Update #3, 11/12: This deal is alive once again for $640.97 round-trip from Chicago or $709.77 from NYC with the workaround method below in Update #1!
HT: MEIR613, via DDF
Update #2, 11/10: Dead!
Update #1, 11/09: There is a sale right now from NYC to Chicago. You can book a one-way for $43.80 on Spirit (if you enjoy fees) or for $68.80 on Delta.
For example you can book a Delta ticket on 12/04 from LGA to Chicago for $68.80 and then book a separate ticket for Chicago-Tel Aviv from 12/04-12/12 or 12/04-12/18 for $640.97 for a total of $709.77. Delta will check your luggage all the way through to Tel Aviv.
Your flight to Israel would be via Chicago and JFK but the return would just be the nonstop in JFK as I explain below.
That’s a savings of over $450 per person compared to just flying nonstop from JFK both ways.
Thus a sample itinerary would be:
12/04, Delta 5941, LGA-ORD, 11:15 AM-12:57 PM
12/04, Delta 3371, ORD-JFK, 3:05 PM-6:22 PM
12/04, Delta 268, JFK-TLV, 9:10 PM-2:40 PM
12/18, Delta 269, TLV-JFK, 12:40 AM-5:45 AM
And you can throw away the final leg back to Chicago if you just want to get off in JFK, even if you have luggage.
Again, you do need to fly to Chicago to pick up the flight. If you miss the Chicago-JFK flight your entire itinerary will be canceled!
———————————————————————————
-Bookable on Orbitz (with regular mileage earning, free cancellations until 11pm ET the day after you book, and price assurance refunds) or direct from the airline.
-Earn over 5 points per dollar with Chase Freedom (up to $1,500 per quarter with registration), or 3 points per dollar with American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card, or 3 points per dollar with The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN, or 2.14 points per dollar with Chase Sapphire Preferred.
The flight is from Chicago to Tel Aviv via JFK and earns 12,835 Delta miles.
If you’re from NYC you can take a one-way flight to Chicago on American using 7,500 BA Avios or 12,500 miles on other airlines to pick up the flight. You can’t just pick up the flight from JFK.
However on the return you can fly nonstop to JFK, where everyone must pick up all of their bags and go in line to recheck them, so you can just take your bags and leave the airport without any problems.
If you are from other cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, or even Kansas City it’s just 9,000 BA Avios (which can be transferred from all 3 major transferable point currencies, Membership Rewards, Ultimate Rewards, and Starwood) to fly round-trip to Chicago.
The outbound flight must take place between 11/22 through 03/14.
You can stay in Israel for up to 30 nights.
There are tons of available dates, here are just some sample valid dates:
11/22-11/28
12/04-12/18 (Chanukah)
12/09-12/24
01/07-01/15
01/21-02/05
02/17-03/04 (Purim)
03/03-03/10
03/13-04/08 (Pesach)
To help find other valid dates check the Orbitz box to search “3 days before and after” to help find other valid dates.
Or you can read about using ITA Software and use their awesome month-long calendar search to help find cheap flights.
Follow @DansDeals on twitter and you’ll get a tweet when a deal is posted on DansDeals.com! You can even opt-in to get a text message (and choose which hours of the night not to bother you) whenever DansDeals.com is updated!
HT: aussiebochur
Is this deal still happening?
@esther:
is there a phone number where i can reach you?
is this sale still available and would you please suggest how to make the easiest arrangements from fort lauderdale, fl?
if possible, would you plse email me my info?
thank you!!!!
Hi Dan,
IS the deal still going on? I checked on ITA and a few other websites and couldnt find anything decent below $1,000.
Hiya Dan. I searched your site for the best cell phone rental deals while in Israel and couldn’t find anything blogged from your trips. If it was done, may I please have a linky? If it wasn’t, who would you recommend?
Thanks,
JB
@Maya: did u really have to ask them that?
Hi Dan,
I just booked this. I know I have some time to cancel without fees and hope to hear from you soon so I can do this before Shabbos.
Here is my question: I called Delta airlines inquiring about picking up my luggage at JFK with the workaround method you suggested. They told me that when luggage gets checked in, it is always checked to go to the final destination and I would not be able to pick it up in JFK and not take the flight to chicago.
Is this correct? Your post said otherwise. Would you mind clarifying? I’d hate to lose the flight but would also hate to then not be able to get my luggage.
Please help!
thanks dan just got the deal!!
