Restriction on KDL
 

"Admission to the King David Lounge at Ben-Gurion Airport before Flights with Airlines other than EL AL

Please note: Passengers entitled to King David Lounge privileges may be accompanied by one other passenger (except Top Platinum members who may be accompanied by two passengers) only before EL AL flights.

Passengers flying with Arkia or Israir flights that are departing at the same time as EL AL flights are not entitled to admission to the King David Lounge.


Publish Date 30/06/2011 "

What does this mean? That you can enter the KDL by yourself if you fly any onther airline but if you fly a diffarent Israeli airline you can't?

I was wondering the same thing. The way I read the announcement, I understood it to say that you couldn't enter the KDL if flying on ANY airline other than LY.

Hope that's not the case - it would sustantially reduce the value of being an LY Gold or higher.

Looks like a world wide coordinated effort. *golds, BA gold and now this.

what was with the *gold or BA gold?

Can we have a link to this, please? I can't see this on the website, and don't appear to have gotten any emails relating to this...

link
 

I read this differently. As they expressly mention Arkia and Israir, I would assume that this means that there are two points being made, as follows:

1) You can only enter the lounge with one guest when travelling LY (TP can enter with two).

2) You cannot enter the lounge at all when flying with Arkia and Israir.

I would conclude that you can enter without any guests when flying on any other airline besides LY except for Arkia and Israir.

It seems that I have misunderstood the message by the OP. BA Gold are no longer entitled lounge access if flying an airline other than BA. Same goes for *Gold.

Just to clarify, it's when not flying on a OW flights rather than just BA flights.

In regards to *G it was never a benefit of *G as such, but airline/program specific.

I'm not sure. The way it's worded, (even if this isn't the intent,) it sounds as though anyone who has access to the KDL (members, GL, C pax...) can access the lounge with 1 guest; TPLs with 2 guests. This is only the case when flying LY. GLs, PLs, TPLs, members... not flying LY don't have lounge privileges.

The Arkia/Israir part sounds as though if my friend is flying LY in C, he can't bring me in as a guest if I'm flying one of those 2 airlines.

this message is so stupid. can't they think that no-one understands what they mean ?

from what *I* understand:
-if you fly arkia/israir for flights at the same time as ElAl- and you're GL/PL/TPL/KDL - you get nothing. This seems logical on their part - to attract people to fly ElAl and not the same scheduled flight by the competition.

-if you fly other companies - you can get in, but you cannot guest anyone else - i assume this, because the specifically mentioned the part of guests (otherwise why would they)

Interestingly enough this hasn't been posted on the English version of the LY site Matmid FAQ's (yet)...

Though from my experience, and having spoken recently to the head of Sherut Shalom regarding guesting people in...if you're a KD member, you get access to the KD Lounge (in TLV only) regardless of whether you're flying with LY or not. Taking guests in with you when you're not flying with LY isn't permitted...

Though of course the above may have just changed...

I don't get why they can't just make it like most lounges. KDL member, whether flying LY or not, can access KDL with guests. (TLV or not.)

Others, feel free to make it only flying LY, (though maybe TPL can access when not flying LY without guest privileges if not flying LY,) and don't insert comments about any specific carriers.

Not sure what you mean by "most lounges" but that certainly used to be the case up until a couple of years ago or so when they changed the policy.

If this is indeed a new policy in regards to guesting into the lounge, this ought to have been communicated to all members rather than just change the T&C without notice, or communication about it.

If I were living in NYC and flew out of JFK a bit (to various places) and not in C, I'd be willing to pay for a KDL membership to use their lounge in JFK... its a nice lounge with good food.