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Nonstop saver business class award space between North America and Tel Aviv has been a true unicorn since Israel reopened from COVID. However there are some San Francisco-Tel Aviv saver award dates and upgrade space. Note that sample dates below include flights that are over Shabbos, so Shabbos observers should take note before booking.
Sample business saver award space (You can also connect from other cities to these flights on the same award ticket):
San Francisco to Tel Aviv:
- August 1 (7 seats for all members, 7 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 5 (No seats for all members, no award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, 2 upgrade seats for all members, 2 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 6 (1 seat for all members, 1 saver award seat available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 7 (At least 9 seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 8 (At least 9 seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 12 (2 seats for all members, 2 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, 3 upgrade seats for all members, 3 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 15 (1 seat for all members, 1 saver award seat available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, 5 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 20 (3 seats for all members, 3 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, 6 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 21 (5 seats for all members, 5 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- September 11 (No seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, no upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- November 23 (No seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, no upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
Tel Aviv to San Francisco:
- August 22 (6 seats for all members, 6 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, 6 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 23 (At least 9 seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, at least 9 upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
- August 29 (No seats for all members, at least 9 saver award seats available for Platinum/1K/GS elites, no upgrade seats for all members, at least 9 upgrade seats for GS elites)
United’s Tel Aviv flights operate with Polaris seating that have direct aisle access for every business class seat. You can choose from solo seats or seats for people traveling together.
Business class seats include United’s newly launched Polaris business class service with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and pillows. Savvy travelers will also request a Saks Fifth Avenue mattress pad, slippers, and pajamas, as those are not proactively offered by flight attendants as there aren’t enough of them for everyone.
Upgrade awards:
You can always waitlist for an upgrade award, but the dates above have flights that are confirmable now by calling United.
If you have a paid ticket, the cost of an upgrade varies based on your ticket’s fare class as follows:
In other words, it will cost 35K United miles plus $600 for a one-way upgrade from most discounted coach tickets to business class.
- You can transfer miles from Chase Ultimate Rewards to United (1:1 ratio) instantly.
- United charges 40K one-way in coach or 80K one-way in business class for United flights to Israel. United now also charges 1,500-3,000 extra miles for tickets bought close-in to the flight date. United never collects fuel surcharges. Awards can be cancelled for free up to the time of departure.
- You can also redeem 80K United miles for business class even when there is only coach available. Read this post for how to do that via “Plan B”.
- Having a Chase United card greatly expands the saver award space that you can book. United.com only shows the lowest available award rate when you’re logged in, so a cardholder may see a 40K rate while a non-cardholder will see a 95K standard rate. Cardholders also have the ability to book the last seat available in any class with Standard/Everyday awards.
- Learn more about rapidly accumulating Ultimate Rewards points here.
If you, a member in your household, or an authorized user has one of the following Chase cards, you can transfer points into miles:
- Chase Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card® Card has a 60K signup bonus, earns 2.1 points per dollar on travel, 3.1 points per dollar on dining, streaming, and online groceries, has a $50 hotel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.3 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a 60K signup bonus, earns 3 points per dollar on dining/travel, has a $300 travel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.5 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($550 annual fee with $300 travel credit). Read more here.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3 points per dollar on shipping, advertising, and travel, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.25 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
Chase no-annual fee cards that are fantastic for earning points, but require one of the cards above for points transfers include:
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a 75K signup bonus and earns 5 points per dollar on cable, TV, telecom, cellular, office supply stores, and gift cards from office supply stores, plus 2 points per dollar on dining and gas ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card has a 75K signup bonus and earns 1.5 points per dollar everywhere ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Flex has a 20K signup bonus, plus 5 points on rotating categories, 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a signup bonus offering 3 points per dollar on up to $20K of spending in your first 12 month, afterwards earn at least 1.5 points per dollar everywhere, 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
Marriott cards with transferable points (60K points transfers to 30K United miles) include:
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Consumer Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express®Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card
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14 Comments On "Rare United Polaris Business Class Saver Award And Upgrade Space Nonstop Between San Francisco And Tel Aviv!"
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When I search ewr-tlv it doesn’t show me the option in none of the dates the option with a stopover on sfo. Qmy workaround?
Try booking a separate ticket to SFO if nothing comes up.
I d8d. But it charges me points for both segments
Try calling?
If there’s no saver award availability Ewr-sfo, can you still combine the two bookings?
Why in the world would you want to fly from tlv to ewr through sfo??? Thats literally flying past your destination by 5 hours
Saver award in business.
If only the “displaced business class passenger” option still worked
Where you can ask to be waitlisted and pay a few K United
I thought it does still work. Can anyone confirm?
It works, just tough to get it set up.
even when it gets set up, chances of it getting cleared before 24 hours of departure is slim, and then you are stuck dealing with the gate agent to make sure they put you ahead of everyone else.. long shot..
What about Aug 23 sfo to tlv? I paid points and cash and in the waiting list. Worth calling to confirm?
Check expert mode, but I think I covered everything.
sfo to tlv feb 5 and 19 80k in business