Cheap flights to Israel in 2023/24 
from US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia

The cheapest time to fly to Israel

The cheapest time to fly to Israel is during the winter – from November to March (excluding dates around Christmas and New Year). During these cooler months, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem take a break from the massive summer tourist crowds. With fewer tourists, the prices for flights, accommodation, attractions, and food dramatically decrease. If you are looking to save money, this is the best time to fly to Israel.

If you prefer warmer temperatures, the shoulder season is also a period with low tourist traffic, offering the opportunity to find discounted flights. The shoulder season happens twice a year: in the spring – March to May – and again in the fall – September to November.

Tight security checks at Ben Gurion Airport

Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv is considered to be one of the safest airports in the world. It is also infamous amongst travelers for being seriously heavy with security. The internet is full of horror stories of intrusive luggage checks, innocent travelers being detained for hours, and forced to miss flights. However, it is important to understand that Israel has had a lot of issues in the past, and there is a history of tension in the region.

The truth is, with thousands of passengers coming in and out of the country every day, the airport employs a whole range of screening techniques (including an advanced luggage screening machine known as HBS) to make sure that they check everyone without causing delays and too much hassle. In practice for the majority of passengers, the airport security experience will be absolutely not that different from any other airport.

As there’s no way to avoid tight airport security checks, make sure you arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure.

Questioning by Israeli airport security

All arriving passengers are interviewed by security personnel. The questioning is polite and friendly, and the whole process seems like a simple informal chat. Interviewers look for such warning signs as nervousness, lack of a concrete reason for traveling to Israel, and suspicious travel history (some Arabic countries or countries with Muslim majority such as Indonesia and Malaysia). “Risky” passengers may be sent to private rooms for questioning and searches. In rare cases, the officials might ask you to open your email or Facebook for inspection.

Try to have your answers ready for this process. If you have hosts in Israel, make sure you know their names and contact details (they might be called to validate this information). If you will be staying in a hotel, have the reservation details. Tell the truth, stay calm and relaxed – nothing is personal, and you are not a suspect.

On completion of the interview, a sticker with a barcode will be stamped on the back of your passport. It will start with a number from “1” to “6”. Travelers who aren’t considered a threat at all by Israeli security are given numbers from “1” to “4”. Number “5” is for foreign visitors who raise some red flags (they may be questioned again). Number “6” is considered a high-security risk and such travelers would be subjected to further stringent questioning and screening.

Long waiting times when calling the helpline?

Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, and others.

When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: @EL_AL_AIRLINES” if contacting Israeli national carrier EL AL Airlines). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.

Avoid currency exchange kiosks at Israeli airports

It is always a good idea to bring some cash with you to Israel. The official currency of Israel is the New Israel Shekel or shekel for short (usually abbreviated “NIS”), subdivided into 100 agorot.

Airports are infamous for making an exuberant amount of money from their currency exchanges due to the extremely high margins, and Israeli airports are no exception. Airport kiosks usually charge higher fees which are sometimes hidden within the poorer exchange rates they offer – their business is based on charging extra for being a convenient, last-minute option.

Plan ahead and bring a significant proportion of your spending money in cash. You may also try to exchange some money for the Israeli shekel at one of the plentiful ATMs located at the airports, and all over the country. Virtually all of them accept foreign Visa and MasterCards.

Long waiting times when calling the helpline?

Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, and others.

When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: @EL_AL_AIRLINES” if contacting Israeli national carrier EL AL Airlines). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.

How to book SuperDeals?

At the Air Traveler Club, our go-to solution for finding cheap airfares to Israel is Google Flights. Every time we send SuperDeals to our 110,000 members (see some examples), we include links to Google Flights so that each deal can be booked immediately.

Google Flights then showcases various options for booking the deal: you can almost always book directly with the airline (by cutting out the middleman) or – alternatively – with an OTA that offers the same flight at a similar price. Once you have chosen your booking option, you will be redirected to the external website where you can finalize your ticket purchase.

One of Google Flights’ standout features is a color-coded bar that appears underneath the booking options. It provides a visual representation of the price in comparison to the typical fare (for the same route, class, and airline) – indicating whether it is lower, average, or higher.

If the marker falls within the green zone (“price is low”) don’t hesitate to secure this deal as it is significantly – 40% to 80% – cheaper than average and unlikely to drop further.

For more details on how to book deals on Google Flights, check out this video:

If you are not Air Traveler Club subscriber yet, you’re missing out on SuperDeals (we often send deals to Israel). Signup now to start saving 40–80% on flights. It’s free!

Check different departure airports

Consider neighboring cities when choosing the departure airport – especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines.

For example, if you live in West Europe, check prices for flights departing from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, or Vienna. In 9 out of 10 cases, the cheapest flight to Israel will depart from one of these hubs, and it may be €500 less or more than your first choice. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to this hub, but low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for €50 – €100.

Use a similar tactic if you depart from the US or another region. It’s one of the best ways to save hundreds on trips.

Last-minute flights to Israel. The real cost of convenience.

Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Israel almost always never works out.

Based on years of research, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. To make the most money, they will sell their cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of these travelers who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.

Occasionally, airlines can offer last-minute deals to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates tend to sell out quickly.

Planning ahead and booking early is your best chance to secure a great deal on your flight to Israel.

