El Al To Launch Nonstop Flights from Tel Aviv to Chicago in 2020
El Al is set to continue its North American expansion in 2020 when the airline launches nonstop flights between Tel Aviv (TLV) and Chicago's O-Hare (ORD) airport. While details are still very limited, Israeli business publication Globes has confirmed the new service.
This isn't the first time El Al has served the area. The airline ended service in 2007, leaving the city without a direct connection to Israel. With an estimated 291,000 Jewish residents, Chicago boasts a larger Jewish population than most Israeli cities. Chicago also boasts one of the largest economies in the United States. Now, after a 13-year drought, nonstop flights to Israel will finally return to Chicago.
The service will be made possible by El Al's growing fleet of modern widebody aircraft. The airline has already received eight of 16 Boeing 787s ordered, with an additional four Boeing 787-9s and four Boeing 787-8s yet to be delivered. The larger Boeing 787s, the 787-9, will allow the airline to not only expand but also retire El Al's remaining four Boeing 747s.
In recent years, El Al has added nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to Miami (MIA) and announced new service to Las Vegas (LAS) and Orlando (MCO). The Boeing 787 has played an integral role in El Al's recent expansion thanks to the aircraft's fuel efficiency.
While El Al has yet to confirm what aircraft type will be used on its new Chicago flights, Globes has alluded to the Boeing 787 as the preferred aircraft for the route. With just six Boeing 777-200 aircraft serving cities like New York and Beijing, the 787 would appear to be the strongest contender for the airline's new Chicago service. El Al's Boeing 787s feature the airline's newest and most modern cabins, with lie-flat seats in business class and Wi-Fi available to all passengers at no cost.
El Al is not a member of any major airline alliance, however, maintains codeshare flights with a variety of major carriers including JetBlue and American. If you're looking to use points or miles for El Al's new service, your only option for the time being is transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to El Al's Matmid frequent flyer program. The current transfer ratio isn't very appealing, with 1,000 MR points equal to a mere 20 Matmid points. That means a business class award redemption will cost you 200,000 Membership Rewards points.
El Al's Chicago flights are not yet available for purchase as a date has not been set for the first flights.
H/T: Dan's Deals
Image by Emily McNutt / The Points Guy
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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