Originally Posted by
TT-Jones
If I have a 6am departure from TLV, is it really necessary to show up at the airport 3 hours prior to departure?
That would make a 2am hotel departure - ouch...
First(RIP)/Business/SEN/etc LH passengers who have previously passed through Israeli security without incident only need 90 minutes with checked luggage and 60 or 70 minutes with just hand luggage.
Without a previous incident-free experience in TLV, 120 minutes is more appropriate with checked luggage, 90 minutes with hand luggage. Add 45 minutes to all times above for coach travel.
On Lufthansa, if you have checked in online and have hand luggage only, arrival time at the airport check-in counter doesn't matter to LH so long as you can make it to the gate in time to board. I cut it close at 50 minutes once. But my typical TLV security interview time is 2-3 minutes.