Cheap Flights to Israel From the US This Summer

Flying to Israel from the US this summer takes more homework than it used to, and pretending otherwise helps no one. As of summer 2026, the nonstop map from the US to Tel Aviv is essentially Israeli-carrier territory: El Al runs the show, Arkia flies a small JFK schedule, and Israir is just launching. The three big American airlines — United, Delta, and American — are all still suspended. Meanwhile, foreign carriers returned through Europe around July 1, so a one-stop through Frankfurt or Paris is a real option again, and often the cheaper one.

This market has been thrown around twice — first the 2023-25 war, then a February 2026 US-Iran flare-up that closed Ben Gurion Airport again until April 9. Schedules move week to week. Every route and price below is accurate as of early July 2026, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the current schedule and fare on the airline's own site before you book. For the wider picture, see our guide to cheap flights to Israel and our summer overview from the US, UK, and France.

Three Israeli carriers cover the nonstop routes right now, and they are not interchangeable.

• El Al is dominant and flying its biggest schedule ever — around 55 weekly flights to North America, up to seven daily from the New York area (JFK and Newark combined) at peak. Gateways are New York, Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles, with San Francisco resuming as a sixth gateway on October 25, 2026. Most run on Dreamliners (Boeing 787-9 and 787-10).
• Arkia flies TLV-JFK five times a week on a wet-leased A330neo, scheduled through at least October 2026, with round-trips roughly $965-$1,550.
• Israir is launching daily JFK-TLV service in summer 2026 on a newly acquired A330-200 (ex-American Airlines). As of early July it may not have started yet, so check whether flights are actually operating before you count on them.

Because so much nonstop capacity sits with one airline, popular summer dates fill early and fares climb. Confirm seats are still available on your dates before you plan around a nonstop.

If you are hunting for a nonstop on United, Delta, or American, set your expectations now: none of them is flying to Tel Aviv this summer. As of early July 2026, United is suspended until September 7, Delta's JFK service until September 6 (Atlanta until November 30), and American until roughly January 2027. Those are the current placeholder dates, and every one of them has slipped before — more than once. Do not build a summer trip around a US legacy carrier resuming on schedule. If one does return earlier, treat it as a bonus and reconfirm directly with the airline.

Here is where the savings usually hide. Foreign airlines resumed one-stop service to Tel Aviv through their European hubs around July 1, 2026 — the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian), Air France, and ITA Airways among them. A connection through Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna, Paris, or Rome typically runs cheaper than a nonstop, though it adds roughly four to six hours door to door. Even so, foreign capacity is only about half rebuilt — around 44 airlines serving Israel by late July versus 77 before the war — so options are thinner than they look, and schedules shift weekly.

The kosher catch: on any non-El Al airline you must order a kosher meal (KSML is the airline meal code) in your booking, ideally 48-72 hours out and never less than 24. Irregular operations can quietly drop the order — Air France served a passenger a non-kosher meal by mistake in February 2025 — so reconfirm it and pack backup food regardless. United has a good record for reliable glatt meals (glatt is the stricter standard for kosher meat) in both directions, but United is not flying this summer. If you are comparing Europe-routed fares, our guides to cheap flights to Israel from the UK and from France cover those hubs in detail.

Summer is peak season, and the numbers show it. El Al's New York-Tel Aviv round-trips have averaged about $1,375 over the year, but the summer months run hotter — roughly $1,564 in June and $1,629 in August on average. Plan on $1,400-$1,700+ round-trip for a peak July or August nonstop out of New York, and more if you book close in. Across all carriers, US-Tel Aviv has averaged around $1,448, and Los Angeles-Tel Aviv about $1,837. Connecting through Europe lands lower — roughly $750-$1,200 round-trip from New York and $900-$1,500 from LA this summer.

The sale-fare lows you have seen quoted — El Al nonstops from around $802 round-trip, or Black Friday deals at $853-$998 — are real, but they are advance-purchase and off-peak, not peak-summer prices. El Al also stays the priciest nonstop by design; it was fined about 121 million shekels (roughly $63 million) in February 2026 for wartime price-gouging, with fares up an average 16% (and up to 31% on some routes). Prices move daily, so check the live fare and watch our deals page for anything that drops.

Two levers control what you pay: timing and, if you have them, points. On timing, Kayak's data puts the cheapest El Al New York-Tel Aviv fares around eight weeks before departure — but that is a general average, and this summer is not average. With capacity tight and El Al near-dominant, the safe move is to book as far ahead as you reasonably can; close-in fares spike hard on peak dates. Our guide to when to book summer flights to Israel goes deeper on the windows.

On points, temper your expectations for summer — award space is very scarce on peak dates. El Al's own Matmid program runs about 85,000 miles plus $200-$300 in fuel surcharges (the YQ line on your ticket) each way, and it is surcharge-heavy and weak; Amex Membership Rewards no longer transfers to El Al at all. Better angles: Avianca LifeMiles for Lufthansa Group business class via Europe (around 63,000 miles plus $25 each way, no fuel surcharge), or American AAdvantage off-peak at 57,500 miles plus $120-$200. United MileagePlus prices EWR/SFO-TLV at 80,000-110,000, but United is not flying until September. For the full breakdown, see our points and miles guide for kosher travelers.

As of summer 2026, connecting through Europe is usually cheapest — roughly $750-$1,200 round-trip from New York and $900-$1,500 from LA on carriers like the Lufthansa Group, Air France, or ITA, versus $1,400-$1,700+ for an El Al nonstop. The trade-offs are four to six extra hours and the need to order and reconfirm a KSML kosher meal. Book early and confirm the live fare before you buy.

Only Israeli carriers. El Al flies the most — from New York, Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles, with San Francisco returning October 25, 2026. Arkia runs a five-times-weekly JFK-TLV service, and Israir is launching daily JFK-TLV in summer 2026. United, Delta, and American are all still suspended (into fall 2026 or later). Schedules change weekly, so confirm your nonstop is actually operating before you book.

As early as you can. Kayak pegs the cheapest El Al New York-Tel Aviv fares around eight weeks out, but summer 2026 capacity is tight and El Al is near-dominant, so peak-date fares spike close in. Book well ahead, watch for advance-purchase sales (nonstops have dipped near $800 round-trip off-peak), and always confirm the current price and schedule before booking, since this market shifts week to week.