Update, 3/3: The King David lounge has reopened today. The upgrade includes 2 new bars, new furniture, more seating, additional power outlets, and Nespresso coffee machines. The bars will feature 5 new custom designed cocktails. Carpets in the lounge were replaced with hardwood flooring, which is always a win. Is there anything worse than rolling a carry-on bag over airport carpet?
The Dan E lounge will continue to be used for Matmid Gold members when needed.
Originally posted on 2/12:
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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39 Comments On "[Lounge Reopened] 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.
United will not open a lounge in TLV because they know that with their cancellation history it will have very limited usage unless they open it to other airlines.
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…
i think aroma just shut down
There is none. I got a voucher a few weeks ago and couldn’t use for anything. Even aroma is gone!
I would like to get a voucher for their duty free on board!!
So I’m confused — if you’re flying in Business on ElAl is there an alternative lounge (the Dan E Lounge) or are they giving out vouchers?
I suppose you could enter the other Dan lounges with a priority pass (assuming you have one)
Was there last week.it was so crowded that I left.there were pretty much no seats available. I went to the dan lounge in terminal c and it was empty maybe 6 people in there .(there were no flights leaving from terminal c so I guess everyone went to terminal b dan lounge)it was a great relaxing experience much better then the kdl.
One other thing and can someone correct me if im wrong but t seemed to me that there was a hashgocha in the lounge that all the food was badatz eida but the eida itself didn’t give a hashgocha i though that was kind of weird.
“ 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.” I have have seen plain Rabanut in the Dan lounge. What am I missing?
It’s not the Dan Lounge, it’s El Al operating that particular Dan lounge with access only for El Al qualifying members.
It looks magnificent. Now if only we could change the passengers……
Ha Ha…. thats a good one
Reopend today with many goodies, anybody has an idea of hechsher on the place?
I was in the Dan E lounge being operated currently under KDL, The hechsher there is not as in this certificate, They have a screen there with information regarding various categories of food and which hechsher they have, but a lot of food there wouldn’t fall under any of those categories… so you have no clue what hechsher they have, Also I’ve seen some items that according to that screen were supposed to be “Eida Hacharedis”, but when I checked the packaging it just wasn’t (the Milk didn’t have a Badatz and I think dairy products where supposedly Batatz) so. 1 You should still check packaging where you can, 2. I am not sure if you can rely on that list for open Items.. interesting if they sill have a Mashgiach there or they just have kosher food and from a kosher kitchen, That specific certificate is outdated, @dan maybe you can reach out to ELAL regarding this? what is the current status of the Kashruth supervision in the KDL and The DAn E?
I agree with every word it is indeed very very confusing,
I do have an email from them describing all categories but it is still very very confusing,
I will send them a new Email regarding the renewed lounge and post the response here.
It would be of great help to have a quality “hiemish” Mashgiach on premises which can serve as both a host and at the same time give precice guidance to stricly kosher consumers.
This is custom service in quite a few Rabanut hotels, when I went to one of these hotels in Tiberies, I didn’t even plan on eating there but at breakfast the mashgiach which made a trustworhy g-d fearing impression outreached to me and gave me a tour of all the food directing me to the stricktly kosher
The KD lounge all the food is catered from Masbia which is aida charedis, and all the cakes/cookies are from a popular Bet yosef bakery but I forget the name of it.
OK how about a mashgiach in their kitchen? the food there isn’t served sealed, and I assume they warm up some of the food there, do they have a Mashgiach? is the kitchen it under Eida Charedis or Rabanut? food that was produced with a hechsher doesn’t make it stay kosher under any circumstances.. how about the dishes ant flatware there, (they sometimes don’t even have any disposable cutlery or dishes..)
Is it official that Gold will only have access to Dan E?
Or only when KD is overcrowded?
When overcrowded I beleive.
There’s absolutely no reason that all of the lounges there could not have Badatz hechsher. In any case now that United is flying again I am probably switching back to them. Is there any way to get into the KDL while flying united?
could a gold member take me in to the lounge with him?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/dansdeals-exclusive-look-details-el-als-reimagined-matmid-frequent-flyer-program/#Lounge_Access
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/airlines/el-al/dansdeals-exclusive-matmid-program-changes-and-details-about-el-als-new-fly-choice-benefits-program/
what does it mean mahadrin kosher food which hechsher is it i see rabanut?
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/news/airline-news/el-al-closes-king-david-lounge-for-renovations/#comment-1764144
Thanks so much for the update. Looking forward enjoying it next Sunday.
Can Matmid gold use the elal king David lounge or just Dan?