טיסות לארצות הברית – מידע, טיפים וקישורים
The United States is among the top destinations for flights from Israel, with popular cities being New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.
There are several airlines that operate direct flights from Israel to the United States:
El Al (EL AL): Israel’s national airline. It offers direct flights to New York, New Jersey, Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami.
United Airlines: A leading American airline offering direct flights to New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Delta: Another leading and especially popular airline. You can fly directly with them to New York.
Where is it best to search and book plane tickets to the USA?
Good question, because there are many good options – so I’ll split it into two parts:
Flight search: Find the most convenient flight at a good price.
Booking tickets: You can do it independently or with an agent, whichever is more comfortable for you.
For searching, I like these websites:
Kiwi because it lets me search simultaneously for all airports in Austria (or nearby),
Skyscanner / Momondo because they are user-friendly and show net prices, so I make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Additionally, I also compare with Israeli booking sites, because sometimes for almost the same price I get support from a travel agency.
For booking tickets, I easily go through the links these sites provide directly to the airline websites and book directly from them (or book via Israeli agent sites).
If the flights are complex or there are many travelers, it’s good to get help from a human agent who will take responsibility for the whole process.
But wait, do you have a visa?
All information about the ESTA system – entry permits to the USA:
What is the requirement to register online? To enter the USA without a visa under the program, you must have a biometric passport.
What is the ESTA system? The Electronic System for Travel Authorization is an online visa waiver system for the USA.
How to access the ESTA system? Before traveling, you must enter the ESTA system and register. The registration is long and in English, so for those who don’t want to hassle too much, it’s recommended to use dedicated companies that assist with registration and accompany the entire process until entry into the USA.
How long can you stay in the USA without a visa? Up to 90 days.
How do you register the whole family? Registration is individual for each application and must be filled out separately for each family member traveling.
How far in advance must you register? The approval response can take up to three days, so it’s important to complete the process as early as possible, at least four days before traveling.
What is the cost of registering with ESTA? The registration fee for the Visa Waiver Program is about $21 (including a $4 processing fee). If you get a refusal, you only pay the processing fee.
Can the system deny entry to the USA? Keep in mind there are cases of refusal in the Visa Waiver Program system, so it’s advisable to insure the entire trip cancellation in advance.
Is the system relevant for those wanting to stay more than 90 days or work? Those wanting to stay more than 90 days or who need a work visa must register on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Israel and schedule an interview to get the requested visa.
Airports with Direct Flights from Israel to the USA
New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
John F. Kennedy Airport is the largest airport in New York City itself. It is located in the southern part of the Queens borough, on the shore of Jamaica Bay, and is conveniently connected to Manhattan. This huge airport is a hub for American airlines Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and JetBlue, and offers connections to all corners of the U.S.
Tips for landing at JFK:
Travel time by car (taxi or shuttle) from JFK to Manhattan is less than half an hour, depending on traffic.
The route uses the Van Wyck Expressway (Highway 678) and access to the city via Highway 495.
Convenient subway access is available on lines A or E east of Manhattan, connected to the airport by the AirTrain JFK.
New York – Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
The second largest airport of the metropolitan area is located in New Jersey, between Newark to the north and Elizabeth to the south. The airport has three terminals connected by an efficient monorail system. This airport is a hub for American Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines, providing access to all parts of the U.S.
Tips for landing at Newark:
The Newark AirTrain monorail connects the three terminals with the Newark Airport Railroad Station east of the airport, offering direct trains to New York’s Penn Station.
Train ride to Penn Station is about 25 minutes.
Driving or taking a taxi to Manhattan also takes about half an hour, depending on traffic.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
The legendary LAX is one of the largest and most important airports in North America. It is the second busiest airport in the U.S. (after Atlanta) and the third busiest worldwide. LAX is located near downtown Los Angeles, between Inglewood and Playa Del Rey Beach, adjacent to Highway 405.
Tips for landing at LAX:
Travel time from the airport to downtown, Hollywood, and Santa Monica is about 30 minutes (depending on traffic, as the 405 is notoriously congested during rush hours).
LAX is well connected with all points in the U.S. and worldwide, including direct flights from Ben Gurion Airport or many transfer options in Europe.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
San Francisco’s main airport is located on the bay shore about 20 kilometers south of downtown. It is one of the major airports on the U.S. Pacific coast and can be reached easily from Israel, including direct flights operated by United. SFO is a hub for United and Virgin America, offering access to all parts of the U.S. and Canada. It’s also easily accessible via transfers from major European airports. The airport serves as a gateway to central California, including Napa Valley and Yosemite National Park.
