The
King David Lounge (or KDL) is EL AL’s lounge for premium passengers including
First Class passengers, Business Class passengers, TPLs, PLs, and GLs.
The following airports have KDLs:
Note the following access rules:
LY F and C pax have access to the lounge, and F pax have additional access to the First Class section of the lounge. F pax may bring in up to 2 guests, each a minimum of 2 years of age. C pax may bring in up to 1 guest, minimum of 2 years of age. (There are cases of babies being been brought in - YMMV)
Matmid Gold, Platinum, and Top Platinum also have access to the lounge. TPLs have additional access to the F section of the lounge. The same guest policy applies, with Gold/Plat allowed +1, and TPL allowed +2.
Note that with the exception of the lounge in TLV, Matmid Gold and higher only have free access to the lounge when departing on an El Al flight! In TLV, Golds and higher can continue to access the KDL, even when flying with another airline.
The same access rules for Matmid Gold/Platinum applies to King David lounge members! The cost for membership is $300/year, though if sponsored by an existing member, you get a 50% discount.
Matmid Gold/Higher/KDL members are able to arrange for a guest to have access to the KDL if they are not themselves flying. This will cost 60 points from their account, and needs to be arranged beforehand with the Matmid/KD service desk. You will need to know the flight details and name of the person who you wish to arrange this for.
Note: You are only able to arrange this for people traveling on LY flights. People traveling on any other airline are not able to have guest access pre-arranged for themselves if the Matmid/KD holder is not going to be present (if they are present, then there is no problem). This is due to new security rules that have been implemented by Ben Gurion Airport (Thanks to sn1ke for the updated access rules.)
Passengers can also access the lounge, with no guest privileges, by purchasing a day pass for $29 or arranging in advance with EL AL for 60 Matmid points. A GL or higher can arrange for someone to be allowed access for 60 points, even if he/she's not there.
When no KDL is available, pax may use
partner lounges. Note though that in EWR, LY pax do not have access to the BA lounge. Rather, they have access to the
Jet Airways Hospitality Lounge, located in Terminal B, pre-security. Note that the relationship with the Marriott lounge has been severed.*
See also
ELAL KD Lounges/Lounge Access across the world, with information updated and culled by
sn1ke and fellow El Al forum members.
See the following thread,
TLV King David Lounge Get-togethers, an El Al forum sticky, which enables FTers flying the same day to meet up at the KDL, as well as request people with KDL access for a flight at a similar time, to "guest" you into the KDL.
Also located at the TLV Lounge:
NEW! Cigar Club at the King David Lounge
*More information on EWR lounge. See here:
Info on Lounge @ EWR, Post 5 and
Airport Lounge Facilities by Jet Airways, and by "International Destinations," select "Newark." Notes about the lounge as per Jet Airways:
Open from: 14:45-23:00 (2:45 PM-11:00 PM)
Laptop and Mobile phone charging stations
Newspapers and Magazines available
Wi-Fi available
See
Newark Lounge for pictures.