Flight Number LY 317
Departure from Tel Aviv at 17:15
Seat 9K
After an impressive flight on ELAL’s 737-800 business class to Munich, I was very excited to see what the experience would be like on ELAL’s flagship 787 Dreamliner business class.
Boarding
After boarding through the designated business class line, I zipped down the jet bridge and onto the plane. I was met by the purser who guided me left where I was escorted to my seat, 9K. Waiting at my seat was a large blanket and pillow, as well as the amenity kit and water bottle in a compartment next to my seat.
I was offered my choice of drink and ordered a glass of champagne as well as some water which were promptly brought to my seat.
The business class cabin quickly filled up and soon it was time for ELAL’s very cool safety video and to begin our flight to London Heathrow.
My only complaint regarding ELAL’s pre departure service is that they don’t distribute menus until after the fasten seat belt sign is turned off. I always like to look at the menu a bit, so I don’t understand why they decide to wait until the plane has taken off. I hope they will make this small change to the service.
Service throughout the flight was good overall, though not nearly as personal as I experienced on my flight to Munich, being one of only three business class passengers on that flight.
Cabin and Seat
As far as I know, ELAL and TAP Portugal are the only two airlines to use this particular seat in their business class cabins. The seats are in a staggered configuration, meaning the odd numbered rows have single seats further from the window and center couples’ seats close together. The even numbered rows have single seats close to the window and center seats which are not close together, also meant for single travelers. The seats are laid out over 8 rows with 4 seats per row, with 32 seats in the entire business class cabin.
Odd Row Window Seat
Even Row Window Seat
Odd Row Middle Seats
I thought the cabin finishes were extremely elegant, sleek, and modern. This is certainly one of the most beautiful business class cabins out there and a massive improvement over ELAL’s old business class cabin.
I selected seat 9K, a single, right side seat at the front of the cabin. While I would normally prefer the even numbered seats which are closer to the window for more privacy, I like the larger footwell that you only find when seated in the first row.
Very Comfortable Footwell
Regular Footwell
ELAL provides a comfortable, practical and sleek new business class seat that I was perfectly happy with on this flight. The seats themselves were quite comfortable with adjustable armrests and easy to use seat controls to the right of the seat.
The IFE screen was modern and fairly large, with an impressive amount of content, though I found the angled position of the screen to be a bit annoying.
To the right of the seat is a large table where I kept my wallet, phone, and passport for most of the flight, as well as a small compartment which can also be used for storage. Here you’ll also find the IFE remote control as well as headphone jack and USB charging port. There is an additional power outlet underneath the seat.
I gave myself a short “tour” of the even number row window seat before the pilot used it as a resting area. The seat is indeed more private, however it did feel a bit tight compared to my seat 9K. On a flight where I would primarily want to sleep, I’d likely choose an even row, but for a shorted day flight, I was happy with 9K.
ELAL’s new business class seats are a leap forward from the old ones. They are comfortable and practical, though could have used more storage.
Food
A full dinner was served on this evening departure to London. The menu read as follows:
After takeoff, I was offered a bag of nuts and a choice of drink. I went with a gin and tonic which was a bit on the strong side.
Warm towels were also distributed throughout the cabin before the meal service.
The meal was later served all on one tray with some hummus, a carrot salad and my main dish all together. We were later offered a bread selection as well which I of course needed for the hummus.
I thought all the main course options looked tasty, though I had read that the “Cooky Bag Chicken” dish was delicious, so I decided to try it. I must say, one of the best chicken dishes I can recall having, period.
The rest of the meal was fine, though not memorable.
For dessert I had the brownie, mixed fruit, and a glass of red wine. Dessert was okay as well, though also not memorable.
I had slightly higher expectations from the meal service. While this isn’t a longhaul flight, London is one of ELAL’s flagship routes and I expected a more elaborate meal service compared to ELAL’s shorter European routes. I must say though, I would have been happy to have seconds on that “Cooky Bag Chicken!”
Amenities
ELAL gives out a well stocked Laline branded amenity kit which is along the lines of what I would expect to receive on a longhaul flight.
Unlike my flight to Munich where we only received cheap earbuds in business class, ELAL offered over the ear headphones on this flight to all business class passengers. They weren’t the best quality, though average for business class and worked fine.
Specifically on flights to London Heathrow, ELAL distributes fast track immigration cards to all business class passengers. This is relevant for Israelis, however US citizens can use the UK’s E-Gates along with other European nationals for an even faster process.
Bottom Line
I was very impressed by ELAL’s 787 business class. While they are not among the world’s best airlines, ELAL has made massive improvements to their business class and it’s a product to be proud of. I would gladly fly ELAL again on their growing route network now to 5 continents.
Next up is British Airways’ A350 business class back from London to Tel Aviv. How does ELAL’s new business class compare with that of BA?
