EL AL Matmid - Info on Lounge @ EWR

asking for a friend thusly why a new Thread otherwise he will never find it

Is LY still using The Marriott Hotel? if yes where in the Hotel? also is kosher food of any kind offered and anything Mehadrian? Lastly is it worth going over if its still in the Hotel or not worth the schelp?

Hes going Business

Thanks

Yes they do.
The food is kosher.
If you arrive at the airport 90 mins before the flight you will not get lounge access - but a 20$ coupon for food at the irport restaurants.

Deleted

I think the question was where is the lounge located within the hotel itself.

Just flew out of Newark.
We are no longer in the Marriott.
El Al now using Jet Airways lounge. IMHO - major downgrade notwithstanding its being in the terminal. The kosher food spread at the Marriott was 10 times better than the garbage they brought to Jet Airways. Also, its much more cramped and unfriendly. No comparison to the KDL in JFK or TLV. Sub-par.

Just flew out of Newark.
We are no longer in the Marriott.
El Al now using Jet Airways lounge.

Indeed, Forgot to post on it...
Since March EL-AL moved in EWR to Jet Airways which is 3 minutes walking from the check-in area of EL-AL (There is an elevator behind of the EL-AL Check-in which take you to there...)

The good news is that there is a lounge for F and lounge for Business (So the F class wont get mandavoshkes from C ones... (Joke!!)).

There is Kosher and Non Kosher food there, and Free Interent.

Its a shared lounge for several airlines, There is priority enterance to Top Plantinum & F Class Pax & other full fare pax (W to I), If the lounge is full
all other pax (Y with GL/PL) will be given a 15$ voucher that can be used in
the terminal...

If the lounge is full
all other pax (Y with GL/PL) will be given a 15$ voucher that can be used in
the terminal...
As a PL I would be pretty annoyed if I were denied entry.

As a PL I would be pretty annoyed if I were denied entry.

^

^

Well if you are Y Pax and PL you might be rejected,
You should agreed that C/F should have priority over you...
(As well TPLs)

Well if you are Y Pax and PL you might be rejected,
You should agreed that C/F should have priority over you...
(As well TPLs)

As I'm flying less with LY these days I don't care too much but I'm not sure a PL flying Y should get lower priority to a no-status passenger flying C once a year - who is more important to LY?

The point is, one of the benefits of GL/PL/TPL is lounge access - they should find a way to honour that so if the lounge is not big enough use a bigger one. $15 for use in the airport is an insult because it's not just about the food, it's about a place away from the crowd, comfortable seating, free Internet, food, and drinks. Also, if you eat kosher only, I don't know if there are any options at EWR outside of the lounge.

WEll, at least they're not doing the stupid marriott shuffle anymore...

Also, if you eat kosher only, I don't know if there are any options at EWR outside of the lounge.'Crumbs' - fantastic cupcakes! :)

As I'm flying less with LY these days I don't care too much but I'm not sure a PL flying Y should get lower priority to a no-status passenger flying C once a year - who is more important to LY?

The point is, one of the benefits of GL/PL/TPL is lounge access - they should find a way to honour that so if the lounge is not big enough use a bigger one. $15 for use in the airport is an insult because it's not just about the food, it's about a place away from the crowd, comfortable seating, free Internet, food, and drinks. Also, if you eat kosher only, I don't know if there are any options at EWR outside of the lounge.

Dont get me wrong, I am with you...
Just stating the facts...

I'm not sure a PL flying Y should get lower priority to a no-status passenger flying C once a year - who is more important to LY?

Well, I AM sure. It is not a question as to who is more important to EL AL! The C passenger has PAID for lounge access as part of their ticket. Period.

Well, I AM sure. It is not a question as to who is more important to EL AL! The C passenger has PAID for lounge access as part of their ticket. Period.

I am really not sure at all that buying C entitles you to lounge access as part of the ticket. I may be wrong but if so would you care to show me where in the contract it says that?

I think that being GL/PL/TPL entitles you to lounge access as much or more so than buying a C ticket. At least the marketing blah blah attests to that.

