Last edit by: JDiver
El Al partnership ended November 2014
Effective November 1, 2014, flights taken on El Al ceased accruing AAdvantage miles due to the discontinuation of American's frequent flyer relationship with El Al. (BUT read post 121 and onward.)
All award travel on El Al had to be booked and ticketed by October 31, 2014. Travel was valid one year after ticket date, and had to be completed by October 31, 2015. No changes to the El Al segments were allowed during that period.
AA and El Al may continue to code share on some flights.
(Source)
Effective November 1, 2014, flights taken on El Al ceased accruing AAdvantage miles due to the discontinuation of American's frequent flyer relationship with El Al. (BUT read post 121 and onward.)
All award travel on El Al had to be booked and ticketed by October 31, 2014. Travel was valid one year after ticket date, and had to be completed by October 31, 2015. No changes to the El Al segments were allowed during that period.
AA and El Al may continue to code share on some flights.
(Source)
American Airlines and LY / EL AL Israel Airlines Codeshares
#91
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Update: I found a fairly recent interview with El Al's CEO. Two things I noticed: they can't fly east, which limits their ability to be an east/west hub; and they hope to be back at category 1 soon.
#92
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
Nothing has yet changed, per the current assessment results. What is the issue that causes the civil aviation regulatory system in Israel to fail? Any why hasn't it been fixed yet? One would think El Al, AA, and other would be pressuring the government to update the law or regulation or whatever it is.
Update: I found a fairly recent interview with El Al's CEO. Two things I noticed: they can't fly east, which limits their ability to be an east/west hub; and they hope to be back at category 1 soon.
#93
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Given what has happened to a recently active thread dealing with AA flying to Israel, this is just a preventive strong recommendation that we keep this thread relevant to the possibility of reestablishing AA codeshares on LY. Factual discussion about regulations and conditions facilitating or preventing that is OK; political polemic, ad hominem, wild speculation, etc. are not, and such will be deleted or moved. /Moderator
#94
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
El Al is not trying to be a traditional hub carrier but rather a point-to-point carrier to destinations with large Israeli ex-pat populations, economic ties, and large Jewish populations. The airport really ins't configured to provide efficient connections nor is the location ideal to offer connecting flights.
I've not been to Israel, so I'll take your word for it that TLV isn't good for connections. (We're planning a visit next year.)
#96
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,519
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
Yes, subject to award-seat availability. The All-Partner award chart would apply, and you would have to call AA to book such an award.
Originally Posted by MBienstock
Can Advantage miles be used on El Al for flights to Israel?
#98
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
LY will be discontinuing GRU effective 10 November. Now that additional aircraft is available I'm hoping this will ultimately lead to resuming MIA or opening BOS. Of course, they still need to resolve the Category II status with the FAA. I'd like to see LY try to resume service now that the FAA is decertified but of course they'll have to wait and this shutdown has probably slowed the process if anything.
#99
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
LY will be discontinuing GRU effective 10 November. Now that additional aircraft is available I'm hoping this will ultimately lead to resuming MIA or opening BOS. Of course, they still need to resolve the Category II status with the FAA. I'd like to see LY try to resume service now that the FAA is decertified but of course they'll have to wait and this shutdown has probably slowed the process if anything.
#100
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
Unfortunate especially since Gov Patrick, Robert Kraft, other MA & CJP officials took a trip earlier this year to meet with LY but they did get other matters accomplished.
Last edited by AAerSTL; Aug 3, 2011 at 6:52 pm
#101
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
Do You Want Direct Flights between Boston and Israel?
Do You Want Direct Flights between Boston and Israel?
Momentum is building for nonstop flights between Boston and Tel Aviv, and you can help make it happen!
The Massachusetts-Israel Direct Flight Task Force, in collaboration with Massport, is gauging interest in direct flights between Logan and Ben-Gurion International airports. Direct flights will increase travel, encourage business ties and tourism and provide an economic boost to both places. Other U.S. cities are vying to be next to offer nonstop flights to Israel, so it’s critical that we indicate how much we New Englanders would use nonstop flights.
Here are two easy ways take action!
Take Massport’s survey about your travel patterns and preferences. Then forward the link to your friends, family, and colleagues. Don’t limit yourself to Boston-area friends – Massport is interested in travelers to Israel from across New England who might travel from Logan.
“Like” the “I Support Massachusetts Israel Direct Air Route” Facebook page.
Momentum is building for nonstop flights between Boston and Tel Aviv, and you can help make it happen!
The Massachusetts-Israel Direct Flight Task Force, in collaboration with Massport, is gauging interest in direct flights between Logan and Ben-Gurion International airports. Direct flights will increase travel, encourage business ties and tourism and provide an economic boost to both places. Other U.S. cities are vying to be next to offer nonstop flights to Israel, so it’s critical that we indicate how much we New Englanders would use nonstop flights.
Here are two easy ways take action!
Take Massport’s survey about your travel patterns and preferences. Then forward the link to your friends, family, and colleagues. Don’t limit yourself to Boston-area friends – Massport is interested in travelers to Israel from across New England who might travel from Logan.
“Like” the “I Support Massachusetts Israel Direct Air Route” Facebook page.
Please show your support by taking the Massport survey!
#104
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,701
#105
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,072
Mazal Tov to EL AL for doing this but I have some questions about this partnership.
Lets say I boarded an AA Eagle flight at SJC and checked my bags to TLV via LAX do I get my boarding passes at SJC for my onward TLV flight?
Do I have to stop by the ticket counter at LAX for security screening if all of my bags will be forwarded to TLV? If so this would save the 3 hour arrival time at LAX to avoid the long queue of screening etc. I would much rather take the LAX flight as opposed to the JFK flight and be subjected to an additional 5 hours going and 6:45 on the return flight due to the winds especially in winter.
I could handle a 14hr 40 minute flight from TLV-LAX as anyways its more when you go to JFK its 10 hours +6 45 in the air. So the additional 1 hour flight to SJC is better than the 6 hour flight to SFO and the additional 1 hour drive to SFO.So even if I missed conencted on the SJC flight I know there is another one coming up and I can spend time at the ReLax lounge in the international terminal. I would much rather do the long flight in one shot vs two long flights without any meal on the JFK-SFO flight in Y. I love the food on LY.
Would there be gate security at LAX? I was just wondering how the AA codeshare would work from destinations such as SJC-LAX-TLV.
Lets say I boarded an AA Eagle flight at SJC and checked my bags to TLV via LAX do I get my boarding passes at SJC for my onward TLV flight?
Do I have to stop by the ticket counter at LAX for security screening if all of my bags will be forwarded to TLV? If so this would save the 3 hour arrival time at LAX to avoid the long queue of screening etc. I would much rather take the LAX flight as opposed to the JFK flight and be subjected to an additional 5 hours going and 6:45 on the return flight due to the winds especially in winter.
I could handle a 14hr 40 minute flight from TLV-LAX as anyways its more when you go to JFK its 10 hours +6 45 in the air. So the additional 1 hour flight to SJC is better than the 6 hour flight to SFO and the additional 1 hour drive to SFO.So even if I missed conencted on the SJC flight I know there is another one coming up and I can spend time at the ReLax lounge in the international terminal. I would much rather do the long flight in one shot vs two long flights without any meal on the JFK-SFO flight in Y. I love the food on LY.
Would there be gate security at LAX? I was just wondering how the AA codeshare would work from destinations such as SJC-LAX-TLV.