I reported back in January that ultra-low-cost carrier WOW Air was planning on starting service to Tel Aviv in June. 63% of DansDeals readers responded that they would be willing to fly WOW Air to Israel.
Tickets from Tel Aviv to Iceland will start at $99 one-way, tickets from Tel Aviv to the US East Coast will start at $149 one-way, and tickets from Tel Aviv to the US West Coast will start at $199 one-way.
Of course seats at those rates are likely to be very limited, so you’ll need to act fast to grab them. If you follow @DansDeals on Twitter you can get a notification of the sale. You can also signup for a text message alerts via Twitter.
One-way prices from the US to Tel Aviv haven’t been announced yet, but I’d expect them to be higher than the one-way prices from Tel Aviv to the US.
If you make a booking on WOW’s US site you can click to cancel it within 24 hours. You will then have to email wow@wow.is within 24 hours of the booking with a copy of the cancellation confirmation to get a refund.
WOW serves (or will soon start serving) 10 North American cities: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Newark, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto. You’ll be able to connect from those cities to Tel Aviv via Reykjavik.
They’re fashioned as a ULCC (Ultra low-cost carrier) like Spirit, but WOW.
They advertise cheap fares, but the extras add up quickly.
For a round-trip from the US to Europe you’ll pay:
-$100/$140 for a carry-on bag (22 x 18 x 10 in up to 26 lbs) paid for in advance/at checkin. You’ll pay an additional $60 if it doesn’t fit in their bag sizer and you’ll have to check it under.
-$140/$160 for a checked bag (up to 62″ and up to 44 lbs) paid for in advance/at checkin. You’ll pay an additional $18.18 per pound over 44 pounds.
-Reserving a seat will set you back an additional $40-$200 depending on the seat.
-Water, soda, and snacks cost extra.
-There’s no Wi-Fi or entertainment onboard.
1 personal item smaller than 17 x 13 x 10in is included for free.
WOW Air hasn’t yet announced if the fees for Israel flights will be higher than Europe.
Will you fly WOW Air between the US and Tel Aviv?
Leave a Reply
60 Comments On "WOW Air Will Have Cheap Flights Between Tel Aviv And North America Tomorrow, But Be Aware Of The Fees…"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
WOW (pun intended), those fees are absurd and exorbitant!
NEVER!
Would rather pay the $500+ or so to fly on united or delta each way if booked early enough. whats the point of $149 fare one way if you get charged for the air you breathe and end up spending roughly the same?
I noticed, if you pay the higher price it may come out cheaper. If you need to take luggage it will come out cheaper than starting with the lowest fare and adding luggage, which is a separate charge for each leg.
Nope.for the additional 280$ in fees, I can prob get a flight with Aeroflot , which has free bags and same out of the way stopover…..
When you add in the extra stuff the tickets are upward of $850, So unless you are a person who travels without any luggage, this is not necessarily a deal.
I would possibly fly into Israel for a couple days for a Simcha or something with just a small personal item… which I otherwise would not have.
WOW air puts the highest emphasis on keeping customers’ confidential information safe.
We accept all major credit cards (except American Express, Diners and DiscoveryCard).
Well Dan, you forgot to mention the benefits of stopping in Iceland – the incredible nature may put the additional fees in perspective
@Sam:
That assumes you’ll be able to stop in Iceland with these promotional fares.
I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
Are those baggage fees one way or round trip?
@Er:
Read the bold print 🙂
most seats are extra legroom seats – 33″ but not in the front of the plane, who came up with that?
After flying on Wizz Air in Europe a couple of weeks ago I learned my lesson. It is not worth the savings of a couple of dollars for a terrible experience.The airline even charges you to speak to them. Stay away from the ULCCs.
I would fly this way without kids and travel light.
Anyone ever flew WOW?
Do the seats recline?
At least you can pick up some food from the art lounge if leaving from EWR since they fly out of terminal B
No way! It sounds affordable, but who travels without luggage?Pay for a carry-on( where would you put your snacks)? A 10 hour trip without entertainment(How will you drown out the babies crying)?
Absolutely not.
Why don’t you highlight the personal item that is allowed free? I think that’s very important for people to know
What could go wrong when you combine a corner cutting spirit like airline with a community that expects excellent service? Can’t wait for the fireworks
@steve:
I’ve flown many times with ULCC’s and have saved many thousands of dollars. Have only used them on same day return trips or so without any paid luggage. Beat them at their own game. It take some getting used to but a penny saved is a penny earned
2 important things that I think are worth noting that people should factor into their calculus of whether it’s worth it:
1) While they are similar to Ryanair or Spirit from an ancillary fees perspective, they are more like Southwest or Jetblue in terms of pleasantness to deal with. The flying experience didn’t “feel” like a ULCC experience, aside from the $$.
2) They weigh your carry-ons at the checkin counter. And then they don’t weigh them again. So if say for example, the checkin area happens to be… chilly… and you need to wear a few extra layers during the process, you can then put them back into your bag as soon as you leave the counter. This isn’t Ryanair where you have agents at 8 different stages of the transit process looking for any excuse to find your bag 1/4 of a pound overweight. They also don’t nickel and dime you at checkin to the extent other ULCC’s do – my carryon was half a pound over the limit and they didn’t care (this might be related to #1 above).
