El Al Israel Airlines flying with babies

Is there a minimum age for the acceptance of infants on EL AL flights?

Babies aged 7 days or less need special approval from an EL AL doctor in order to fly.

When is it necessary to purchase a ticket and reserve a seat for my baby?

Children up to 24 months are classified as infants and are required to travel with an escort. Infants are not required to have their own seat and may travel on the lap of an adult, paying only 10% of the flight ticket.

Children 2 to 11 years of age need to have their own seat reserved, but they are also entitled to a discount, which may vary depending on the route (10-25%). An infant who turns 2 years old during his/her journey should be booked as a child throughout the journey, both outbound and inbound flight, and be issued a ticket with child fare.

Since safety facilities for children must be installed on the passenger seat, the parents must purchase a child’s ticket, even if the child is under age two, in order to use a car seat on board.

Infant on Lap

A passenger flying with a baby can check in online or at a self-service kiosk, and since babies do not need seats, the infant’s name will appear on the reservation of the adult flying with an infant. It is not possible to order a bassinet during the check-in process. Passengers flying with infants should order the crib and the appropriate seats before checking in online.

Baggage

On all EL AL flights, except when a Lite fare ticket has been purchased, passengers flying with infants are entitled to checked baggage allowance for the infant as well: one piece of baggage measuring no more than 115 cm (45 inches) and weighing up to 10 kg. Passengers traveling with infants may check in a completely collapsible stroller or a portable seat or a safety seat at no cost.

When no seat has been reserved for a baby up to two years of age, it is possible to bring a fully collapsible stroller, a baby carry-cot, or a safety seat that will be stored in the hold of the plane, for all destinations. The fully collapsible stroller, carry-cot, or the safety seat will be marked at flight check-in, taken from the parent at the entrance of the aircraft, and returned when exiting the aircraft after landing.

An infant without a seat is not entitled to hand luggage, and the infant items for in-flight use will be included in the parent’s hand baggage allowance.

Bassinets

Passengers can request a bulkhead seat with a small bassinet through the travel agent or through the EL AL Reservation Center. The number of bassinets is limited and varies according to the aircraft model. There is no bassinet in Economy Class in some configurations of Boeing B737 800 aircraft.

Bassinets are subject to seat availability and, for Economy Lite & Classic tickets for flights to/from Europe, the Far East, and Africa, provided at an extra cost. First priority for receiving infant bassinets goes to passengers with infants who ordered them in advance.

Bassinets are available for infants up to nine months old. The bassinet provided can hold an infant whose weight does not exceed 18 kg and who can fit into the bassinet in a lying position (length – 74 cm; height/depth – 22.5 cm; width – 34 cm). The bassinet will be installed after departure and will be removed by the crew before landing.

Infants with reserved seats

A baby holding a child’s ticket is entitled to a seat, as well as to the general baggage allowance for both hand and checked baggage. When a seat has been reserved for the baby, the accompanying passenger is responsible for bringing a child’s seat that conforms to the standards, which can be used at any time during the flight, including takeoff and landing. If the safety seat does not conform with the standards, its use will not be permitted during takeoff and landing and at any time when the Fasten Seatbelt sign is illuminated during the flight. The seat size must not exceed 40 x 40 cm (15 x 15 inches).

In-flight Services

Passengers with babies will be boarded first. The flight crew will make every effort possible to be of assistance during the flight. The EL AL crew can heat the baby’s bottle and will rinse the bottle and provide hot water. Infants are not entitled to a meal. Diapering stands are available in the plane’s bathroom stalls. When flying with infants up to 3 years old, don’t forget to bring baby food, a large supply of disposable diapers, bags for used bottles, ointments, diapers, pacifiers, etc.

More information here >>