<p>IMHO I would NEVER fly to Israel on any airline other than El Al. They have the best security measurements of any airline in the world. So what if it’s slightly more expensive. In this case, I would rather pay a bit extra knowing I would most likely be much safer.</p>
<p>I’ve flown to Israel on Delta and United, my son lived there for almost 2 years and flew El Al (only once), Swissair, and Continental. When departing from JFK or Newark, there is an extra security screening by the gate, regardless of what airline you fly. When you depart Israel, the questioning occurs while you line up to check-in, again, regardless of the airline you fly and there is another security checkpoint as you board the plane - again, regardless of the airline you fly. The only time I noticed the extra level of El Al security was when he departed JFK on El Al and there was a Ben Gurion-style questioning before check-in. I would have no qualms flying other airlines to Israel. As for comfort, economy is indeed tight, but my 6’3" son survived multiple trips. Try for an aisle seat, he’ll be fine.</p>
<p>I second runnersmom’s “no qualms flying other airlines” comment.</p>
<p>I don’t have any first-hand experience to add but had to share this - a friend of mine studied abroad in Tel Aviv, doing the whole travel-whenever-you-can thing. She was overjoyed to find really cheap flights out of Tel Aviv on one particular date, and booked her flights.</p>
<p>Turns out, it was Shavuot and she had one heck of a time getting to the airport!</p>
<p>I have family in Israel and so have been several times over the past 10 years for family functions and my niece and her family are frequent travellers to the U.S. DH and I generally prefer a stop in Europe as the airfare is a bit less and we like to be able to get out and walk around a terminal… so with that we have flown Iberia and changed planes in Madrid, we have flown KLM through Amsterdam. We have a family wedding in Israel coming up and we would likely fly American and change planes in Zurich this time around as the timing and the airfare seem to be the best of our options. I would avoid changing planes in Heathrow or Paris… but whenever and wherever we have changed planes in Europe flying into Israel there is extra EL AL security and you are questioned by EL AL personnel. You are also questioned when leaving Israel about the details of your trip there regardless of your carrier, so be prepared for that and that is one reason why you need to get to the airport early. We lucked out last trip on the return on Delta. The security line was moving very slowly, everyone was questioned, luggage put through the scanner and then opened for inspection prior to check-in and bag drop-off. When we got to front, we were asked the purpose of our visit. We said our niece’s wedding. They asked for details about the name of the bride, the groom, the wedding location and so on. When I gave the groom’s name, the security said that he was her brother’s best friend, he was at the wedding also and we were directed to proceed directly to check-in/bag drop… no further bag scanning or inspection needed.</p>
<p>El Al has a different approach to security than what we know from American-based airlines. They question and observe behavior reactions, in order to notice anything odd that might indicate bad intention. By contrast, TSA in America puts all the focus on studying your baggage and photographing your netherparts, without ever looking you in the eye to engage you in conversation. </p>
<p>Also there are two or three rings of unmarked security systems outside the airport, as people approach the terminal. By the time you get up to the agent asking you questions, you and your belongings have already been watched.</p>
<p>This was all put into place after the horrible hijackings of the 1970’s. El Al has had no incidents since those years. They also have people on the planes who are plainclothes army folk, armed and ready to respond in case of any problem. </p>
<p>American companies go to learn about security from El Al. </p>
<p>The funniest conversation I had with El Al security entering Israel was over maple syrup. We brought small jugs of it as gifts for relatives. The security agent said, “Why do you bring in maple syrup to Israel? Here we have the best maple syrup. Errr, what is maple syrup?”</p>
<p>Today, my relatives fly whatever airline is most convenient for them, but all agree El Al has the security thing down pat.</p>
<p>^ funny, I can picture that happening at the airport in Israel. </p>
<p>I personally enjoy the screening process in Israel because when you indicate that you have a pacemaker, they smile and send you on your way, no pat down, no xray machine. here I am x rayed, and of course the pacemaker shows up and then they foolishly tell me they notice something, uh, yeah, I showed you my pacemaker card,then they proceed to also pat me down. double whammy.</p>
<p>Absolutely love Israel. A place where Americans are really appreciated. Funny, talking about the haggling…I never did it. If something was a good price, I just paid for it. Sometimes, though, the salespeople would say, “Oh, you shouldn’t pay full price for that, I’ll give it to you for less.” But…I was going to pay full price. Or sometimes they would just give me gifts. When they recognized you were an American, shopkeepers seemed to want you to just stay and talk. One lady locked me in her store so I would talk to her, another guy kept me there for 1 1/2 hours, just talking. He said, “How would you feel if every country around you just wanted you dead? They might not actually want to kill you themselves, but they would be happier if you are dead…so we really love Americans.” I have felt camaraderie in Israel that I have never felt elsewhere. People may seem harsh sometimes, but I think it’s the fact that there is so much animosity towards Israelis from their neighbors. Your child will be safe there, very little crime in Israel.</p>
<p>Funny, the security at the airport is crazy. We had to go through security to fly our own airplane, I mean really, if we wanted to cause havoc we could do it with a 300,000 pound airplane pretty easily. They checked and rechecked my tennis shoes, asking me, where did you get these? When I put my bag through security, a guard asked me, “Do you have the finger?” What…? Then I realized he was talking about a souvenir I bought, The Finger of God. Yes sir!</p>