British Airways prices for Tel Aviv City Breaks are supposed to be reasonable, though I couldn’t find anything yet on their website specific to City Breaks. The campaign is scheduled throughout the month of October and is expected to run up to a million pounds, with a small contribution from the Israel Tourism Ministry and the Tel Aviv Hotel Association. British Airways are hoping to nab customers who will be booking their summer holidays for next year.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov had this to say:

The campaign will greatly increase the number of tourists from England. This is a vote of confidence in Israel as a tourist destination. The campaign is groundbreaking in efforts to present Israel as a City Break destination.

British Airways regularly selects ten destinations from the many it has and builds a big marketing buzz around them.

It’s great to see Tel Aviv selected for the first time, and what with the boom year that tourism to Israel is experiencing, it’s another nice piece of news for the tourism industry. 

And being a Brit, I know many, many of the visitors heading this way thanks to this campaign will love Tel Aviv and Israel! Welcome to the Holy Land, innit!

Here’s a quick guide to the recent announcements:

• Lufthansa: Expanding on its already 14 weekly flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv (only relaunched in April 2009 after a six year break), Lufthansa has announced plans to launch a fifth flight to its weekly Munich to Tel Aviv route in April. It also plans to fly Airbus 340-300 and 340-600 planes, which in some cases will double the number of passengers on existing flights. Start guarding that sunbed…
• easyJet: The leading budget airline in Europe launched their London (Luton) to Tel Aviv service and have had some great success: flights are on average 90% full and some 25,000 passengers have flown this route in three months. As a result, easyJet have announced plans to launch a Geneva to Tel Aviv service in August 2010. The planned four flights per week will be going for as little as 71 Euros for a return flight (including taxes). Suddenly I want to be Swiss!
• Air Shuttle: Norwegian budget airline (and Scandinavia’s second biggest) announced plans to launch a Stockholm to Tel Aviv route in March 2010. This cheap and direct option (instead of having to change planes in Europe somewhere) will probably boost the number of blond bombshells you’ll spot in Eilat, especially during the winter months.

Thanks to amazing demand (since May 2009 some 10,000 passengers have flown with Jet2.com), from March 2010 there will be two flights per week, Mondays and Thursdays, jetting into Tel Aviv. In fact, with the holiday of Hanukkah coming in the next few days, additional flights have been arranged for this busy holiday period.

The big man over at Jet2.com, Phillip Meeson, had this to say:

We’re obviously delighted with the success of our Tel Aviv flights and thrilled with the great feedback that’s been received since we started the route in May this year. Because of this response, we’re happy to announce that we’re extending our Tel Aviv service to twice weekly from March 2010 giving our passengers more choice and flexibility when they travel.

We say keep those cheapo flights jetting in. What with easyJet’s recent entry into the market, flying to and from England has never been kinder on our wallets!

bmi first launched its Tel Aviv route in March 2008 and has operated 14 weekly flights for some time. What with record numbers of tourists flocking to the Holy Land recently, on the surface it seems a little strange that a carrier with often more passengers than the mighty British Airways should suddenly announce the termination of this service.

But looking a little more closely, the reasoning behind this decision becomes a little clearer.  With losses mounting from 2008, and with the recent introduction of low-cost carrier easyJet to the Tel Aviv-London route, new bmi owners Lufthansa have done a little restructuring which has resulted in the termination of a number of services, including, unfortunately, the Tel Aviv route.

bmi have revealed that the last scheduled flight on the London Tel Aviv route will depart from London on January 9th and return from Tel Aviv the following day. If you’ve bought a ticket for a later date, get in touch with bmi who have promised to find solutions for passengers.

Part celebration of easyJet’s new route, and part celebration of Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary, a big orange bus (plastered in easyJet colors and logo) will be touring the streets of London this week, trying to give Londoners a taste of life in The City That Never Sleeps.

As the promo puts it:

To present EasyJet’s new route to the Big Orange and celebrate the city’s centenary, Tel Aviv will be coming to London this October! For 5 days, a double-decker bus crammed full of Tel Avivian goodness will tour London and give a glimpse into the many facets of Tel Aviv’s character.

Ah, nothing like a bit of Tel Avivian goodness. Though apparently, some Palestinian protesters are not so keen on the goodness coming out of Tel Aviv and have tried (peacefully) to protest in front of the bus, much to the frustration of the Israeli security around the bus.

Anyway, here’s the route that sexy little orange bus will be taking this week.

11th October, Spitalfields Market, 10am – 5.30pm. Here Londoners got a taste of a real Israeli market, much like Carmel Market, with stalls, Turkish coffee, mint tea, shakshouka, olives, baklava, and live music.

12th October, Leicester Square, 1pm – 5.30pm. A true Tel Aviv cafe scene was the order of the day with mismatched chairs, stacks of books, and a soundtrack provided by live musicians.