@yitzy: we flew with air berlin to israel in the summer and were very happy
Its still unclear to me what i can do with my luggage to avoid bringing it to chicago.
and how long is the stop in jfk on the way from chicago to talaviv??
how long is the stop in chicago from nyc??
@Manny: Hi,
Where did you search? What prices did you see?
Thanks for elaborating.
PS. Hi everyone from DDF, I miss you guess, hope to be back one day…
i just searched for pesach and the good prices are GONE!!!
@fradl: What do you mean “way up”?
Right now it looks like you can still get cheap dates around when you want to fly, around 664-700. As you see, there is a lot less at 640, just a couple days left on those days. I just checked Delta.com. For other dates there are still left this rate.
@Dan:
I just searched ITA and the prices are much higher. I searched last night and they were $640, but this morning and just now, it seems the prices went way up. Am I missing something? I am looking for Jan 16-Jan27. Thank you
I hear what your saying igor if you don’t show for the first half even if you have a boarding pass they won’t let you board.
@ms:
Just tried Only got BA for $976. Besides, return trip has approx 10 hr layover. Your return too has such a big layover? What did I do wrong?
@aaron:
Can u explain? Leaving from NY ??? Not doing the Chicago dance? Getting on in NY? Thought you MUST go to Chicago?
Please remember the risk of flying through Chicago in the winter, you may even make miss your flight to Chicago which can really doom you on the other ticket since they are seperate tickets.
can’t find this price for pesach either on orbitz or delta
any suggestion would help
do they honor reverse trips
tel aviv to chicago
@fradl:
No, it’s still alive.
Search ITA.
@Elianna:
the deal seems to be dead again.
thanks dan i booked a flight leaving with delta from laguardia to ord chicago at 10:00 for 78$ and then i got the 640$ deal from chicago to tlv.im thinking of calling delta and having them link and merge the itineraries.therefore when i check in to LAG ill receive all the necessary boarding passes all the way thru to TLV as usually done when making a stopover and then i wont need to travel to Chicago.kindly let me know if you think this will work thanks
@aaron:
Read the posts and comments, it is not that long. I think that even if you print the boarding passes, the computer will see you as a no show for the first flight and cancel your ticket. (That is besides the fact that they may delay takeoff because of you, not nice!!) They scan your boarding pass by the gate at Delta if I recall correctly (not SouthWest 20 years ago).
@Elianna: YES, read the post and comments. just pick a flight that has a return stopping over in JFK. “Dan, are you SURE that you will get your luggage in JFK? For real??” Yes!! (unless they lose your luggage!) Ask anyone who ever flew into JFK from overseas and continued on to another US airport. They will recall shlepping suitcases from one terminal to the other because Delta was jammed up … and then going back to the other terminal or something…
Does anyone know if I get a flight that stops in JFK on the way back whether I can get off the plane and not have to go on to Chicago and if I can whether I can take my bags off too?
thank dan just got yhe tickets eaving from ny for 712$
why do i have to fly to chicago technically i can buy a ticket to chicago go to the airport in the morning pickup all the necasary boarding passes and travel later in the day
Amazing! I found the flights very easily on Delta.com but I guess to buy the flight with cancellation protection you should use Orbitz, right?
For anyone who is curious, you MUST pick up the starting flight in Chicago, you can not pick it up from the second flight in JFK. (In case no one mentioned this yet 😉 😛 )
not available
booked last night then looked for flights from jfk to ord because i would leave my car at jfk airport for pickup. best option was jetblue – $69 including free checked in bag.
it shows on the routing for an outbound of dec 9 as chicago-atlanta/ atlanta-nyc–nyc tel aviv
update #1 says that you can go from nyc for 709.00 however it also says that you need to do the chicago flight. please clarify. also can i get outbound on dec 11 and return dec 19 via nyc. what are my options? please help
Does anyone here read the post and not just the headline? If you need help other then what Dan posted,please call a travel agent. this site is for people with an IQ over 10.
@yocheved:
No.
@Adiel:
Doubtful
@wanna know asap:
Read the post.
i am also looking to book like january time or the end of december i under stood this deal is only good for travel before 12/18 is that correct or i can book please advice
Dan,
Do you know anything about purchasing the ticket and then later changing it to more than 1 month?
Thanks!
Does the Deal work from Israel to New York?
Thanx a lot dan for all your help
can this work originating from tel aviv also?
@mordy:
That’s what ITA is for.
Just checked for tickets from chicago to isreal leaving feb 25 returning march 07 price was $800
Its a good deal for a single. Traveller
@Knapper Chuchem:
Is it really worth the risk or losing your entire ticket when you no-show in Chicago?