There are also plenty of examples of other airlines where buying business or first gives you less entitlement than being a high status loyalty scheme member. For example, airline lounges in the US. Another example is BA where at Terminal 5 as a gold card holder you get access to the F Lounge (which is not for F passengers - they use the Concorde lounge) whereas C passengers without gold status only get access to the business lounge which is of lesser quality. So yes, they get access, but it doesn't mean they have the highest priority access or the best options.

LY is a business and rewarding loyalty is on the balance of things probably more important for generating recurring revenue than giving access to a one time traveller in C.

That said, I absolutely think it would be stupid of LY to deny lounge access to a passenger in C. My point is though that a GL/PL/TPL passenger should enjoy at least the same access if LY has any business sense.

oops double post mods please delete

There is Kosher and Non Kosher food there, and Free Interent.


This is a WARNING notice to all kosher observant passengers as EL AL doesn’t think its important enough to notify you that ALL food in the JET Airways lounge in EWR is NON KOSHER (as in treif not only non mehadrin) unless marked and wraped with a kosher seal at the kosher corner it is pure negligence on EL AL’s part as on Thursday last week leaving on the 028 I nearly ate a non kosher sandwich till a friendly passenger pointed this out to me just in time.

Secondly the first class section is a joke its just a rope divider with the same noise, seating and food

wow. umm, its not a Jewish lounge is it?

I nearly ate a non kosher sandwich till a friendly passenger pointed this out to me just in time.

If its so important to you, you probably ought to check ,no?

I am really not sure at all that buying C entitles you to lounge access as part of the ticket. I may be wrong but if so would you care to show me where in the contract it says that?

...On your vacation to Israel, we are delighted to welcome you to the Lounge:
- EL AL’s First Class, EL AL Platinum and Business Class passengers
- Gold and Platinum Matmid Frequent Flyer Club members
- King David Club members
(http://www.elal.co.il/ELAL/English/AllAboutYourFlight/AtTheAirport/KingDavidLounge/)
(Its the same for all lounges, Not only KDL (Verified on the phone right now))



...I think that being GL/PL/TPL entitles you to lounge access as much or more so than buying a C ticket. At least the marketing blah blah attests to that.

Well as a C/F pax i would like to know i have a lounge access and that i wont be like a sardin in it, Saying the above doesnt mean i dont agree with what you wrote.
Someone in EL-AL did some mistakes in the past and even now with EWR
(for example CDG KDL is small to fit C/F and GL/PL, I think EWR even smaller!).

BTW, EWR was always offering "vouchers" rather going to the lounge, this is not something new...

...On your vacation to Israel, we are delighted to welcome you to the Lounge:
- EL AL’s First Class, EL AL Platinum and Business Class passengers
- Gold and Platinum Matmid Frequent Flyer Club members
- King David Club members
(http://www.elal.co.il/ELAL/English/AllAboutYourFlight/AtTheAirport/KingDavidLounge/)
(Its the same for all lounges, Not only KDL (Verified on the phone right now))


That's marketing, not a contract, and it notes passengers in premium classes as well as GL/PL/KD members so I don't see why one has priority over the other unless they made the list in order of priority from top to bottom (in which case they should state that).

BTW - the list does not mention TPL so I'm not sure you should get access. :p :)

If its so important to you, you probably ought to check ,no?

That's right! Of course one cannot expect all the food in a 3rd party lounge to be kosher and should check before eating. That's not particular to EWR. It's the same in all 3rd party lounges LY uses, including btw - the KLM lounge in YYZ.

Anyone kosher eater travelling outside of Israel needs to have the common sense to check what he is eating.

BTW - the list does not mention TPL so I'm not sure you should get access. :p :)

This is why i fly C/F! :p

wow. umm, its not a Jewish lounge is it?



If its so important to you, you probably ought to check ,no?


