Fantastic.

6:52 PM ET - 12 Jan 2019
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Gorgeous - aircraft and weather.

10:50 AM ET - 13 Jan 2019
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yay! finally!!!!!

ElAl's 8th 787 4X-EDI is on its delivery flight to TLV, landing Jan 16 morning

4X-EDI headed off to YYZ today.

Maybe I misunderstood but I thought they were converting the orders to 789s

Just flew a combined El Al-Virgin Atlantic flights from TLV-LHR-JFK. Was able to compare the El Al 787 to the Virgin A330-300 in Y.
(Bought the ticket by phone through Virgin Atlantic - this allowed me to book a return ticket Sun-Thursday without Saturday night stayover for $800).
Anyway, El Al's 787 was completely full for the Sunday morning flight LY315. First bad sign was online check-in telling me that the seat would be assigned at the airport. Naturally that meant I got a middle seat, and stuck between two large adult men (and I am also the same).
IFE was great, and enjoyed the free WiFi for WhatsApp.
Food was decent, although the fruit platter the guy next to me got looked better than the standard breakfast.
Main complaint was the temperature was boiling hot. I always fly in shorts and a t-shirt no matter what my destination is, and it definitely was the right choice for this El Al flight. The big guy to my left in jeans and sweatshirt was melting from the heat. Multiple people asked the flight attendants to lower the temperature to no success.

Virgin Atlantic flight - an older A330 plane , 90% full in Y and was able to select my seat even beforebonline check-in and get an Aisle, though my hopes of getting an aisle seat with some empty middle seats next to it did not work out.
IFE system was older than El Al's but still pretty good. Free beer and alcohol in Y is always a plus as well. Had a quite turbulent flight. Hermolis kosher food was good as always. No free WiFi option on Virgin Atlantic however.
Finally on landing at JFK, the 10 odd people who had connected from El Al to this Virgin flight had to wait till after all the other luggage came out to receive our suitcases. The Virgin Atlantic rep thought at first our luggage didn't make the flight but then it started to come out just as we were going to start filling out paperwork.
Both flights had a USB port to charge phones , but the El Al plane had a power outlet under the seat as well (though most passengers were probably unaware of it).

This always amazes me. Many years ago all flights were freezing cold. One always brought a sweatshirt to stay warm and often people asked for a blanket.
Nowadays, no matter if it is Elal or Virgin or any airline, I have found the cabin is always warm if not hot. There are some zones that are cooler than the rest. I have often flown in business class and have to constantly ask the staff to lower the temperature. I just don't understand why if the outside temperature is usually -30F that some of that cold air can't be shunted into the airplane to cool down the cabin. Doesn't it cost the airlines fuel to heat these airplanes to uncomfortable levels?

I've always wondered who those nutters flying in shorts and T in the middle of the winter are... ;)

Thanks for the report.

One of the CBP guys at JFK asked me if I was trying out for the swim team. With the -11C temps at NYC on Sunday I changed into long pants before I went outside.