Update, 4/16/24: El Al’s first flight from Fort Lauderdale landed this afternoon in Tel Aviv. The round-trip flight will operate twice weekly, in addition to 5 weekly flights between Miami and Tel Aviv.
It received a water cannon salute in Fort Lauderdale, where airport director Mark E. Gale said that “Adding EL AL to our airport’s roster of international carriers is a feather in the cap for FLL as we strive to increase our portfolio of global airlines and destinations. Now South Floridians have a new year-round nonstop option from Fort Lauderdale for traveling to Israel for leisure or business.”
Update, 8/14/23: El Al exclusively tells DansDeals that they will be launching 2 weekly flights between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv, effective 4/15/24. These flights are in addition to the previously announced flights for the holidays operating on September 13, 20, 27, and October 5, 10, and 12.
These flights are now bookable from El Al.
The flights will be operated by a 787-8 or 787-9 with the following schedule:
- On Monday, flights depart Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 p.m. and arrive in Tel Aviv at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday
- On Saturday, flights depart Fort Lauderdale 11:55 p.m. and arrive in Tel Aviv at 7 p.m. Sunday
- On Monday, flights depart Tel Aviv at 9:15 a.m. and arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 3:45 p.m. the same day
- On Friday, flights depart Tel Aviv at 1 a.m. and arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 a.m. the same day
As part of this move, El Al will reduce their Miami-Tel Aviv service from 6 to 5 weekly flights when the Fort Lauderdale flights launch. The flight departing Tel Aviv on Friday morning and returning from Miami on Saturday evening will be eliminated. That flight was just added in May, but the same times are available from Fort Lauderdale.
As was the case earlier this year when El Al announced Fort Lauderdale holiday service, free changes between the airports will be available in the coming days on an available-seat basis.
Originally posted on 2/15/23:
One of the many items that I advised to new El Al ownership and both of their CEOs in person was that Fort Lauderdale is far more accessible than Miami for much of the local traffic flying to Tel Aviv. While most flights across the Atlantic depart from Miami, the catchment area for Jewish passengers flying to Tel Aviv is heavily weighted towards Fort Lauderdale thanks to cities like Hollywood, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and Palm Beach.
Thanks to American, El Al will be able to serve both airports.
In what has become a bizarre pattern for American, the airline called their Miami-Tel Aviv successful and increased their flights from 3 per week to daily last October. Just 2 months later they cancelled the route completely. That was reminiscent of their abrupt departure from the Tel Aviv market in 2016 after calling the route highly successful.
El Al has told DansDeals that Miami has been a successful route launch, so it’s no surprise that they will take advantage of the void left by American.
Effective 5/25, they will increase from 5 to 6 weekly flights between Miami and Tel Aviv, adding Saturday evening flights at 11:30pm from Miami.
For the high holiday season, the airline will launch seasonal nonstop 787-8 service between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv, with flights operating on September 13, 20, 27, and October 5, 10, and 12.
El Al will allow free changes with no difference in fare if you are booked between Miami and Tel Aviv to switch to flights between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv. You can switch to a flight within 1 day of your original departure date at no cost by contacting your travel agent or the airline. This offer is valid for changes made by 2/22.
Starting in Spring 2024 the airline will launch year-round nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv, in addition to their Miami to Tel Aviv service. That exact schedule has yet to be announced.
I am somewhat surprised that they don’t just increase the number of daily flights and consolidate from one South Florida airport to lower their operational costs. There aren’t many airlines that successfully operate across the Atlantic to both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, located just 26 miles away from each other, but El Al clearly sees the traffic and opportunity to try to pull off service from both airports. It works from JFK and Newark, after all.
Or is this just a real world test to see which airport performs better? It may also allow El Al to receive grant money from Israel for the launch of a new route, which lowers the risk of launching service to a new airport.
Serving Miami and Fort Lauderdale may also help keep American out of the South Florida-Israel market.
Do you think El Al will be able to sustain nonstop service to both Fort Lauderdale and Miami?
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51 Comments On "[El Al’s First Regularly Scheduled Fort Lauderdale Flight Lands In Tel Aviv] Taking AAdvantage Of American’s Surrender, El Al Will Launch Fort Lauderdale Service And Expand Miami Flights To Israel!"
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Let’s file this one under #desperationbyelal , while I fly weekly out of FLL , there’s no lounges or real international network out of there . There’s a small handful of LCC’s out of there , but 95% of Intl travel is from Mia for a reason . I don’t think they would be able to sustain the crews in both airports . The only logic I see is that the new HQ’s is a few min from FLL so they made some deal
Connections with JetBlue, and their client base living closer to FLL.
Wrong. Connector between E and F has a new amazing escape lounge.
American come back to PHL-TLV!
??
Seconded.
PHL would be great for Baltimore and is closer to Lakewood than JFK.
You have EWR
Also Baltimore has a United flight from IAD
Which is a pain in the neck to get to. I’ve driven to both IAD and PHL and at worst PHL is same amount of drive time with significantly less traffic.
Phl is a dream compared to fll let alone ewr, plus it’s getting a csr lounge and has a Amex lounge w
Obvious from the poll above Elal may be onto something launching service from FLL.
I think in general Southwest and the lower cost airlines fly from FLL so anyone flying those airlines will take advantage.
