El Al's First 787 Dreamliner With Free Viasat Wi-Fi Launches Today
Israel's flag carrier, El Al, has come a very long way in recent months, thanks in no small part to the introduction of Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner, which offers a product far superior to the airline's dated 747, 767 and 777 fleet.
TPG's Emily McNutt reviewed business class on the inaugural flight, and enjoyed the experience overall. Unfortunately there wasn't any Wi-Fi onboard, however, which can make it challenging to be productive on the nearly 9.5-hour flight from the East Coast to Tel Aviv (TLV).
That changed today, as confirmed by El Al's social media accounts:
El Al's Wi-Fi-equipped 787s will connect to the KA-SAT satellite on flights to/from Europe, and then it'll jump over to the new super-fast Viasat-2 on flights across the Atlantic, once that satellite comes online later this summer or in early fall. Passengers shouldn't notice much of a difference, though — both satellites should offer a similar experience, with high-speed browsing available throughout the flight.
A Viasat representative sent over pricing details from today's "inaugural" to Paris, which apparently currently has 128 devices connected to the internet and is holding up just fine. Basic browsing, including support for instant messaging, email and more is available free of charge on tablets and smartphones, just as it is with Viasat's service on JetBlue.
A mobile device plan with web browsing and short video streaming is available for $10 on the Tel Aviv-Paris route, while unrestricted laptop usage will run you $20 on the same route. Pricing details have not yet been released for the airline's flights to the US.
El Al currently operates its 787-9s on flights from Tel Aviv to New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR) in the US, in addition to Hong Kong (HKG) and Paris (CDG). Come October 28, the carrier will also fly Dreamliners to Los Angeles (LAX), with Miami (MIA) service launching the next day.
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- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month