I'm planning to travel with a large group of friends to Israel in May 2020. They will be coming form Texas, but I live in Virginia (home airport ORF). I'm trying to figure out the best scenario for getting there and back, given that our planned departure will be on a Saturday (making transport to TLV from Jerusalem trickier, right? At least that is what I am guessing right now. Please correct me if I am wrong!)
By "best scenario" I mean trying to optimize travel cost and travel time as well as the airport transfer on Saturday.
My options as they stand now, as far as I can tell, are
1. Fly from VA to TX, fly with the group USA-TLV-USA, and then fly back to VA from TX.
Advantages: I don't have to worry about airport transfers to/from TLV, as that will be taken care of. I don't have to worry about arriving after them and having to make my way to the first night's hotel on my own. (They are scheduled to arrive TLV around midnight Sunday/Monday).
Disadvantages: Cost of extra ticket to Texas. Having to travel TX-VA the day after we return (their flight gets in late at night). Potentially having to travel VA-TX the day before international departure (their flight leaves early evening, so it might be possible to fly in that morning, but I wouldn't want to cut it too close).
2. Use AA FF miles to fly from Virginia to TLV and return (my preference)
Advantages: Not having to go to Texas and back. Get a credit of $900 for making my own airfare arrangements. AA FF flights available now for 80k miles. One possibility arrives TLV early evening; others arrive around the same time as friends' flight (some currently available itineraries even include their same inbound flight to TLV).
Disadvantages: Might have to arrange own airport transfer inbound (to Neve Ilan). Would definitely have to arrange own airport transfer outbound, from Jerusalem. (My flight options are to leave at 8:30 am on Saturday or at 5:30 am on Sunday. Their flight departs around 11:30 am on Saturday, too late for me to ride to the airport with them.) If I took the Sunday flight, I guess I could ride with the group to Tel Aviv (or at least TLV) on Saturday, get a hotel there, and then get a transfer to the airport on Sunday, but that is an extra night's lodging cost. Also, benefit of the early evening arrival itinerary is offset by having a 10-hour layover at JFK outbound.
3. Book my own flights and pay cash
Advantages: Not having to go to Texas and back. Get a credit of $900 for making my own flight arrangements. More itineraries available than trying to book with FF miles.
Disadvantages: Mostly the same as for
#2 , PLUS cash itineraries look to start at $1,400 RT right now, so might be the most expensive option.
Booking a RT out of an East Coast hub (e.g., IAD, JFK) and adding separate positioning flights doesn't look to be much cheaper than going to TX to fly with my friends, although it might be less time-consuming. (IAD is a four-hour drive from me, so not as good an option as it might at first seem.) But this also carries the risk of missing my connection at one or both ends if there are any delays or cancellations.
So - Am I missing something? How easy would an early Saturday morning transfer from Jerusalem to TLV be to get (with it being not only Shabbat but also Shavuot)? Any idea what it would cost?
THANKS for any help you can offer!