Going to visit college daughter, who is studying in Israel for the year. People at work called me "brave", "daring", or "nuts", depending on their mood. Went anyway, and glad we did. Travelled with wife and high school daughter for our two week winter break from school.
First day: SAN/JFK on AA....used 90,000 mile business class award for entire trip. AC at SAN is small, but nice and quiet. Was granted access to AC because we were on transcon in F. (No business class on our flight, so was moved to F). Left SAN at 12:20, arrived JFK at 8:30. Stayed at Sheraton JFK at $45 Priceline rate. Hotel O.K., nothing more. But it served our purpose, and was inexpensive, so that's fine.
AC at JFK was large, with very modest offerings (corn muffins was about all). Then off to London on one of AA's 777's. Wow, what a great plane. Smooth and quiet. AA's service was terrific in business class, and food was excellent, too. I accepted the challenge to completely wipe out the Kahlua supply on a 777 and was successful! Hey, everyone needs to accomplish something significant in their lifetime, and this may be mine. Hotel for overnight in London was the Heathrow Park, part of the Thistle chain. Quite old, had lots of potential, but really in need of maintenance (carpets, walls). Once again, served our purpose, and for $40 on Priceline, it was fine.
On to TLV on BA in business...good flight, with very nice FA's, but very unimpressive food. Very small steak as part of steak and eggs breakfast, and other items were dry and rubbery. Also, BA does not carry Kahlua! Made AA look VERY good, in many ways. Best part of this leg was BA lounge ("Terraces"), prior to departure. Fountains, pastel lighting, excellent food, and open bar. Even without Kahlua, this is one terrific place. Through customs and security at TLV without any difficulties. Daughter had come from Jerusalem to meet our plane. Nice reunion, since we had not seen her since August 1st.
Spent 7 days at Jerusalem Hyatt. Beautiful hotel - 500 rooms - was upgraded to suite and really enjoyed ourselves. Daughter slept on the sofa, since the Hyatt beats the cheese out of her (shared) dorm room. Tourism to Jerusalem is way down, so Hyatt only averages 50 rooms rented per weeknight! Even though they are nearly full on weekends with families coming from other parts of Israel, weeknights are pitifully slow. So Regency Club lounge is closed, as is business center. I accessed FlyerTalk from computer behind front desk that was offered in light of business center being closed. Tradition in all of Israel is that breakfast is included in every room rate, and Hyatt put out nice buffet of salads, hot dishes, rolls, and made-to-order omelets. Visited daughter's classes and many sights in Jerusalem. Visited Mt. Masada and floated in the Dead Sea. Was VERY careful where we went. Did not use public transportation - used cabs everywhere. Stayed away from crowded areas as much as we could. Strange - in the U.S., there's "safety in numbers"; here, the risk of a terrorist act INCREASES as the number of people in one location increases. We saw armed soldiers in various locations, but only one or two per day. Not as many as I expected. They resembled the people we now have posted at U.S. airports. My sense of uneasiness lessened as the week went on, but never went away completely. Perhaps that was good.....
Yesterday, took flight from TLV to Eilat on "IsraAir". They do not partner with anyone, so no mileage! Flight was one hour on ATR propeller plane. Eilat is at far southern end of Israel, at the Red Sea, and is a playground. Like a combination of Orlando and Lake Tahoe. Small town (50,000 people) with emphasis on water sports - jet skis, boat rides, swim with dolphins. Staying at Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheeba. Regular rate - $533.00 per night. Yikes! Good thing we're on HHonors points (2 nights at 25,000 per night). Welcome fruits, nuts, and chocolates waiting in our mini-suite. This could be the nicest Hilton I've ever been in. Executive lounge serves breakfast, snacks, and sandwiches throughout the day. Eilat hotels have been running 70-100% full, so nothing is reduced or closed. Very different from Jerusalem - security is present, but no fears at all about where to go - everywhere is safe, clean, and aimed at the tourist dollar (or more accurately, sheckel). Today we visited oceanarium and daughters snorkeled with dolphins.
Will post more as rest of trip unfolds. In the meantime, questions or comments are welcome.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Captain Mike: First day: SAN/JFK on AA....used 90,000 mile business class award for entire trip. AC at SAN is small, but nice and quiet. Was granted access to AC because we were on transcon in F. (No business class on our flight, so was moved to F).</font>
I didn't know that AA flew direct from SAN to JFK. Since your flight was a two class, was it an MD-80 or 757? I would have thought that you would have had to go SAN-LAX-JFK. Generally, for a transcon where Flagship service is available, I prefer C on a three-class than F on a two-class. I guess I am spoiled from the Flagship flights out of LAX to the east coast.
The JRS Hyatt is where the tourism minister was killed. Very scary. It is a nice hote, with amazing views of the Old City, but it is not close to anything and you have to take transportation to get anywhere.
Glad you had a good trip over, though I'm not sure why you had to overnight twice. You should have been able to do it easily with no overnight accomodations.
Greetings Captain Mike. I am very much enjoying the trip report. I, like many others, want to go to Israel but holding off.
