product (if you can get a comparable price connecting on DL via JFK, that would be my first choice, you might also like UA via connecting via EWR).

That's really helpful -- not at all what I had in mind.

I have flown TLV-YYZ-BOS, so I am aware of the walking. I don't mind that.  I flew in Y, which wasn't bad, but imagine the J is great.  I'm very curious about TK J.

I was/am under the impression that the soft product on the American carriers (maybe just applies to UA and AA?) really stink, so I wouldn't want to fly UA via EWR, but maybe the hard product makes up for the soft product.

I will take a look at the DL flight via JFK.

Thanks very much.

[ExGingi]

That's really helpful -- not at all what I had in mind.

I have flown TLV-YYZ-BOS, so I am aware of the walking. I don't mind that.  I flew in Y, which wasn't bad, but imagine the J is great.  I'm very curious about TK J.

I was/am under the impression that the soft product on the American carriers (maybe just applies to UA and AA?) really stink, so I wouldn't want to fly UA via EWR, but maybe the hard product makes up for the soft product.

I will take a look at the DL flight via JFK.

Thanks very much.

DL J TLV-JFK is wonderful!

For the no-kosher consumer it seems like TK J meal service is amazing. My KSML looked like an economy meal with a sticker that said business.

Layout is 2-2-2 on their North America to IST route. And depending on your connection you will either get a widebody or a narrow for the IST-TLV route. You will NOT get an all-night flight back to the US arriving in the early AM on anything but DL, UA or LY.

[shimino1]

For the no-kosher consumer it seems like TK J meal service is amazing. My KSML looked like an economy meal with a sticker that said business.

Layout is 2-2-2 on their North America to IST route. And depending on your connection you will either get a widebody or a narrow for the IST-TLV route. You will NOT get an all-night flight back to the US arriving in the early AM on anything but DL, UA or LY.

Not sure what all the hype is about TK. The only time I flew TK J was connecting from PG J and it definitely felt like a downgrade

[zow]

Not sure what all the hype is about TK. The only time I flew TK J was connecting from PG J and it definitely felt like a downgrade

DL J TLV-JFK is wonderful!

For the no-kosher consumer it seems like TK J meal service is amazing. My KSML looked like an economy meal with a sticker that said business.

Layout is 2-2-2 on their North America to IST route. And depending on your connection you will either get a widebody or a narrow for the IST-TLV route. You will NOT get an all-night flight back to the US arriving in the early AM on anything but DL, UA or LY.

Helpful. Coupled with DW's admonition, this info makes it much easier to forget about TK for a while.  I hadn't thought about sleeping on the way back but that sounds like an interesting approach. Thank you.

[ExGingi]

Not sure what all the hype is about TK. The only time I flew TK J was connecting from PG J and it definitely felt like a downgrade

Did you mean to say TG?

Never flown TG but from what I hear about them TK must definitely be a downgrade.

I am not hyping TK. My personal experience with them was less than optimal. I think the hype is about the TK Y compared to other airlines in Y into TLV.

That being said, $1700 for RT in TK J (BF sale) JFK-TLV is very good value IMO.

[shimino1]

Did you mean to say TG?

Never flown TG but from what I hear about them TK must definitely be a downgrade.

I am not hyping TK. My personal experience with them was less than optimal. I think the hype is about the TK Y compared to other airlines in Y into TLV.

That being said, $1700 for RT in TK J (BF sale) JFK-TLV is very good value IMO.

My bad. I did mean TG

[ExGingi]

Helpful. Coupled with DW's admonition, this info makes it much easier to forget about TK for a while.  I hadn't thought about sleeping on the way back but that sounds like an interesting approach. Thank you.

That is where the real value of J lies (pun intended), the ability to arrive somewhat rested and able to function.

[ExGingi]

My bad. I did mean TG

Well, you don't expect to compare an Asian airline to a European one. (TK considers themselves European).

[zow]

Did you mean to say TG?

Never flown TG but from what I hear about them TK must definitely be a downgrade.

I am not hyping TK. My personal experience with them was less than optimal. I think the hype is about the TK Y compared to other airlines in Y into TLV.

That being said, $1700 for RT in TK J (BF sale) JFK-TLV is very good value IMO.

TK BF sale long dead, right?

[shimino1]

That is where the real value of J lies (pun intended), the ability to arrive somewhat rested and able to function.

Yup. My wife did a solid 9 hours BKK-CDG and even I got 5-6 (I usually can't sleep on planes, even in business I have a very hard time)

[shimino1]

Well, you don't expect to compare an Asian airline to a European one. (TK considers themselves European).

I'm not necessarily comparing TK to TG.
I just felt underwhelmed by the whole TK experience. Wasn't blown away by the lounge, didn't think the seat was amazing and it's annoying not to have aisle access, service was ok and meal wasn't great.
I'd still take them over LY any day

[ExGingi]

TK BF sale long dead, right?

Correct.
Best BF deal IMHO. My BIL really saved a lot on that, as he flies out of ATL which usually would mean a few connections, high fare and sometimes multiple tickets which can result in problems on the connections.

[ExGingi]

I'm not necessarily comparing TK to TG.
I just felt underwhelmed by the whole TK experience. Wasn't blown away by the lounge, didn't think the seat was amazing and it's annoying not to have aisle access, service was ok and meal wasn't great.
I'd still take them over LY any day

Couldn't have said that better.