That’s my point unless it's individually sealed with a kosher certification its not kosher even if it was placed in the kosher corner such as on Thursday there was a platter with assorted sandwiches in the "kosher corner" that turns out was non kosher

That’s my point unless it's individually sealed with a kosher certification its not kosher even if it was placed in the kosher corner such as on Thursday there was a platter with assorted sandwiches in the "kosher corner" that turns out was non kosher

Can you explain what exactly was not kosher in them ?
I mean, If they are sealed with kosher certification and they are not kosher
someone need to report to el-al...

Can you explain what exactly was not kosher in them ?
I mean, If they are sealed with kosher certification and they are not kosher
someone need to report to el-al...

From his post they were not sealed with certification. Just a platter of sandwiches placed in the kosher corner apparently by accident.

From his post they were not sealed with certification. Just a platter of sandwiches placed in the kosher corner apparently by accident.

Hehe... Stupid me, Only when reading again i noticed that!
I agree with him, Although Last Passover, In LAX Lounge the sandwiches were sealed with kosher certification 8-)

Was just back in EWR.
They now have signs, in Hebrew, stating "Kasher" and "Lo Kasher".
Its an improvement, but not quite there.
I do understand that they are planning on getting the old catering bacck.

Doesn't LY have enough traffic in EWR to warrant a KDL? As it is, with the construction in Terminal B, there would definitely be a place to put one in.

wow. umm, its not a Jewish lounge is it?



If its so important to you, you probably ought to check ,no?

Obviously, but "not a Jewish lounge?" One of the things LY says is that "all our food is Kosher." It's also a matter of knowing that this is a concern for a lot of people flying with them

Doesn't LY have enough traffic in EWR to warrant a KDL? As it is, with the construction in Terminal B, there would definitely be a place to put one in.
One flight a day?

Obviously, but "not a Jewish lounge?" One of the things LY says is that "all our food is Kosher." It's also a matter of knowing that this is a concern for a lot of people flying with them
Its not LY's lounge. If LY had non-Kosher food at a KDL, that would be one thing, but if they give you a pass to some other lounge, you shouldn't assume that everything there is Kosher. If Borovitch caterers had a lounge at EWR that serviced many carriers, and it had a nice hescher on the door, then you could assume that they serve only (K) food.

CO actually provides K-P goodies in the Pclubs in at least EWR and CLE.

One flight a day?

I was going to say that if they could have one in LAX, then why not EWR as well. Didn't realize they closed that one.

Its not LY's lounge. If LY had non-Kosher food at a KDL, that would be one thing, but if they give you a pass to some other lounge, you shouldn't assume that everything there is Kosher. If Borovitch caterers had a lounge at EWR that serviced many carriers, and it had a nice hescher on the door, then you could assume that they serve only (K) food.

Agreed. My point is simply that LY should make it clear what food is Kosher.

ETA: Now that I re-read his post, I realize where you're coming from and agree. No one should assume that the food in 9W's lounge is Kosher unless specifically marked so.

CO actually provides K-P goodies in the Pclubs in at least EWR and CLE.

What do they provide and where? (Specifically the PC in EWR, C3.) I've seen fruit (Kosher) and small bags of chips and pretzels (most of which are Kosher). Is there something I'm missing?

Is there something I'm missing? They'll be whipping out matzo and K-P jam in the next week.

I was going to say that if they could have one in LAX, then why not EWR as well. Didn't realize they closed that one.



Agreed. My point is simply that LY should make it clear what food is Kosher.

ETA: Now that I re-read his post, I realize where you're coming from and agree. No one should assume that the food in 9W's lounge is Kosher unless specifically marked so.



What do they provide and where? (Specifically the PC in EWR, C3.) I've seen fruit (Kosher) and small bags of chips and pretzels (most of which are Kosher). Is there something I'm missing?

I wouldnt trust anything that wasnt in a closed pkg, remember the 9W lounge isnt under any Supervision thusly many errors would probably be made (not on purpose) heck the FAs mess up my meals so often and they supposingly know what to do (non LY flights) that simply seeing a sign that says Kosher is meaningless to me if its not a closed pkg