13th October, Coin Street, Southbank, 12pm – 6pm. Yesterday saw Tel Aviv beach get a shot at pulling in the Londoners, with plenty of sunbeds, beach umbrellas, beach balls, backgammon, matkot, live music, and a surfing simulator! It was also a sunny day in London, so what more could you ask for?!

14th October, Broadgate, 9am – 7pm. Today sees Tel Aviv architecture, notably Tel Aviv’s renowned Bauhaus buildings, strut its stuff. And there’s also an outdoor photography exhibition and lecture to enjoy.

15th October, Old Truman Brewery, 5pm – 10.30pm. Tel Aviv’s famed nightlife gets a shot at pulling in the punters, with an open party including DJs and dancers. Perhaps a few Friday night arsim to make it completely authentic?

Great idea, though not sure all Londoners will be winging their way over immediately. But it should open some eyes and give people a different perception of Tel Aviv, which I guess is the main aim here.

Come on over London!

In the table below, just click on the airline logo on the left to go straight to the relevant flights to Israel page for that airline. And if you’re looking for a particular flight not offered here, check out the Skyscanner search tool at the bottom of this page, they have some of the best deals indexed. Just select your destination and dates and you’re away.

	November 25, 2009: Due to apparently increasing losses and a worried new parent company (Lufthansa), BMI have announced the end of their Tel Aviv-London route, from January 9th 2010. Bad news for passengers looking for a decent alternative to British Airways.
	August 24, 2009: Israel’s national airline El Al has been granted permission to offer domestic flights from Tel Aviv to Eilat. This move should provide a lot more competition on the route, as well as boosting tourism to Eilat.
	August 20, 2009: Finnish airline Aurinkomatkat is to resume its flights from Helsinki to Eilat after a nine year hiatus. This coming winter between October-April there will be two weekly flights to Eilat. Prices currently not known.
	July 21, 2009: Israel’s national airline El Al looks set to join the rush to offer cheap flights on its European destinations. Low-cost, no-frills tickets will be available on regular flights, with services such as meals, earphones and baggage offered as extras. Tickets will be going for $199 and the first flight to offer these lower prices is scheduled to fly to Rome next month.
	July 12, 2009: Arkia now offer return flights to Philadelphia, USA! In collaboration with US Airways, Arkia now have flights on the Tel Aviv-USA route via a connecting flight in Paris to Philadelphia, for $900 return. This has opened the doors to the USA; Arkia and US Airways plan offering flights from Israel to another seven destinations in the US via Paris. We’ll be updating with any new info on these destinations…
	July 8, 2009: The rumors are finally over – EasyJet have confirmed their new London-Tel Aviv flights, starting at £72 ($116), the first low-cost carrier to make it to Israel! Your flight to Israel just got a whole lot cheaper! For more…
	July 7, 2009: The German charter airline Air Berlin launched two weekly overnight flights on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on the Berlin -Tel Aviv route. Summer return flights to Israel are between €358-€498, see their website for further details. There are now 68 flights to Israel from a variety of departure points throughout Germany, including 14 from Berlin.
	July 3, 2009: American airline US Airways has launched its daily direct flight service from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv, saving passengers the hassle of going through Newark or New Jersey. The 9000km flight will be serviced by Airbus 330 jets. For more, including a saving of $250…
	May 21, 2009: Cheapest ever flights to Israel from the UK, in particular Manchester, with Jet2! For more…
	April 26, 2009: In addition to the two flights per day from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv, Lufthansa is now offering 4 flights a week from Munich to Tel Aviv, with Airbus A340-300 planes. Air Berlin, Germany’s second-largest carrier, said it will offer two non-stop flights between Berlin and Tel Aviv and passengers will be able to connect to other German cities, starting on July 7.
	March 30, 2009: Due to high demand, BMI have now increased their daily flights from Heathrow to Tel Aviv to 2, starting today. BMI seem to be pushing these flights to those planning a short holiday or business trip thanks to the scheduled flights at the beginning and end of the day. From May, BMI will be introducing an A330 aircraft to the route, which will have an on-board chef and fully-flat beds in Business Class.

Check out the Skyscanner search tool below if you’re looking for a particular flight not listed above. If the search box doesn’t display properly, just click on the “Cheap Flights to Israel” link to go directly to their website.

Jet2.com offer the only direct flights from the north of England to Tel Aviv and they look like they might just be on to a winner, especially in the current economic climate. Can’t fault the words of the Jet2.com Managing Director, Ian Doubtfire:

“The inaugural flight to Tel Aviv marks and emphasises the commitment Jet2.com has to explore a variety of new markets and countries. Tel Aviv is a thriving and cosmopolitan beach city that makes an exciting holiday destination. As the only direct route from the North, we are in an unrivalled position to offer both the lowest ever fares and fastest service into Israel. Tel Aviv is an extremely popular destination and we are confident there will be a huge demand for this service.”