Question, if I may. Could you please tell us about the security procedures when you leave Ben Gurion Airport and are they different on BA than on ELAL? It sounded like you didn't have any problems flying in to Israel and I have heard of many, many long, painstacking questions by LY security staff that just make you go nuts. Can you please tell more?
Thanks. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
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MD
AA PLT,1 MLN Miles+
Hilton Gold
Sheraton Gold
Returned to SAN last evening. Before posting rest of trip report. I'd like to thank you for the positive feedback. This is my first report, and I was not sure how it would be received.
Answers to questions:
Onedog.....AA has two SAN/JFK nonstops per day. The 8:05 a.m. flight is a three class 767, and our noontime departure was a two class 757, thus the automatic upgrade from biz to first for us.
Freakflyer.....You're right about the out-of-the-way location of the Hyatt in Jerusalem, but it is right across the street from Hebrew University, where daughter is studying this year. We chose it because the main purpose of the trip was to spend time with her - the sightseeing was really just a bonus. Had we not had that as our primary purpose, we would likely have stayed at a more central/downtown hotel, as you point out. Regarding the two overnights (JFK and LHR), we did that on purpose, since I don't sleep well on planes. Since we had two full weeks to spend, I scheduled only daytime flights, with the cheapie hotel stays booked through Priceline. That way, we were not exhausted or sleep deprived upon arrival, and could begin the visit fresh and relaxed. As can be seen in the rest of the report, I only scheduled one overnight at LHR on the way back.
WorldTraveller36.....BA security out of Ben Gurion airport was modest and not gruelling at all. Checked passports, asked a few questions, and off we went. More questions were asked by IsraAir when we flew from Ben Gurion to Eilat. "What is the purpose of your trip?" "How long will you be staying in Eilat?" "Where will you be staying in Eilat?" They also had college daughter show her university I.D. card as well as her passport, the only airline to ask for this additional I.D. All in all, though, not really unpleasant. Hey, I'm glad they're cautious!
Rest of trip went as follows:
Took 4 hour boat tour on second day in Eilat. Thought that 30 U.S. dollars per person was not expensive for this tour, which included lunch on the boat (grilled chicken, salads, breads, wine, and fruit). Motored around Bay of Eilat, and at one point we could see four countries at once (Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia). Boat anchored on the Israel side of the Israel/Egypt border and daughters snorkeled in the Red Sea, this time without dolphins. On way back to port, small boat joined us and daughters parasailed about 150 feet above the water (extra fee for this, however).
Returned to Ben Gurion airport on IsraAir for our one night in Tel Aviv. Stayed at the Hilton, once again on HHonors points. This is very expensive business hotel, where we got several looks of distain from the stuffy (rich) guests in the lobby. Hotel staff was most cordial, however, and our room (with lounge access) was quite pleasant. We watched surfers in the Mediterranean Sea from our balcony, and the waves looked bigger than those in San Diego. Tel Aviv is a very cosmopolitan city of 750,000, with many newer high rise hotels and a bustling port. Wanted to take Gray Line tour of the city, but didn't have quite enough time. I'd like to spend 3-4 days here next trip, if possible.
Took cab to TLV airport for return. Was once again underwhelmed by BA on flight to LHR. Service was good, food better than outbound, but just "O.K." In biz class, I expect more than just "O.K." Makes AA look better and better, in my opinion.
Overnighted at Renaissance near LHR. Much newer and better maintained hotel than Thistle Heathrow Park property, but then again I paid Priceline a whopping $50, so that's only right (rack rate $265 - but discounts available, I'm sure).
Decided to beat it home with only one overnight on return, so flew LHR/LAX/SAN yesterday. Thanks to tip on FlyerTalk, used AA's Park Avenue check-in facility to avoid the chaos in Heathrow's Terminal 3. Great tip, FT'ers! While the lines snaked everywhere in Terminal 3, we were the only people in the Park Avenue facility! Check-in was quick, and off we went to the AC. Nice club. Large, quiet, snacks, and drinks, including free (pour it yourself and don't be skimpy) cocktails. The 10 1/2 hours from LHR to LAX was a long flight, but AA's 777 biz class made the time pass comfortably. Lots to eat and drink, including a good size filet mignon for "lunch" (11:05 a.m. departure, London time). Through customs at LAX and on to American Eagle for the quick hop down to SAN.
SUMMARY: Great trip. So glad we went. Yes, it was "dangerous", but so is everything else in life. We were very cautious, especially in Jerusalem, but we did not feel genuinely afraid for our safety or threatened at any time. Next time, I'd explore the "Old City" in Jerusalem more thoroughly, and I'd spend several extra days in Tel Aviv. I'd also try very hard to return to that gorgeous Hilton in Eilat if possible. This was our first trip to Israel, and we got the flavor of three VERY different cities. Younger daughter is now 16, so maybe we'll get the chance to visit the spots we missed on this trip if she decides to study there at some future point in time.
Back to work on Monday, I'm afraid. QUESTION: Does my homeowner's policy cover the hernia the mailman is bound to get trying to hoist this month's credit card bill into my mailbox?
