[Route Launch Delayed By A Week, Upgauged To Dreamliner!] Etihad Flights Between Tel Aviv And Abu Dhabi Start March 28th, Now Bookable With Miles; Plus: Etihad’s Deleted Ad

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Update: Globes reports that the route launch will now be on April 6th and that the flight will be operated in April by a widebody 787-9 Dreamliner instead of the originally planned narrowbody A321! The flights will operate on Sundays and Tuesdays in April.

Hopefully that means Israel’s skies will be open after Pesach!

Originally posted on 11/16/20:

Etihad will fly 1 daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv starting on March 28th.

Those hoping for a widebody experience will be disappointed though, the flight will be operated by an A321 with 16 business class recliner seats and 158 economy seats.

All of the other soon to launch flights between the UAE and Israel are to Dubai, including flights from Arkia, El Al, FlyDubai, Israir, and potentially Emirates.

While that aircraft makes sense from a business perspective given the glut of new flights between the UAE and Israel, it certainly dampens the appeal of flying to Israel via Abu Dhabi. Flying Etihad Shower Class from JFK to Abu Dhabi and then finishing the journey with a 3.5 hour flight in domestic first class will be a major letdown. It’s also uncompetitive with other airlines flying widebodies on connecting flights like British Airways, Iberia, Swiss, Turkish, Virgin Atlantic, and presumably Emirates.

Another frustration is that the inaugural flight will be held on the first day of Pesach.

Etihad posted a commercial on Twitter, but had to delete it when people complained that it referenced the 2nd Temple instead of the Dome of the Rock.

‘Second Temple’ in Tel Aviv ?? 📺 🇮🇱 🇦🇪

As a colleague of mine here said, those UAE guys are more religious Zionist than the religious Zionistshttps://t.co/PrHi16s1U1

— avi scharf (@avischarf) November 16, 2020

The full original ad can be found here:

A round-trip flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi will run about $433 in coach and $2,018 in business class.

You can book the flight for 12.5K Air Canada miles in coach or 25K miles in business class. This isn’t yet bookable on AA.com, but it should cost 17.5K AA miles in coach or 30K miles in business class. You may be able to book that by calling American.

A one-way between JFK and Tel Aviv via Abu Dhabi is not a bargain though at 70K Air Canada miles in coach or 100K miles in business class. This isn’t yet bookable on AA.com, but it should cost 40K AA miles in coach or 70K miles in business class.

You can book a flight from Israel to the Maldives for 25K Air Canada miles in coach or 45K miles in business class. This isn’t yet bookable on AA.com, but it should cost 17.5K AA miles in coach or 30K miles in business class.

You can book a flight from Israel to Australia for 60K Air Canada miles in coach or 100K miles in business class. This isn’t yet bookable on AA.com, but it should cost 42.5K AA miles in coach or 80K miles in business class.

You can read my 2017 trip notes from a layover in Abu Dhabi and Dubai here.

Will you fly between Israel and Abu Dhabi?

HT: tavster, via DDF and chff