Iceland is anti-Israel in the UN. I would not support companies from there.
They’re not flying from the US to TLV. They’re flying from the US to Iceland. And they also happen to fly from Iceland to TLV. To say they’re flying from the US to TLV without caveating that is misleading.
Also worth noting that it seems that it will be possible to book a 1 way at a good value, unlike the legacy airlines. So for someone going to Yeshiva and doesn’t want to get ripped off with an Elal open ticket (or change-fees with a regular round-trip), this could provide added value despite the fees.
Anyone know how leg-room/seat width compares to others?
if going for a leviya or one night wedding etc. it might be the perfect option
Best case scenario is $150 tlv-nyc, $200 nyc-tlv. $100 for the carry-on, $140 for one checked bag. That’s $590. I can do that on a normal carrier off peak. Not interested…
Nope.
Hi Dan,
I would like to go from NY to Panama for a family wedding. what would be the best way to travel using miles?
Sorry for the irrelevance.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Lets not forget the “Prayers in the Galley” fee…..
@Reb yid:
“To say they’re flying from the US to TLV without caveating that is misleading”
You mean, sort of like this paragraph….?
“WOW serves (or will soon start serving) 10 North American cities…. You’ll be able to connect from those cities to Tel Aviv via Reykjavik”
@Shaul:
I don’t remember the exact pitch, but if I had to guess it was 30-31″. It felt a little smaller than a legacy airline (well, not for long I guess), but certainly larger than Spirit/Ryanair
@jacob: by the time you find out about the levayah, the cheap tickets will probably be sold out
@Daniel:
1) Go to website of airline of choice
2) Use miles. If you dont have, buy ticket or miles
3) Print boarding passes
See, that was EASY!!!
@Rob:
So you mean I can wear 4 pairs of shoes while I’m checking in?
Sounds like a great idea
Does anyone know if they have power in the seats on their planes?
@MN:
I wore a couple of sweaters, sweatpants over jeans and fit anything i could into the pockets of multiple layers starting with the bulkiest items (i.e. laptop charger).
Got the personal item down to slightly over 11 pounds which they didn’t give me a hard time about, put a sticker on my bag to say it was compliant…. then went to the bathroom where i put everything back to normal and proceeded to security.
If you need 4 pairs of shoes for the trip, Wow air is probably not for you. Also for that reason probably wouldn’t be a good idea to the person above who suggested using it for going to/from yeshiva
From their site it seems like you are mistaken.
The price for overweight is $19.99 per kg not lb….
Dan, the question is will YOU be flying WOW air between US and Telaviv?
@Sol: Not if anyone from this group is on the flight. LOL
will it take much longer to stop in Iceland and take connecting to TLV, VS a stop in Eorupe ?
Sol, why would Dan fly on this flight when he can fly free on better flights? Also, why would he risk flying on this flight when he could run into DanDeals members who would start complaining to him? 😉
Won’t an airline get sued if someone faints from dehidration during a flight?
Esp if you can’t buy a water bottle with cash (card only)
I’d fly with them if there’s anything to do or see in Iceland as a full day stopover, it all depends on what their connection timing will be
@Sol:
I’ve got 8 figures of miles to burn, why would I pay for a flight?
Did anyone look into sending luggage ahead of time via FedEx or the like? Would that be cheaper for a TLV to USA flight?
Will this o so go to NYC?
Is there a wow credit card to get free checked bags?
@David:
Good question. Did you look into it and what did you find out?
Just bring a small underseat bag and it will be free. You can fit 2 weeks worth a stuff if you don’t mind doing laundry one time on ur trip
@Abraham s:
Which carriers regularly charge $590, even off-peak? I’ve never seen lower than $650, I’d be interested to know.
And besides, I think many people wouldn’t need a carry-on AND a checked bag. Remember, the free personal item can have a laptop, a book, even a change of clothes/diapers/games for the kids once you EACH get a personal item. That takes it down to $490, and that’s pretty much unheard of. I’d definitely try it, and see how the service really is.
@Dan, you forget to mention the lack of reproduction in case of IRROPS. This is not something usually think about when they buy airfare but it should be mentioned.
i fly wizz and ryanair all the time, and i love it. service isnt amazing, but when u fly tlv-europe round trip for $40 u cant complain
Dan, if I pay for extra luggage at booking, would the fees also be refunded if i cancel the trip within 24 hours?
they should sell some iv than you dont need food for the entire trip
@David: shipping anything to Israel is a problem since everything gets held up in customs for months!
from looking on ben gurion airport web site (http://www.iaa.gov.il/en-US/airports/bengurion/Pages/OnlineFlights.aspx )
flight will arrive to tlv at 440 am /140 iceland time
now
Distance from Iceland to Israel is:3289.6 Miles
(5294.1 Kilometers / 2856.7 Nautical Miles)
Approximate travel time from Reykjavik, Iceland to Jerusalem, Israel is 6 hrs, 49 mins.
we can assume flight will leave iceland 650pm iceland time
flight from ewr arrives at 450 am
leaves us nice 14 hour wait
i agree, this is quite cheap, u dont need a carry on plus a checked bag. this can work
FLIGHTS ARE NOW LIVE!!!!
correct.
But on the TLV EWR route the connection is less then 2 hours which is great!
@Abraham s: and you forgot the baggage charge for the way back