Middle East - Time required to clear TLV

Hi all - this may be in the wrong place but figured the most people likely to answer would be here. I am going on birthright in February and as part of this they allow you to extend your return date. I'm going to extend my return date on US Airways with a flight departing at 11:30 pm. After traveling in the region, I can book on Royal Jordanian (using my BA miles from the Chase deal a while back) on a flight arriving at 9:45. Normally I'd consider an hour and 45 minutes sufficient as a connection, but because I'll be on two separately booked legs I am a little nervous, especially in a security-heavy airport like TLV. Any guidance on if this is a doable turn time at TLV or if I need to allow more time? Will I have to exit and re-clear customs? I have a lot of Arabic stamps in my passport so I will likely get extra scrutiny.

As this question is not El Al specific, it should be in the Middle East Travel forum. Please continue to follow it there.

Regards,
Yosithezet
Moderator, El Al Forum

Hi all - this may be in the wrong place but figured the most people likely to answer would be here. I am going on birthright in February and as part of this they allow you to extend your return date. I'm going to extend my return date on US Airways with a flight departing at 11:30 pm. After traveling in the region, I can book on Royal Jordanian (using my BA miles from the Chase deal a while back) on a flight arriving at 9:45. Normally I'd consider an hour and 45 minutes sufficient as a connection, but because I'll be on two separately booked legs I am a little nervous, especially in a security-heavy airport like TLV. Any guidance on if this is a doable turn time at TLV or if I need to allow more time? Will I have to exit and re-clear customs? I have a lot of Arabic stamps in my passport so I will likely get extra scrutiny.

My co-workers were just in TLV on business and both arriving and departing they were told 3 hours. It took most of those 3 hours for departing!

This is a high stake gamble.
- Will you be able to check your luggage through PHL? If not than you will have to clear immigration and costumes pick your luggage, undergo security and reach the check-in counter within 45 minutes (flights close 1 hour prior to their scheduled departure time).
- Will US protect you on the next flight if the RJ flight is delayed?
- I would advice you to seek a longer connection when connecting from an international to domestic flights operated by different carriers in JFK or LAX. In TLV when connecting from RJ to US on different itineraries anything less than 6 hours is a risky proposition.

Safe Travels
DLP

People arriving for International flights are told to be at the airport 3 hours ahead of time. I would not want to cut that in half.

I would not consider anything less than 2.5 hours as a reasonable amount of time.

There are at least 3 or 4 recent threads on the implications of having Arab nation stamps on your passport. The reality is that Israel does business with numerous Arab countries, as does many of it's guests. If you have nothing to conceal, and do not become confrontational on why this is happening to you, you should have no problems passing through Israel. But, within one hour and 45 minutes? Probably not.

I think the 6 hour estimate is high end.

I would not consider anything less than 2.5 hours as a reasonable amount of time.

There are at least 3 or 4 recent threads on the implications of having Arab nation stamps on your passport. The reality is that Israel does business with numerous Arab countries, as does many of it's guests. If you have nothing to conceal, and do not become confrontational on why this is happening to you, you should have no problems passing through Israel. But, within one hour and 45 minutes? Probably not.

I think the 6 hour estimate is high end.

Thanks for the advice all, my only other option (with miles) was something like a 12 hour layover - but I have lounge access so I went ahead and took it. I'll get some shut eye and some drinks and call it a day. Thanks!

With 12 hours, you could easily go into TLV (or elsewhere).

I agree, check your luggage in, get a boarding pass and go to Tel Aviv. UNfortunately you'll have to bring your carry on with you as there are no baggage check places open at that hour.

If interested, I posted a report of our transfer at TLV here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19105599-post17.html).

If interested, I posted a report of our transfer at TLV here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19105599-post17.html).

Based on your well written detailed account, it would seem that TLV airport did everything it could to make this as painless a process as possible. If a flight closed 60 minutes before departure, and you ended up arriving with 75 minutes from wheels down, again it seems like they did everything to help they could.

What a welcome relief from the horror stories most often posted by those who often have no first hand experience.

Based on your well written detailed accountThank you for saying so.

it would seem that TLV airport did everything it could to make this as painless a process as possible.Yes, they handled things quite well, I thought, and were friendly and efficient.

What a welcome relief from the horror stories most often posted by those who often have no first hand experience.Very well put! I read such tales warning of what a horrible, prolonged experience it would be, how the authorities would be so thrown by a transfer in TLV, much less a same-plane turn back to the origination city, that we'd be strip searched and interrogated for hours, posted, as you say, by those who are asserting with authority what they only assume and guess at. So, imagine my surprise when it turns out that the authorities in TLV were easily able to distinguish between the unusual (e.g., a same-plane turn) and the threatening, and who were polite and helpful.

In hindsight, I attribute the problems we did experience with (a) my having read the FT posts saying the transfer area was closed, and hence asking the IB agent in MAD to ask the IB staff in TLV to advise us who to make our connection, since it seems somewhat likely that this action is what caused them to rebook us with an 11 hour layover, and (b) my failing to keep checking for U availability on the flight with a 2.5 hour connection.

If interested, I posted a report of our transfer at TLV here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19105599-post17.html).
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Excellent report, thank you. I was in TLV some time ago and saw this transit area. I do understand El Al is offering a few transit connections, mainly to their few destinations in asia, and passengers would use it. Wondered if the security issues there would be as thight as for departing passengers, which can take 3 hours...