Israel's flag carrier unveils major South Florida expansion after American cuts key route
South Florida will soon be connected with Israel by two exciting airline routes.
Israel's flag carrier, El Al, announced on Wednesday that it was adding a new destination to its route map: Fort Lauderdale.
Beginning on Sept. 13, El Al will commence nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) for a limited time during the Jewish high holidays, which last through mid-October.
El Al will then begin year-round service from Fort Lauderdale starting at an undisclosed date in spring 2024. El Al's new flights for fall 2023 are already bookable via the carrier's website, and they'll operate on Sept. 13, 20 and 27 and Oct, 5, 10 and 12.
In addition to the new Fort Lauderdale service, the carrier will add a sixth weekly flight to its existing service from Miami International Airport (MIA) to TLV, which has been served off and on over the years.
El Al does not operate on the Jewish Sabbath, so six weekly flights on a long-haul route are as close as the carrier can get to daily service.
All flights to and from South Florida will operate on El Al's new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are configured in a three-cabin layout with top-notch business-class pods, spacious premium economy recliners and an economy cabin that features plenty of extra-legroom seating options.
El Al's move comes as the carrier is filling a big void left by American Airlines, which recently announced that it's pulling out of the Miami to Tel Aviv market in a surprising turn of events.
American launched the new Miami route in June 2021 and originally operated it on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the eastbound direction using a 273-seat Boeing 777-200.
The service was so successful that the airline upgraded the route to daily service on Oct. 28, 2022, roughly 16 months after it first launched. The route is now flown by a smaller 234-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, but the daily frequency brought a big capacity boost to the market.
Yet, just three months later, American did a 180 and decided to cancel the route effective March 24. American didn't provide an explanation, blaming the cut on the "continuous evaluation of our network."
South Florida is a major market for origin and destination traffic to and from Israel, and El Al alone carried more than 100,000 passengers on 450-plus flights between Miami and Tel Aviv throughout 2022. Therefore, it seemingly makes sense for the carrier to capitalize on American's pullback with its own big service expansion.
“As demand for travel continues to increase from Florida to Israel, across all segments, we’re confident that the new service to Fort Lauderdale will exceed our customers’ expectation for service, convenience and value,” said Marc Cavaliere, El Al's senior vice president for the Americas, in a statement.
Another big winner as part of the El Al announcement is FLL, which hasn't been connected to the Middle East since Emirates pulled out of the airport at the outset of the pandemic and moved its operations roughly 30 miles south to Miami.
El Al's announcement came the same week that FLL unveiled renderings for its newly proposed five-gate Terminal 5, which could come to fruition in the coming years.
Travelers living or visiting areas north of Fort Lauderdale will likely prefer the convenience of flying from FLL, which is smaller and more manageable than Miami, the region's largest and busiest airport.
Whether there's enough demand for service from two South Florida airports to Israel is anyone's guess, but it does work in the New York area, where multiple major airlines, including El Al, fly from both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Tel Aviv with up to eight total daily flights.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.