Emirates' new Tel Aviv flight gets June 23 start date
Emirates' much-anticipated service to Israel now has a new start date.
Daily service between Dubai (DXB) and Tel Aviv (TLV) will begin on June 23. This is a postponement from its previous December start date when Israel temporarily closed its borders due to the omicron COVID variant.
Emirates will use its Boeing 777-300ER on the route, featuring eight first-class suites, 42 business class lie-flat seats and 304 economy class seats. While Emirates' premium cabins are luxurious, you won't have much time to sleep on this route, which is scheduled at just over 3 hours.
The outbound flight, EK931, departs at 3:50 p.m., arriving in Tel Aviv at 6 p.m., all times local. The return flight, EK932, departs Tel Aviv at 7:55 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 11:59 p.m. Emirates notes that the flights are conveniently timed for connections to destinations in countries such as Thailand, India and South Africa.
Scheduled air service between the United Arab Emirates and Israel is possible as a result of the signing of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized relations between the two countries. Emirates' service joins a busy market of carriers already offering service between the two cities, including UAE-based FlyDubai, and Israel's El Al, Israir and Arkia. However, Emirates will be the only carrier to fly widebodies on the relatively short route — though Etihad Airways flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Tel Aviv and the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi. There's even a kosher airline catering facility in Dubai — a sign of how popular the destination has become for observant Jews.
More: Inside the Dubai-based company revolutionizing inflight kosher meals
"We look forward to finally welcoming customers onboard our flights to and from Tel Aviv this summer, and offer them substantial connectivity to and through our Dubai hub as COVID travel restrictions continue to ease around the world and more borders open up," Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said in a statement.
A round-trip in economy class from Dubai to Tel Aviv is currently selling for AED 1,955 (USD $532.25), with business class selling for AED 8,615 (USD $2,345.43) and first for AED 18,055 (USD $4,915.47). Business-class awards are pricing at 90,000 Emirates Skywards miles, with a pricey AED 1,525 (USD $415.18) in taxes and fees. Given the short length of this flight, it might just be worth flying economy class, where awards price out at 27,500 miles and AED 545 (USD $148.38) in taxes and fees. Using current TPG valuations of 1.2 cents per mile, this economy class redemption will still save you $54.
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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