They’re so confident about this new Manchester-Tel Aviv route that they’ve increased the number of flights from weekly to twice weekly during Christmas/New Year and Easter/Passover next year.

As is usual with all these cheap airlines you get what you pay for, and I’m sure the prices will have an impact on the service provided. But if you’re prepared to put up with a few hours of lacklustre service and save a few hundred $$$ this could be the flight for you. And if any of you have experience of a flight with Jet2.com (especially flights to Tel Aviv), please let us know, we’d love to report back here with good and/or bad reviews.

So you’ve got round to booking your flight to Israel. Or perhaps you’re just looking for some more information regarding flights to and from the Holy Land. This is our little guide to flights to Israel and is here to assist. It will also be updated regularly with what you need to know about booking that ticket to the Holy Land…

Airports in Israel

Flying into Israel will usually mean you arrive at Ben Gurion airport, which is just outside Tel Aviv (you’ll have a majestic view flying over Tel Aviv when arriving in Israel!) and 40km from Jerusalem.

The airport’s new Terminal 3, opened in 2004, is considered one of the most modern air terminals in the world, handling almost all international flights to and from Israel. Not just modern: in fact, Ben Gurion has just been named the best airport in the Middle East for the second year running in the Airports Council International annual airport survey (March 2009).

The Ben Gurion Airport website is worth checking out for more information. Note that some flights to Israel that come from Europe also land at Sde Dov in north Tel Aviv or at Ovda Airport near Eilat.

International airlines that fly to Israel

Some 70 international airlines operate flights to Israel (see the major players in our list at the bottom of the page, or use our Skyscanner search below to find a flight – just enter your departure city in the From field and the cheapest and most relevant flights according to the dates selected are automatically displayed).

El Al, Israel’s national airline, operates many flights from the United States, Europe, the Far East, and Africa. Other Israeli airlines such as Arkia and Israir operate flights from central locations in Europe. There are no direct flights to Israel from locations such as Australia, or from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel. It is therefore recommended to reserve a connecting flight from these places, or to arrive in Europe and then purchase a ticket to Israel.

If flying from the UK/Europe, we’d highly recommend Thomson, or BMI, for cheap tickets. Just be aware that you’re getting what you pay for and the service will be fairly poor. Easyjet have finally added Israel to their list of destinations too. BMI, who began flights to Tel Aviv from London last year have proven very successful, and have also increased the capacity of the aircraft used, and added an extra daily flight.

A recent new addition to the services offered from the UK is that of Jet2, who look set to offer budget flights from the north of England direct to Tel Aviv for approximately $100 (one-way). Could well be worth checking out, that is one cheap flight. Flights to and from Germany are just about to get a whole lot more competitive too, with a new deal struck between Israel and Germany.

For the latest and hottest deals and flight news, check out our Flights to Israel Updates section.

Flight times to Israel

• From London – about 4 ½ hours
• From Amsterdam – just over 4 hours
• From Los Angeles – about 17 hours
• From New York – about 11 hours
• From Chicago – about 12 hours
• From Montreal – about 10 hours
• From Johannesburg – about 9 hours
• From Singapore – about 11 hours

International airlines with offices in Israel

The list below is of most of the major international airlines that have offices in Israel, complete with a telephone number and website via which you can contact them.

• Air Canada – Reservations: 972-3-6072111 - www.aircanada.co.il
• Alitalia - Tel: 972-3-7960760 - www.alitalia.com
• Air France - Tel: 972-3-7555050 - www.airfrance.com
• Austrian Airlines - Tel: 972-3-5115111 - www.aua.com
• British Airways - Tel: 972-3-6061555 - www.britishairways.com
• Continental Airlines – Tel: 972-3-5116777 - www.continental.com
• Delta Air Lines – Reservations: 1-800-241-4141 – www.delta.com
• Iberia – Tel: 972-3-5163239 - www.iberia.com
• Lufthansa German Airlines – Tel: 972-1-800-937-1-937 - www.lufthansa.com
• Lot Polish Airlines – Tel: 972-3-5104044/5 - www.lot.com
• Malév - Tel: 972-3-5621100- www.malev.hu
• Swiss Intl. Airline - Tel: 972-3-7148555, 1-700-700-257 - www.swiss.com
• Tarom – Tel: 972-3-5275526 - www.tarom.ro
• Turkish Airlines - Tel: 972-3-5172333- www.turkishairlines.com

The videos below should give you a good idea of what to expect when landing in Israel. Don’t be surprised if, upon landing, some passengers burst into song and start clapping! It will depend a bit on your fellow passengers, but I’ve seen it a couple of times on my various flights. And watch out for the greenery in the first video, it might surprise you!