[This message has been edited by Captain Mike (edited 01-06-2002).]
Great reports, Captain Mike. My wife and I spent about 6 days in Israel right around Christmas. Like you, we were very careful where we went. We took the trip mostly to see my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their kids, so we didn't do too much sightseeing. We didn't even go into Jerusalem. But the weird thing was that it felt a lot safer than I thought it was going to feel. Because everything is so close (you can see the hills of the West Bank from most of Israel since the country is so small -- you can't see them once you get down near Eilat, of course), I thought I would see more walls, more fences and more armed personnel. I didn't see that much of it. We spent a couple of days at a Crown Plaza at the Dead Sea. On the way back, we almost took the shorter way through the West Bank but then decided not to for security reasons. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the trip felt weird because Israel didn't feel that much different to me know then when I had gone previously -- 1986 and 1999.
As for BA, I was way underwhelmed by their security at LHR for the flight to TLV. As far as I could see, the security consisted of nothing more than checking passports and tickets -- and for my wife, they didn't even check the addendum to her passport which indicates that her last name changed to mine after we got married (i.e., her passport has her maiden name on it).
Seats on BA coach -- yeah, we flew coach unfortunately, were better than I expected. The recline was a lot better than on a AA 767 in coach that I recently flew from Santiago to Miami. And the food wasn't bad either. The only complaint regarding the seats is that there is no hard backing on the seats so when the person behind you puts their knee into the seat, you really feel it -- you feel like you're getting a massage but a really, really uncomfortable one. Anyway, glad you got back in one piece.
Great trip report, good to hear you weren't hassled too much and enjoyed Eilat. I imagine you found that Eilat was mostly European vacationers escaping the snow. Once they started flights directly from Europe to Eilat directly, it got expensive and crowded.
Re: BA Business LHR-TLV, don't forget that TLV is considered to be "Europe", and so you are getting intra-europe business, which does not compare to intercontinental business. I have been consistently underwhelmed by european business class, including LH, SAS, and BD. On LH, the seats were identical to coach (including number across), so the only difference was a drink in a glass instead of plastic, and the people around you paid extra. Kinda like 1st vs 2nd class on commuter trains in much of Europe... same seats, different people. (only place I've seen actual better service on rail is in UK, but I haven't done too much train travel).
Hey Captain Mike, Shalom and welcome home .
Thanks for the info, appreciated. I am very relieved to hear that BA doesn't do all that ELAL security crap. Maybe someday they will figure out that it puts people off from going to Israel. I knew of a Jewish Orthodox woman who was strip searched going in and she said she would never go back.
There is security, but no need to overdue it. If the airlines ever master "profiling people" which they have not, then we'll be good. A friend told me at some airport they had pulled over an 80 year old woman with a walker, come on!!! .
If you don't mind, a couple of questions. I could actually ask a 100. Can you please tell us more about the Israir flight? i.e. what kind of plane? service? and did they leave from a different terminal at Ben Gurion(they are supposed to have 2 and one of them, I hear, is very nice!). New shops, etc. I want to see that. Hey, what about Ben Gurion? what is it like? Israeli friends don't want to give out alot of details, understand. Maybe you can say more? toda.
Also, if not the Hilton, and thanks for the tip, will stay away, what nice, modern hotel in Tel Aviv could you recommend?
Thanks and you did great. I want to hear more. Take care, Michael in Malibu
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MD
AA PLT,1 MLN Miles+
Hilton Gold
Sheraton Gold
Re: the IsraAir flights to/from Eilat...the planes were ATR "42's", I think. Propeller types, just slightly larger than AA's American Eagle. Planes seat about 50 pax. Soft drinks and snack mix only. One FA for entire plane. We left from a small terminal at Ben Gurion, adjacent to the main one. Only flights to/from Eilat use this terminal, and it is shared by IsraAir and Arkia, the other discount carrier. Ben Gurion was like most other large international airports - noisy, lots of people and luggage carts, etc. We did not stay long enough to investigate the shops. We basically went through security, turned in our VAT vouchers for refund of taxes (got 61 American dollars), and away we went.
Since we spent less than 24 hours in Tel Aviv, I am unable to comment on hotels other than the Hilton. Sorry.
Interesting anecdote on security at Ben Gurion Airport...the mother of another Hebrew University student was traveling back to the U.S. with us, and she was carrying some items sent back with her by her daughter in an additional suitcase. So she is asked, "Did you pack all your bags yourself?" Honest Marilyn says, "No, my daughter packed this extra one for me to take back to San Diego". Oops. Wrong answer. The security people took that bag apart completely, checked it, wanded it, and who knows what else! 20 minutes later, Marilyn gets it back, from an agent who is still scowling. I guess they do listen to the answers we give to those "routine" security questions!
Usoftie
Actually BA Business to TLV is 'Club World' rather than the 'Club Europe' product that you refer to. I think for the moment they are still offering the old cradle seats in
2-2-2 configuration using a 767.
This compares favourably with nearby Amman and Beirut, which offer the 'Club Europe' pruduct (Economy seats with cloth headrests and a 'better' meal).
