Flight Number LY 353
Departure from Tel Aviv at 06:00 AM
Seat 2K
Since moving to Tel Aviv, I’ve mostly avoided ELAL in favor of the European airlines for my many trips to Europe. With much lower fares on low cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet and competitive business class fares from Europe’s full service carriers, this is a very competitive market. On my recent trip to Munich, I figured it was time to fly with ELAL and see how their product compares with the dozens of other European airlines I’ve flown.
Check In
ELAL occupies the entire D check in area at Ben Gurion Airport Terminal 3, on the right side of the main departures hall. To the far right is a dedicated line for ELAL first and business class passengers to go through the first security screening.
This ended up saving me a lot of time as the regular security screening line was packed!
Following the security screening, ELAL first and business class passengers can proceed to the private premium check in area. Check in here was a pleasure compared to the normally loud and hectic main departures hall.
We had our bags checked and boarding passes printed within a minute, and were on our way to the Kind David Lounge.
Cabin and Seat
After a quick and crowded bus ride, we arrived at the Boeing 737 that would be taking us to Munich.
ELAL’s 737-800 business cabin consists of four rows of seats in a 2 – 2 configuration at the front of the aircraft for a total of 16 seats. This is a pretty standard cabin look and layout for this type of aircraft, though I did especially like ELAL’s new dark blue seat finishes.
The new 737 business class seats are very similar in design to ELAL’s 787 premium economy seats. They were very comfortable, with a nice amount of recline and legroom.
Between each pair of seats is a center console with some storage underneath the armrest and a small table for drinks. Inside the storage compartment is a universal power outlet as well as a USB charging port.
Just below the small table are the manual seat controls for the recline and footrest.
The business class seats on this aircraft don’t have personal entertainment screens. Instead, ELAL offers wireless streaming to your own devices as well as Ipad Minis with various content available to watch for business class passengers.
These are very good seats for a shorthaul flight in business class, especially when you consider the alternative is usually an economy seat at the front of the plane with a blocked middle seat.
I had a quick look at ELAL’s new 737-800 economy seats which looked nice as well.
Food and Drinks
Before takeoff, the cabin crew came around with juice and bottled water which is not something always offered on flights between Israel and Europe in business class.
Once we were airborne, breakfast menus were distributed and read as follows:
I chose the omelet (“Good Morning Israel”) which came with salad, fresh fruit, cheese, fresh bread, a banana croissant, as well as some dips.
My very Israeli breakfast was good overall in terms of taste and quality, and I was very full after the meal. I was offered coffee and other drinks throughout the rest of the flight, though passed as I tried to get some sleep before landing in Munich.
While I’m rarely impressed by airplane breakfast in any cabin, this was certainly one of the better breakfasts I’ve had on an airplane.
Service
Upon boarding I found my seat 2K, a right side window seat where a very comfortable pillow and blanket were already waiting. Both the pillow and blanket were of higher quality than I’ve gotten on many longhaul flights!
Before takeoff, the cabin crew came over to each passenger to introduce themselves and explain the services available on the flight. They also distributed amenity kits, bottled water, and a choice of apple or orange juice.
Once in the air, the crew gave out warm towels, Ipads, and the breakfast menu.
I must say, the service onboard this flight was great, although not to the level of some of the world’s best airlines like Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways. ELAL has recently been improving service onboard on their longhaul flights, and I was so happy to see the improvement on their shorthaul routes as well.
Bottom Line
I really enjoyed this flight with ELAL. I see they have really invested in their business class product with brand new seats, high quality food, and much improved onboard service. ELAL’s business class is without a doubt my flight of choice to many European destinations where the alternative for business class is just an economy seat with the middle seat blocked.
I can’t wait to try ELAL’s 787 Dreamliner business class on my upcoming trip to London and see how these two flights compare.