This is an El Al Israel Airlines connecting flights guide.
In this guide we will cover everything from how to book connecting flights with El Al to baggage rules and air passengers rights. We will also include information about flight compensation. El Al Israel Airlines Ltd, mostly referred to as simply El Al, is a full-service airline from Israel. It operates flights to more than 50 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, the Americas and Africa.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
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Make your trip safe from day 1.
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1. El Al Connecting Flights
El Al is a full-service traditional airline.
Just like any other traditional full-service airline, El Al offers airline-protected connecting flights. And it is one of the reasons why so many choose to fly with traditional airlines. Airline-protected connecting flights are better than self transfers. See our comparison of both here. The other reasons for choosing traditional airlines are: free meals and baggage allowance.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- Safer. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
Yes, El Al sells airline-protected connecting flights.
1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline
You have an El Al connecting flight.
In many cases, El Al connecting flights will be operated only by El Al. You will have two or more flights and all of them will be operated by El Al. These will be El Al airplanes and El Al staff. Note, that it’s not the case with every El Al connecting flight. There are also different type of connecting flights.
1.2 El Al Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
Airlines do this to widen their flight network. Thanks to shared flights, airlines can offer flights to destinations they would not normally service. Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation industry. These kind of flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, El Al should assist you and offer you a new flight. As long as it’s a El Al connection booked from El Al (they are called marketing airline), they are responsible for finding solutions. Even if a connecting flight is partly operated by one of their partners, not El Al.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not El Al, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of El Al codeshare partners here.
2. What If El Al Cancels a Flight?
Why is El Al cancelling their flights?
Flights can get cancelled due to a number of reasons. Staff shortage, technical problems, bad weather, strikes, airport congestion, security issues, etc.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
El Al is an Israeli airline.
On some of their flights you are protected by the EU laws.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to their flights departing from Europe.
If you miss your flight due to delay or cancellation of the previous flight, El Al should offer you a new flight free of charge. If your El Al flight departs from Europe, you may ask for a full refund if you don’t wish to travel anymore.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, El Al must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to their flights departing from Europe.
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 El Al Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
If your cancelled El Al flight was departing from Europe, you may ask for a refund. This refund has to be paid by bank transfer within 7 days.
You don’t have to accept any vouchers.
3. El Al Missed Connecting Flight
Sometimes people miss their connecting flights.
It may happen due to a number of reasons.
Previous flight was late or even cancelled. Waiting at the wrong gate. Airport congestion. Long queues. And plenty of other reasons.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss El Al Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from El Al, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by El Al or not, you should contact El Al. It’s their responsibility to find a solution. You missed a connecting flight, El Al must offer you a solution.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
With El Al, some of this apply only to flights from Europe.
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from El Al
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
If your El Al flight:
- Departs from the EU, EEA or UK,
- Arrives to destination 3 or more hours late,
- Is delayed or cancelled due to the fault of the airline
Then you might be entitled to flight compensation from El Al.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from El Al
On El flights from Europe you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary.
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails.
In El Al’s case, these regulations only apply to flights departing from European airports. With European airlines, like KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air and British Airways, it applies to all their flights.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with El Al?
You can do it directly from El Al or via a third-party.
Visit the official website of El Al to book connecting flights. It’s the best and safest way. Alternatively, you can visit a third party flight booking website (e.g., kiwi.com) to book El Al connecting flights — it’s often cheaper.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. El Al Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since El Al is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with El Al are simple.
In short, El Al takes care of your baggage. You check it in only once, before your first flight, and the airline takes care of your bag throughout the journey. You don’t have to collect and recheck it between flights. Unless you have a self-transfer (separately booked flights), or you’re traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (e.g., USA).
If you aren’t sure, ask at the check-in counter.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not El Al? As we already talked, you may experience this, because El Al does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. Mostly you won’t have to worry about it.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 El Al Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
Free baggage allowance varies depending on your class of travel, destination, and, of course, the airline. Check your El Al flights booking confirmation to see your baggage allowance. Or, if you’re still thinking of booking a flight with El Al, make sure to pay attention to that. When you are booking a flight, you can see baggage allowance when you are choosing your flight and travel class.
5.3 Economy Light
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
When you see cheap El Al flights, pay attention to this. Because El Al also offers Economy Light tickets. If you carry more than one cabin bag, and can’t imagine traveling any other way, this option is not for you.
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with El Al.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with El Al (Most Common)
For this example I’ll be using the website of El Al.
For example, you want to fly from Cancun (Mexico) to Tel Aviv (Israel).
You’ve reached for flights for September 15, and these are the options:
On their website El Al sells only protected connecting flights. However, as we can see, not all of the flights are operated by El Al. Partly these connecting flights are operated by JetBlue Airways, one of El Al partners. Let’s look at the first option. The first leg (Cancun — New York) is operated by JetBlue, but the second, New York — Tel Aviv, is operated by El Al.
As you can see, total flight duration and price is different for every option.
Number of stops can vary, too.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with El Al
Let’s assume that Tel Aviv is not your final destination.
After spending a couple of days in Tel Aviv, you plan to fly to Eilat where you have booked a stay in an all-inclusive resort on the beach.
- You can book a connecting flight to Tel Aviv, like in the example above. You’re taking the cheapest option, the third one in this case, which arrives in Tel Aviv at 2:25 pm.
- And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other flight search website, and book a flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 2 days in Tel Aviv. Or visit ISRAIR website to book your flight to Eilat. ISRAIR operates flights from Ben Gurion International (Tel Aviv) to Eilat. There are several flights a day.
Until Tel Aviv you have an airline-protected connection. If your first flight to New York is delayed or cancelled, El Al will take care of that. In most cases, they will put you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Tel Aviv – Eilat, is a separate flight. It comes after a 2-day stopover. You have to check in for it separately, and it’s your responsibility to make it on time.
Take this into account when booking self-transfer flights. In this case, it may not be an issue at all. Two days is more than enough, also if there are some problems along the way. But short layovers can be risky. 45-minute layovers are only okay if it’s an airline-protected connection, not a self transfer.
What is your experience with El Al? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with El Al? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive refund or compensation from El Al?
Featured photo by Adi Sagi on Unsplash
About the author:
Una is an organized globetrotter and foodie who’s been living a digital nomad lifestyle since 2013. She always starts her day early with a good book before diving into work. Apart from traveling and aviation, her other passions include gym, hiking and cycling. Una is also a strong proponent of AI technology. She firmly believes in its potential to simplify life and has often advocated for its wider adoption in our day-to-day activities. Her favorite airlines are Qatar Airways, Emirates, and KLM.