Tips for landing at SFO:
The BART train system (yellow or red lines) offers a convenient half-hour trip from the airport to downtown.
Driving to downtown takes about 15 minutes via Highway 101.
Boston – Logan International Airport (BOS)
The main gateway to New England is Boston’s largest international airport. There are several direct flights from Ben Gurion to Boston, operated by El Al and Delta. Logan has four terminals, with Terminal E serving international flights.
Tips for landing at Boston:
The Silver Line bus connects all four terminals and continues to downtown Boston.
Free shuttles connect to the Blue Line subway station about 500 meters west of the terminals.
The station connects to Highways 90 and A1, leading toward downtown.
Toronto – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
Canada’s main and largest airport is located west of downtown Toronto in Mississauga. It is well connected with major airports in the U.S., Canada, and Europe (and worldwide). Direct flights to Toronto are available with Air Canada from Ben Gurion, as well as many connections through European hubs. It is Air Canada’s main hub.
Tips for landing at Toronto:
The airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 serves Air Canada and other Star Alliance airlines.
Terminals are connected by the Terminal Link monorail.
A convenient bus line connects the airport to the Kipling subway station on the green Line 2 (Bloor–Danforth).
Washington D.C. – Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Dulles is the main airport for Washington D.C., located about 40 kilometers west in Virginia. It is a hub for American Airlines and offers direct flights from Ben Gurion. The airport is connected to downtown Washington via the new Silver Line of the metro system.
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Miami’s airport is located about 10 km from downtown and 15 km from Miami Beach. It is a major hub for flights to South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the rest of the U.S. Miami often has direct flights from Israel.
Major Airports in the U.S. and Canada with Connecting Flights
Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Located east of downtown Montreal on an island, about a 15-minute drive from the city center. It is the third largest airport in Canada, after Toronto and Vancouver, and a key hub for Air Canada. It connects well with airports in the U.S., Canada, and Europe and sometimes offers direct flights from Ben Gurion. The airport is connected to downtown by STM buses.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Philadelphia’s largest airport is located south of the historic city center and connected via Highway I-95 with a 10-minute drive to downtown. It is a hub for American Airlines and well connected with major U.S. and European airports.
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Orlando’s main airport serves tourism traffic to theme parks such as Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. It is connected well with major airports across the U.S. and some European destinations, with direct transfer flights from London and Frankfurt. The airport is about 20 minutes from Lake Buena Vista and downtown Disney, and 20 minutes from Universal Resort.
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Las Vegas airport is located very close to the Strip, the famous hotel corridor. It connects with almost every airport in the U.S. and Canada, including several European hubs, making it accessible from Israel via transfers in London or Amsterdam.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
One of the largest and busiest airports in the world. It is a major hub for United Airlines and a secondary hub for American Airlines. Once the busiest airport globally, it now ranks fourth. Located northwest of downtown Chicago, about 20 minutes by car. Accessible via direct flights from Europe or American Airlines from Israel. The airport is connected to downtown by the Blue L Line “L” train.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Also known as SeaTac, this is the main gateway to the Pacific Northwest. It is the hub for Alaska Airlines, with extensive domestic and international connections, including Europe. The airport is about 20 minutes south of downtown Seattle on Highway 5.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
The main airport of western Canada, located on an island at the mouth of the Fraser River between Vancouver and Richmond. About a 15-minute drive from downtown Vancouver and accessible by the Canada Line (SkyTrain). It is a hub for Air Canada and WestJet. Well connected domestically and internationally with major hubs in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, allowing convenient transfers through Frankfurt, London, or Amsterdam.
When is the best time to book plane tickets?
In short – as early as possible.
A bit longer – sometimes flights are cheaper when booked in advance, and then last-minute tickets become very expensive or sold out (which happens a lot!). Other times, prices only drop at the very last minute… We see these changes every year, and it’s impossible to predict what will happen.
So what to do? Usually, booking about six months to a year ahead offers reasonable prices, so many times it turns out that booking early was the better choice.
Tip for dealing with jet lag!!
Every flight to the US (whether direct or with connections) involves a time difference of 8 to 12 hours. That means you leave Israel in the morning and arrive in the US in the early afternoon (which is already evening back home). This time difference causes jet lag.
It’s recommended to find flights that land during daylight hours in the US (flights that depart Israel at night or in the morning), preferably landing in the late afternoon or evening. After landing, try to stay awake until the local bedtime (even staying up until 8 or 9 pm is okay), which helps your body adjust to US time faster.
Have a pleasant flight!