I myself flew American in Miami and self transferred to FLL.
That vote you created is worthless and harmful because there are so many of us in the Boca Hollywood Aventura Palm Beach corridor now way outnumbering those in the Miami Kendall area.
So why is that harmful? That’s exactly what Elal wants to know!
That’s a weird take.
The results points out how much everyone hates MIA and would rather not have a lounge than go through the abuse of MIA unless you are concierge key /flagship etc.
I think there are lots of Israelis living in the MIA area, not to mention that MIA provides the possibility of connecting to Latin America – perhaps they work with AA like they do in Europe now that AA isn’t going head to head on the route.
Could also be quite simply they have a long term contract in MIA and it’s too expensive to get out of them.
Dan, do you think that AA might be, quietly , under the radar, participating with some sort of BDS boycott. When it comes to Israel, they are doing things that defy any logic.
If no one knows the reason is BDS it defeats the purpose
MIA is a horrible airport end of story..
Fort Lauderdale Is a much better airport in general but customs is a disaster regular wait times are 1-2 hours Miami’s customs wait is usually under 20 minutes
Get Global Entry and wait 0 minutes?
Amen to that Dan.
*3 Months for interview…
Wrong. Miami J terminal wait times can be 2-3 hours easily when coming at rush hour South America flights.
FLL just opened carry on only customs floor to help with the congestion and are not holding planes anymore from deplaning.
Apply for GOES
FLL for convenience all the way. I do agree though that service, any of them: checkin, customs, connections, lounge options, security, and many times even rentals are all a ULCC experience. And the terminal isn’t too far from looking like a greyhound station. Yes, there may be some hits and misses, but that is the case for the most part.
Any summer sales in the horizon? Looking to take the family this summer.
Elal should try to get a PHL route!
30+ years ago El Al had a deal with “Dave’s Limo” for $15 shuttle ride from Philadelphia to JFK. Was cheap and a good deal lol
Hopefully they can figure out how to fly in and out of FLL sooner in 2023 to accommodate Yetziyat America
Fort Lauderdale customs is a nightmare. We once had a flight from Cancun where customs was longer than the flight.
Fort Lauderdale will be good for domestic flights and connections especially once JetBlue purchases spirit.
MIA is needed for ElAl for the Latin American Market which has no flights to anywhere in Asia.
Don’t have Global Entry?
LATAM traffic generally prefers connecting in Europe as the US doesn’t have sterile transit. And if anyone could have pulled off making a route a success from LATAM traffic, it was AA.
How am I supposed to get Global Entry when there are literally never any appointments available?
Do it upon arrival?
I flew out of MIA yesterday (to JFK on JetBlue). Concourse E seemed like a marathon to get to, especially if you factor in the tram from the Rental Car area. Had to take a separate tram to get to the gate (besides the tram from the cars). Security was quick and painless. I’d like to see more kosher options in MIA in general, but I am spoiled by the kosher meals at CIBO in JFK.
Typo mistake “Taking AAdvantage Of” what’s this aadvantage what dose this have with American Airlines?
Erm. Read the post?
Great news for SFL folks. Even tho I live 15 min from MIA, it’s a trash airport.
FLL is much better
There’s a new centurion lounge at FLL or something like it.
Full is congested too these days, took me 1 hour to get an Uber on super bowl Sunday.
It’s certainly way more convenient for Aventura and Hollywood Jews
Miami still has large Israeli hubs in Miami Beach, business hubs downtown etc the Jews in Surfside and Miami Beach.. so both work like ewr and JFK
You are forgetting Boca, Delray, Boynton, Palm Beach. All closer to FLL
I recently flew on ELAL out of MIA…. It was a really long walk to the J terminal from the Air Tram. I would rather go to FLL. Smaller and easier airport to navigate. I hope to go on ELAL to FLL one day
“It works from JFK and Newark, after all”
And from Heathrow and Luton in London
+1
As more and more people make an exodus (pun intended) from NY/NJ to Florida the need to have both flights will grow and grow. Both for parents visiting their kids and for the kids to visit the parents.
Regarding many people’s preference for Fort Lauderdale, El-Al could always make the Miami flight $25 less to encourage people to fly there over Fort Lauderdale.
They could also use it as a hub from say, the Texas are, Panama area, or other areas that don’t have direct to Tel Aviv.
Good luck to them!
Jfk and Newark work because the volume is greater. They have huge airlines that work for them and with business in NYC flying in and out of EWR is easier. Jfk is much further from Manhattan with the traffic.
if they break the JB codeshare FLL ain’t worth much
I guess they are banking on Point to Point. Meaning that they aren’t relying on connecting feed.
Although DL has flights to BOS, LGA/JFK, ATL, DTW, MSP, LAX, & SEA to South Florida. I’m not sure about SLC though.
By joining sky team they would also have connections to Latin America with Aeromexico & Latam.
Chicago needs competition for direct flights! United Airlines is killing us with their rates. Monopoly
yes, UA almost doubled the prices in one year out of ORD!
Horrible! You can’t find a ticket less than 2K @dansdeals
When do you think these flight options from FLL will show up on Google flights?
Mazel Tov
All the more momentous considering the current circumstances in E”Y. Baruch Hashem!!