Listen I’m not going to say your scenario can’t be repeated, but it sounds very risky to me.
@gg- all cheap flights to chicago from ny are from la guardia. its 79 dollars on jan 7.. both american and delta fly many many flights at that price
@chaim- one way from lga to chicago is 68 dollars so total is 709 which does save you over 400 the current ticket. while spending the 68 dollar go the previous day (if you can check luggage for free for example) and visit someone in chicago…..
I have a friend that was booked from BUD – JFK via VIE, and he ended being in VIE to return his rental car, instead of flying back to BUD, his TA advised him to try to check-in in VIE before the original flight is leaving BUD, hence his itinerary wont be canceled. (according to his words…) It worked!!!
Did anyone here ever tried something like this? Perhaps this may work here too….
@devo:
@Wondering Jew:
Enjoy the holy land!
Bring me back some cholov yisroel Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey with the help of dry ice and a steak sandwich from Cafe Rimon 😀
On that topic, why the heck do none of the importers bring cholov yisroel Ben & Jerrys to the US??
@chaim:
Searching on my sample dates of 12/04-12/18 you can pay $709 with my method, $1,158 on El Al for the cheapest nonstop (a $450 premium), $924 via Istanbul (a $215 premium) where you may or may not wind up in just your underwear in an interrogation room, $968 via Amsterdam for a flight that takes even long than flying via Chicago and NYC, or $1,014 via Paris, but at that point you may as well cough up the extra $140 to fly nonstop.
Thanks to ITA for the research on that.
@yitzy:
Won’t happen unless there’s weather waiver for your travel dates.
Ya’ never know!
@gg:
The truth is that any major airline can check it through to TLV for you, though the process will be simpler with Delta.
Thanks. Booked for January.
thank you i just booked, i still cant find cheap tickets to chicago im looking for 1/07. also should i book with delta so i can check in my bags in jfk to tlv instead of rechecking them in chiago?
Dan!
DO you think down the road Delta will allow people to cancel the chicago leg by calling them, or that will never happen???
@Dan:
More like $300 for Elal Directly or save 7 hours and fly thru Europe for about $125 more!
But I get you Drift……
thank you dan i just booked tickets!
@chaim:
Actually if both flights are on Delta and you have a same day international itinerary you can check your bag all the way to TLV for free.
For some people 9 hours may be worth $1,000. For everyone else it may be worthwhile to spend 9 hours to save $450 per person. Plus earn some extra miles as a small bonus.
For people living in NY I cant understand the excitement???
After paying for a ticket to Chicago (with Luggage fee) for a minimum of $100 (prob more like $150) you spend about an extra 9 hours doing this mess, isis wort saving $150 spending an entire day flying???
@gg:
I gave sample dates.
@ahecht37:
Yes.
can i check my bags in jfk and have no bags from the chi segment?
thanks. got it
i am not finding the flight to chigaco cheaper then 80
hey dan does this deal work as well going from tel aviv to usa thanks
THANKS A MILLION B’H I WAS ABLE TO GET IT
1/9 1/22 850$ on expedia tickets to israel
@david/ #90
what the heck are you talking about??
@shlomo
READ THE POST
Thank you
Hey Dan, I’m also finding some flights from LAX-TLV with one stop for $834. The layovers are kind of long but seems like a pretty good deal.
Shlomo- This question was answered many times. You absolutely must get to chicago to start the itinerary. You can END the itinerary in NY and not board the last leg TO chicago
Dan, firstly thank you very much for your time and efforts.. it is greatly appreciated by many of us! I am considering booking CHI to TLV and would like to skip the first part of the flight, and only board the plane in JFK. Would that be an option or do I need to fly out of CHI?? Looking forward to hear from you.
whats this fee ?:Carrier-imposed International Surcharge610.00
Is it possible to check in the packages in jfk while waiting for the israel flight , lets say you leave the packages in the car until you come back from chicago ?
@ezra:
You can check it through straight to Tel Aviv under the terms of your international ticket.
Just bring both itineraries with you.
what`s with the luggage flying from NY to Chicago ???
wouldn`t it be a problem with the weight ????
@Har:
NP.
@Chaim:
I’ve clarified the post update.
it was asked previously, but this time u indicate this fare can be purchased from NYC for 709, is that flying from NYC-ORD-TLV? or NYC-TLV direct for 709? cuz I cant find that fare
Saw it on original post but wanted to be sure that one detail remained 🙂 Thanks
@Har:
Sometimes I wonder if people would just read the entire post if I would save money on my hosting bill due to fewer comments being necessary 😉
Dan, Do we still have 24 hrs to cancel if we book on orbitz?
