As we reported last month, El Al will close their King David Lounge at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for renovations. The lounge will close this Sunday and the airline expects to complete the renovation and reopen the lounge sometime next month.
In the meantime, Top Platinum members can continue to use the Top Platinum lounge, which will be renovated after the main King David Lounge is renovated.
El Al has been using the shuttered Dan E lounge for Matmid Gold members, but that will be used for business class and Platinum members during the renovation. That lounge offers the same amenities and mehadrin kosher food and beverages in that lounge as in the King David Lounge.
As for Gold members and accompanying guests, they will receive vouchers for restaurants and cafes at Ben Gurion Airport during check-in at the Shalom service counters (counter 100). We have asked El Al for information on what the vouchers will provide and will update this post when they respond. Sadly, there are not many mehadrin kosher options at the airport outside of the King David Lounge.
In case of full occupancy at the Dan Lounge, business class and Platinum members will receive vouchers for the restaurants and cafes, and accompanying guests will also receive a voucher according to their eligibility.
The King David Lounge is a huge competitive advantage for El Al departures from Tel Aviv compared to other airlines. I just wish the showers came back. El Al says they aren’t needed as there are few connecting passengers in Tel Aviv, though I countered that when people check out of their hotel in the morning, it’s nice to grab a shower before a late night flight.
What features do you want to see in a renovated King David Lounge? If you get a voucher, let us know what they provide!
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15 Comments On "El Al Closes King David Lounge For Renovations"
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Yes we need the showers back!
I just hope they visited some luxury lounges around the world before confirming their renovation plans. 🙂
I have never been to thr KD lounge but I frequent the Dan lounge (Priority Pass) and it one of the worst lounges out there. Cheap food, cheap wine, supermarket food and can you imagine, beverages are poored out of big bottles (they had cans but I guess too expensive).
Yup, those are some horrible lounges.
KDL is great.
With what is the KDL that much better than the DAN?
The showers were great! I’d used them a couple times. I haven’t been to the lounge in a very long time, though, and hadn’t even realized they were removed.
On the note of showers, I was in Singapore’s SilverKris lounge in Melbourne Airport. While it had a shower, it didn’t look too enticing. I passed.
lounges in london were not good at all
I did not think there could be anything worse than the lounge experience they provide. And yet, they found something worse – no lounge. Maybe I will be more grateful next time I am there.
absolutely the showers would be a game changer. Polaris has them, for departing from Newark etc – even without transfers, as do many other lounges. In fact, it would be really nice for United to open a beautiful lounge in TLV. Competition is good for the customers. We recently started using the KDL and its head and shoulders above the Dan Lounges, plus the much faster security and check in lanes.
Much needed. Typically overcrowded and if you were lucky you could find a seat on one of their chairs or couches with ridiculously worn out leather upholstery. Unfortunately, the Dan lounge isn’t nice either and is even more overcrowded – can’t imagine what they place will look like with the KD lounge out of service.
bring back those showers!
I appreciated that they sent out an email about it, it’s interesting that earlier today the link they posted had a list of coffee shops and restaurants that you can use with the voucher, now all it says that it will be updated…
“As part of our commitment to providing you with a luxurious and memorable experience, we are excited to share that the King David Lounge is undergoing a significant upgrade and redesign. Therefore, it will be temporarily closed to guests.
In preparation for your flight to New York on February , 2025, we are pleased to offer you and your companions vouchers for use at restaurants and coffee shops throughout Ben Gurion Airport. These vouchers can be obtained at Counters 101-110 in the designated check-in area for King David customers (Area D, behind the EL AL counters).
For more information on the vouchers and the variety of restaurants and coffee shops, click here. We look forward to hosting you at our renovated lounge, scheduled to open soon.
Wishing you a pleasant flight!”
EL AL
“Sadly, there are not many mehadrin kosher options at the airport outside of the King David Lounge”
Does that mean that there are some? If so, what?
. I thought that there was an aroma cafe with one of the chug chasam sofer hechsherim. Dont know anything about the hechsher, and don’t want to start a conversation pro/against anything…
That may be one of Dan’s worst topics to discuss on the site. Everyone has different standards…
There is none. I got a voucher a few weeks ago and couldn’t use for anything. Even aroma is gone!