El Al Lounge Review and My Hit for Platinum Status

Continuing my post about keeping or maintaining status on El Al just before the status

requirements went up on April 1st, we managed to squeeze in one last flight to lock in Platinum.

This was part of a mixed itinerary with KLM, Air France, and El Al all under the DL (Delta)

code, making it notoriously difficult to track or know which frequent flyer program to credit it to. I think this might have actually been one of my first times flying KLM. Luckily, the team got us Premium Economy, which made for a very pleasant experience overall. The staff was super friendly, the bathrooms were spacious and clean, and the food was decent.

They even offered us an upgrade to business for $430 or 60K miles. I did consider it there

are always those “dollars per hour of flying” rules and for an 8-hour flight after a night of no

sleep, it would’ve been a no-brainer. But in the end, I passed.

Ben Gurion Lounge Experience

Ben Gurion only has two lounges: the Dan Lounge, which is basically just a quieter getaway

from the terminal (depending on the crowd), and the King David Lounge, which is meant to be the upscale business lounge for prestige members and business passengers.

The King David Lounge recently got updated and unfortunately, it kind of missed the mark.

Yes, they added more seating, swapped out the outdated stuffed chairs and couches, and even threw in some nice work cubicles and coworking spaces. But let’s be real it’s still a far cry from the business lounges you’d find in Europe, and not even close to something like United Polaris or Delta One. Maybe it’s not supposed to be on that level, but for a flagship business lounge, the food is mediocre at best.

At peak times, there’s not a single seat available. Even though it technically got “renovated,” it still feels mega mid. Showers, quiet rooms, or even better food options would go a long way here.

(There’s also the exclusive Top Platinum Lounge, but I’ve never personally been nor have I

ever been Top Platinum. Maybe one day?)

On this trip, I happened to be in the lounge during the overnight reset window it closes

between midnight and 2:00 a.m., probably to clean and replenish the food. I was literally the only person in the entire lounge, which actually made it a relaxing experience for once. Got to enjoy the new layout in peace.

The bottom floor now has a whole new seating arrangement a wide mix of tables, sofas, and chairs in different settings. The top floor is more business-focused, with semi-private cubicles and a shared workspace setup. There’s even a bar upstairs, though I’ve only seen it open once. I guess it’s more active midday or during peak flights. The Nespresso machines are always a hit, with lines out the door once it gets crowded although, hilariously, most people have no idea how to use them 😅.

The Journey to Platinum

Since I was pulling an all-nighter, I found a quiet corner in the lounge and crashed. Woke up to kids crying and serious overcrowding a sign of the times. With the easy status requirements during the pandemic and then the war, a lot more people ended up with El Al status, and the lounge space just hasn’t caught up.

The first El Al flight was fairly uneventful. I got an emergency exit seat and even managed to

sleep which is rare for me in an upright seat (I know, total snob moment).

We landed in Amsterdam one of the busiest airports in the world and I made the mistake of heading to the only non-airline-affiliated lounge using my Priority Pass from Capital One Venture X and Amex Business Platinum. There was a line of 89 people. Nope. I bailed and grabbed a bite somewhere else.

Lesson learned: in crowded hubs, especially non-Star Alliance ones, you need better lounge

strategies. (Technically I do have SAS Gold from a status match, but I haven’t linked it to any of my tickets yet.)

Flying Blue Mishaps + What’s Next

I tried to upgrade the KLM-USA leg using Flying Blue miles another mistake. Turns out, if

your ticket isn’t linked to your Flying Blue account, the system won’t recognize your miles and won’t let you use them. Makes sense, but still annoying.

Flight’s going well so far I managed to sleep again. About two hours left, so I’m using the time to finish up this post. Side note: this plane had one of the longest taxing times I’ve ever sat through.

On the way back, I upgraded from Economy to Premium Economy using miles — and wow, big mistake. The flight was nearly empty, and everyone in Economy ended up with an entire row to themselves (what we like to call a sky couch). Meanwhile, my Premium Economy seat which I transferred a painful 40K Chase points for (I know, ouch) was a middle seat and slightly broken. Major oversight on my part. I’ll definitely be more careful next time and check the seat map before burning valuable points.

Next up: reviewing my first Delta flight in a while. Fingers crossed for a complimentary upgrade and it'll be my first-ever Delta lounge visit.

Even though this isn’t in the United or Star Alliance world (where most of my loyalty lies), it’s

actually an awesome opportunity that didn’t really cost me anything. I get to try something new and see how Delta stacks up. Minnesota and Chicago are both Delta hubs, so let's see what they've got.

Now we just have to figure out how to hack AA for the flight back.

Sean out.

🔹 Chase Sapphire Preferred 

● 75k bonus after $4k spend

● 3x dining, 2x travel

● 1–2x point value (portal + transfer partners)

● $50 hotel credit

🔹 Chase Sapphire Reserve

● 100k bonus

● $795 annual fee

● $300 travel credit, lounge access, 1.5x point value

● Great for frequent flyers

🔹 Chase Sapphire Business

● 200k bonus (limited-time)

● Premium business travel card

● Same transfer perks as personal Sapphire

🔹 Chase Ink Business Cards (Preferred, Unlimited, Cash)

● Ink Preferred: 100k+ bonus, 3x ads/shipping

● Ink Cash: 5% office/internet, 2% gas/dining

● Ink Unlimited: 1.5% flat rate

🔹 Chase United Cards

● Free bag, priority boarding, PQP boost

● United Club version = lounge access

🔹 Amex Hilton Business

● Up to 175k Hilton points

● $60/quarter Hilton credit

● Gold status + lounge passes

🔹 Amex Business Platinum 

● 150k–300k bonus

● Lounge access, $200 airline credit, $300+ in other credits

● 35% flight rebate (ending Oct 2025)

🔹 Amex Business Gold

● 70k–175k bonus

● 4x on top 2 categories (ads, dining, shipping, etc.)

🔹 Amex Blue Business Plus 

● 2x on everything (up to $50k/year)

● No annual fee

🔹 Amex Delta Cards

● Free bags, MQD boosts, SkyClub access (Reserve)

🔹 Amex Amazon Card

● 5% back on Amazon/Whole Foods (with Prime)

🔹 Capital One Venture

● 75k bonus

● 2x on all purchases

● Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit

🔹 Capital One Venture X

● 75k bonus

● $300 travel credit + 10k anniversary miles

● Lounge access + 10x on hotels

🔹 Capital One Business Cards

● 50k–150k bonuses

● 2x–5x earning, some include lounge access

🔹 El Al Fly Card (Israel)

● Perks similar to Matmid Silver

● Free baggage, upgrades possible, Diamond earn boost

● Available via CAL in Israel only