@jayrose:
Use ITA calendar search as I write in the post.
Can leave end of Dec till Jan 8-10?
@David H.:
on what airline ?
@Mendel:
Everyone on the plane needs to go through immigration, pick up their bags, and bring them through customs.
After that you can just leave the airport or go into line to recheck your bags to Chicago.
Dan,
Thank you so much! I successfully booked this fare. Just wanted to verify that I absolutely cannot board this flight in JFK, only Chicago? We bought tickets to Chicago already, but if we could avoid the schlep…
Also, how do we go about deplaning in JFK on the return? Do we just not board the Chicago flight? That doesn’t cause any problems?
Keep up the great work!
@Dan:
Hoping this in fact is the case as my son Jeremy has booked these tickets too and plans on getting off in JFK and not going to Chicago!
i think its over
Can this be book from Tlv – jfk and then just not continue on to Chicago ? Looking for Pesach
Then need another good deal what’s the best deal to israel?
@sue: No
Is this deal still alive ??
Dan,
There are many Delta flights from Toronto connecting in NYC for $754, which is also a pretty good deal.
**and not returning to Chicago
Is it still available? And how do I booking dans deals can someone help me???
@Kim: As far as I’m aware the deal is dead
Still trying to get answer. Can this be used to go to EY but come back in March or April?- or do you have to return to the states much sooner?
thanks
Shavua Tov,
And with regards to the last question- we will not somehow be penalized for just leaving the airport in JFK and continuing on to Chicago?
Looks dead to me.
Or you can fly with air berlin for $850 and save yourself a good 10 hours flying to Chicago
Dont forget to add on $25 for a suitcase on your flight from Jfk-Chicago.
Total $735 Dont forget sitting on the airplane an extra 5 hours plus stop over time of about 6 hours (in chicago and then again in JFK). Elal has tickets for about $1000 in the winter. Me personally Id rather pay $250 more, then waist 13 extra hours flying! and thats if you find a flight for $70 to chicago that exactly meets with your flight to Israel….
Can I just make a ticket from TLV to JFK – ORD one way, for 1/2 the price?!
Thank you, Dan. I do not see how to work this getting to the USA and back home in EY. Is that not possible on this Chicago contortion?
Keep up the good work and we’ll hope for more deals soon. Congrats on your super Mishpacha magazine article.
@Dan: thanks so much dan! much much appreciated. have truly been trying to make this work for months now. Guten SHabbos!
@Yiriel Liss:
She’s wrong.
On international flights into JFK everyone must pick up their bags, bring them through customs, and recheck them or leave the airport. The only exception to this are flights from places like Canada or the Caribbean where you clear US customs in the departure airport.
Now of course the tags will say JFK and ORD on them, but nobody in JFK is going to force you to recheck them to ORD.
I’m 100% positive about this.
Dan- quick question. I know that you said in the post that on the flight back to JFK we have to pick up our bags and recheck them to chicago. Therefore, if I wanted to just pick up my bags and leave the airport in JFK, I would be able to do that. My friend and I therefore booked tickets from Chicago, (and booked from JFK-chicago one way) assuming that on the return TLV-JFK trip, we could just pick up our bags and leave. My friend called Delta, however, and the lady said that this cannot be done as the return ticket says Chicago and tehrefore the bags will be shipped there. Is this really the case? What do you suggest?
@Har:
You can book the ticket to Chicago anytime.
Book the Israel ticket now and you can cancel until tomorrow.
Darn. Shabbat is so soon. Why’d they give us this break so close to Shabbat.
@Har:
Transfer 9K to BA which buys a round-trip to Chicago.
Dan
Have sapphire points. Any best way to use to go from baltimore to tlv? Thanks
Can you stay for several months-say like- until April or do you need to return sooner?
I found flight for $645 with 13 hour stopover in Amsterdam.
Dan
Delta can theoretically reroute your return flight through a different city, but they don’t have many hubs to
Work with.
hi dan, thank you so much! wondering if this would work going from tlv to jfk
Can I book a round trip and then pay $250 to change the return date back to USA?
Can I skip the Chicago portion?
I’m seeing a flight with one stop (26 hrs total) on Delta or Orbitz websites for $835. Nothing for $641
Is there direct flight from chicago to tel aviv???
How many hour flight frm jfk to chicago??
How many stops is it till iSrael??
how do you book
These things never last long. Book now and you can cancel until tomorrow.
Do you know if this is a limited-time offer, or will it be available for a while?