Fly early in the morning

Early morning flights (6 am or earlier) are usually cheaper than other day schedules. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early.

Moreover, there tend to be fewer delays if you fly early in the morning. Due to increasing air traffic, delays get worse throughout the day – starting around 8-10 am and reaching a peak at 4-6 pm. If you are flying to Israel with a connecting flight, arriving on time at your layover airport may be critical to catching your next flight!

By heading to the airport before rush hour, you can at least halve the time spent in city traffic. Airports are less crowded in the early morning, and with fewer travelers at the airport, there will be no long lines at the check-in and security.

Best way to upgrade to Business Class for cheap

A growing number of airlines are auctioning upgrades to their business class seats. Once you book your economy ticket to Israel, you can offer to pay a bit more in an attempt to get a premium seat. 2-3 days before your flight, an airline will send you an email with a link to their website where you can place a “blind” bid. Alternatively, you can go to the website directly and check if your seat qualifies for an upgrade by providing the Booking Reference number.

There’s usually a minimum bid amount. If you win the auction, you’ll be informed via email, and your seat will be upgraded.

How to choose the right bid amount? Just check the airline website for the regular cost of a business class seat to Israel, then subtract what you paid for the economy fare. Place your bid for around 10% to 30% of that price. The alternative strategy is to bid slightly above the competition. If, for example, the minimum bid is $500, try to bid $550-$600, as most people will offer the baseline amount required.

The more available business class seats the airline has on your flight, the lower bid can be successfully used. Check the airline’s daily schedule for flights to Israel – if there is more than one flight on your chosen route (more available seats), you can safely bid close to the minimum required amount.

Among the airlines that allow bidding for seat upgrades are: Air Canada (AC Bid), Air New Zealand (OneUp), Cathay Pacific (Upgrade Bid), Etihad Airways (Bid To Upgrade), Fiji Airways (Bula Bid), Garuda Indonesia (BidUpgrade), Hawaiian Airlines (Bid Up), LATAM (Cabin Upgrade), Lufthansa (Bid Upgrade), Royal Jordanian (Go Crown), Qantas (Bid Now), SAS (SAS Upgrade), Singapore Airlines (mySQupgrade), SriLankan Airlines, and Virgin Australia (UpgradeMe).

“Book Flights Now, Pay Later” — is it worth it?

Booking a flight and paying for it later has recently become a popular trend in the travel industry, with many airlines offering delayed payment plans. They will allow you to make flight reservation to Israel now and then pay the bill in installments. But should you take advantage?

Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans are essentially short-term personal loans. By partnering with financial companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal Credit, Fly Now Pay Later, and Uplift, airlines can offer their loan services on the checkout page. When you book the flight with the BNPL option, the company pays the airline, and you repay the loan in installments over a set period (usually up to 24 months), with a set interest rate.

BNPL providers have varying terms and fees. Some may offer interest-free loans but have fees for late payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR). There may also be transaction fees, down payment requirements, and many companies even run a credit check on the traveler.

Among the airlines that offer a “fly now, pay later” option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.

Is BNPL financing worth it? If paid off on time, interest-free delayed payment on your flight ticket to Israel can be a great way to free up your cash flow. However, there may be safer alternatives available – such as taking advantage of an introductory 0% interest offer on a credit card or using flight price “freezing” services like Hopper.

Hidden-city ticketing hack

Hidden-city ticketing is a less-known money-saving tactic where you buy a plane ticket with a layover, with the intention to get off at the layover rather than the final destination. For example, a flight from New York to Tokyo might be $600, but a similar flight from New York to Singapore with a layover in Tokyo might be only $350. Choosing the latter and ending the trip in Tokyo would save you $250.

It seems counterintuitive that a fare from A to C via B could possibly be cheaper than a simple fare on a shorter route from A to B. However, airlines use dynamic, computer-driven price models calculated with little human intervention, and such deals happen quite often.

How to find hidden-city tickets? The easiest way is to use the Skiplagged website, which was designed for unearthing hidden-city deals — give them a try for your flight to Israel.

Take advantage of loyalty programs

Choose an airline that suits you the best, then stick to it. By becoming a ‘regular’, you will be able to use its loyalty program and earn “miles” (or points) – not only for flying but also for everyday expenses (if your card is affiliated with an airline).

Points earned this way often add up over time and are extremely helpful in flying at reduced fares. Airlines offer not only ticket discounts for their frequent flyers, but also special travel perks such as cabin class upgrades, increased checked baggage allowance, or access to their airport lounges so you can relax during long layovers.

If you often fly with Emirates, opt for Skywards, with Qantas – for Qantas Frequent Flyer, with Singapore Airlines – for KrisFlyer, etc.

Proof of onward travel – a simple hack

Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from Israel to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.

The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of Israel and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

“Hot seats” on long-haul flights

Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Israel, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.

If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.

Lost luggage prevention: Essential tips

Every year, airlines handle millions of bags and a small percentage never make it to their final destinations. Avoid lost luggage nightmares on your trip to Israel by removing old tags from previous flights on your suitcases – they can confuse baggage handlers and conveyor belt scanners. It’s also a good idea to label your luggage with your name, address, and phone number (both inside and outside the case) and attach a GPS-tracker device like Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag.

For peace of mind, consider purchasing travel insurance to cover the full value of your luggage, as airline liability usually doesn’t reflect the actual value of the baggage content.