Assuming it will take 50 minutes to get to TLV. Then getting through security and passport control, if it is chaotic it can take another hour!

I would strongly discourage you from doing it, since there is no room for error whatsoever, and you are also relying on ideal circumstances with no traffic jams, empty security and passport control.

My flight is at 23:50. If I leave Modi'in at 20:30, will I have enough time to shower and eat properly in the KDL?

I leave Modi'in 2 hours before my flights an get at least 45 mins in the lounge before final call.

I don't want to board at the last minute because I want overhead space. You're from Modi'in?!

Just saying that your timetable should make it easy. And yes, been in Modi'in since 1998 though likely not for much longer.

Good to know! What time would you recommend going through security, if I'd like to spend some time with my girlfriend before heading through?

And why you leaving Modi'in? Trying to get my family to move there.

Use my timetable and add shower time. Why are you nit showering at her place? Does your family know about the girlfriend?

Modi'in is great, but I'm moving to APAC.

Sounds good! They know and I'm not showering there because I'm meeting her at the airport. She has a final so she can't meet me before, and I will be leaving at the last moment from base, so I can't meet her. That's why I want to maximize my time with her at the airport.

What is APAC?

Are you leaving tonight? Have a very nice flight!!! Does IDF accept requests to book flights on specific airlines so that chayal boded can earn and accumulate points?

I would spend time next to security. Watch the flow, if it gets very crowded, I would head an hour before boarding to security and the lounge, just to ensure your comfort and ability to shower. Nesiyah Tova

Asia Pacific

Making yeridah (= inverted aliyah) for good?

I never made Aliyah, I moved to Israel 22 years ago. I'm not making Yeridah, I'm moving to APAC. But we are really taking this thread way off-topic here. For good is a very long time. I don't make such proclamations.

Last time, you seemed to enjoy my line-by-line dissection of your post, so here it goes again:
No. My flight is tomorrow night (God willing...and He better! The weather in NJ doesn't seem to be cooperating!)

Thanks! I'm very much looking forward! Although I think more so to my family greeting me in EWR at 5 AM. Something tells me I'll be the only one with a loud cheering squad of 8 at the time of day!

To the best of my understanding, this is the IDF's flying policy:

• Soldiers flying on official IDF business fly on the IDF's tab on El Al, and Arkia if El Al is unavailable. If neither of those work out, they fly whatever airline the government would use in a similar circumstance, preferably flying direct. If not, NYC is the most common connecting airport (JFK/EWR).
• Soldiers in mandatory service, the army has no say in what airline you choose, only in what airline you don't choose. You cannot fly any airline based in a country in which it is illegal to travel during service (Iran, Afghanistan, Syria...) You are welcome to choose whichever airline you wish, but they prefer El Al, Arkia, and Israir. Should you choose a foreign carrier, they prefer a direct flight. A Chayal Boded gets one free flight during his/her service, paid for by the Agudah L'Maan Hachayal, for which I assume any airline can be requested. I have friends who flew this free ticket, and flew airlines such as LY, DL, BA, LX... all to NYC. For the ticket, you go to the Tel Aviv office to request a ticket and tell them the information (dates, airports....) There, I assume you can request a specific airline. I have not done this yet. All times I have flown (including this one) have been on my/my father's cheshbon.

That's where I planned on spending time with her. I usually go to McDonald's there, as I go to sleep on the plane before they serve dinner, and I always enjoy watching the people who work there, who don't really speak English or understand Kosher too well, try to explain to tourists who also don't know Hebrew or Kosher, why there are no cheeseburgers. That would also mean no need to eat in KDL...just shower.

Thanks!

Enjoy! Come back and visit!

Last year, all the Mc Donalds outlets in Israel got a Te'udat Kashrut. Not sure what happened to the one in TLV. Probably no food court there has a hechsher, since they are all open on shabbat (except from the lounges, I believe)