@Dan: you’re right..I would be traveling with my wife and kids and thought there might be better way
@Yiriel Liss:
Congrats!
@BBI:
You can fly BWI-ORD for just 9K Avios round-trip!
@majer:
No.
Is this also good for lag bomer?
Live in Baltimore. Will travel to Philly or NY/Newark. Any good rates to Tel Aviv in January? Thanks Dan.
I BOOKED THEM! Thank you so much dan! Flight booked from Chicago to TLV 1/6-1/21! I am in NY and will have to take an $110 flight from here to chicago but all in all $750 to israel is fantastic! Thank you so much!
Guten Shabbos to all!
@Kami:
2 US stopovers is hardly the end of the world. You can order kosher food to be delivered at JFK and ORD 😀
You can use 20K Avios to get to Chicago round-trip. That and $640 is a great deal, even if you have to do an extra stop in Chi-town. It’s better than in Ukraine or Turkey 🙂
hard sell if you live in LA. Thats a 2 stop overs..Dan suggestions of how to minimize stop overs if you live in LA?
@ih:
That’s correct.
so there is no way to get on that plane in JFK IF YOU PURCHASE THIS TICKET but dont fly to chicago!
wow!!!
@Eli:
Correct. But just on the way there.
@ben:
Use the search tools I wrote about in the post.
@ih:
It is guaranteed. You need to pick up all your bags personally and bring them past customs.
And that point you can either leave the airport or go back into line to recheck them to Chicago.
@meir:
No
Are these fares upgradable? It seems they are booking them in T class?..
is it guaranteed the luggage comes off on the return in jfk – maybe it is checked asll the way to chicago, just like the way there it is all the way to tlv?
I wanna fly from NYC Nov/21/12 return from tlv Dec/3/12 can I get the ticket for $709 for the special??
so you are flying to ORD just to turn around and fly back to JFK
@Chavie:
No.
@Elie:
No.
@ih:
No.
@Wondering Jew:
No.
Correct.
@ Dan,
Are there any other downsides? You would just not get the miles for that leg
i understand the prmium – but if everyone is getting off the original plane & getting on the jfk tot lv plane, cant you show up & say I have a confirmed booked seat on the jfk to tlv leg & please let me on.
will they simply say no too bad even though you have a seat?
Are these tickets upgradeable to business class? Are business fares discounted as well?
Wild this work from tlv to Chicago?
@lev:
Added to post.
@Tani Pollak:
The best thing is to use ITA to find valid dates.
@Motty:
You can search on Orbitz or use 20K Avios from Miami or 15K Avios from West Palm.
@Marc:
It’s in the post 🙂
What is orbitz cancellation policy?
Tani Pollak did not posts those.. sorry. Yiriel Liss is Tani Pollak and Yiriel is trying to make me look like a fool!
Sorry about this
How about Miami to chicago
**not motzaei shabbos…on shabbos itself
In regards to my last comment…I didi the +/- 3 days as per your previous suggestion, and the only available filght at the price you mentioned was flying Motzaei Shabbos a few days later than I would prefer and coming back too late. While this is a fantastic deal and I thank you for alerting us to it, not all dates work
Im trying to schedule for 1/2-1/21 and it is not working. Any help?
Nothing for pesach?
Or you could buy a 1-way to Chicago for <$80
@Wondering Jew:
Besides for not getting the miles for flight you wouldn’t take?
@ih:
Because they charge a premium to fly nonstop.
@jaygee:
Who said anything is guaranteed?
I gave the overall range and you have to work within it using the tools I mentioned to find valid dates.
The rule for the outbound flights doesn’t guarantee that it will come up at $640. I just used the ITA search, and all dates in late December are still expensive.
why wouldnt delta just let you on the connection in nyc going out without actually flying from jfk to chicago & then back to jfk?
Is there any downside to not catching the return flight from JFK to Chicago?
@DG:
Congrats!
Booked – Thanks Dan!
@yitz:
I just rechecked all of the sample dates I gave on Orbitz.
Every one of them still worked.
Tried your dates on orbitz did not work. On Delta worked
@yitz:
Read the post.
@gal:
Unlikely.
@yoeli:
Who knows.
@Mendy:
1. Use Orbitz 3 day flex search to find other valid dates.
2. Read my article on ITA for how to search an entire month at a time for valid dates.
Dan, I’m looking for the dates 18-26 chi to TLV and back. The price u mentioned above isn’t coming up, do I have to do something for it?
is this a mistake??????
You think united will match soon?
Which airline