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November 18, 2009

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WHERE'S JOHNNY JET?                    Tel Aviv To Toronto
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FLIGHT HOME
From Tel Aviv, a taxi to the airport costs around 135 Shekels. Security begins a mile or two before entering, where they quickly look at the passengers in the car. There was no wait. Once at the airport there were huge lines to go through just for the first security check. Here you really need to show up 3 hours in advance. Passengers get questioned like you wouldn't believe. The agent was young and pretty, but hardcore; always on guard - a kid screamed about 50 yards away and her eyes were on it like there was a terrorist incident. The whole experience is surreal. It's amazing how vigilant they are, and have to be, to survive. Their intelligence is second to none.



SECURITY AT TEL AVIV AIRPORT
While flipping through my passport, she asked what I did and why I travel so much, where we stayed and if I packed my bags. They asked Natalie about her last name, origin, religious beliefs, where her parents were born, their names… everything. Once we passed through that checkpoint, we went to a screener who was rude and spoke little English. The screening was supposed to be for checked bags only and we weren't checking luggage. Three out of the four bags still went through and he made it seem like my carry on with all my electronics was too heavy and I had no choice but to check it. He and I were about to go toe to toe because I wasn't getting on that plane without taking out my valuables, especially camera and laptop. But, lucky for him, that wasn't the case. The agent on the other side of the machine said I needed to have my carryon hand screened and I went to the kiosk they pointed to. The woman scanned the bag tag the rude man put on, and said if this is hand luggage it doesn't need to be screened. But she did a quick explosives test, and I was cleared.

CHECK-IN
We checked in at business class, which was in another room much nicer and saner, with no wait. The agent was very friendly. She was happy to give us a whole row in the middle and block the middle seat once she found out we were travel writers. We went through another security check like the one at home, but shoes and coins didn't need to come off/out. Also, I didn't take my liquids out (I had about 8 mini-bottle toiletries of L'Occitane from the hotel to give to the senior citizens home.)

LOUNGE
We got a pass for the lounge which was 2 floors, well run and had plenty of seats but not many (if any) outlets to charge up. Wi-Fi was free. They offered hot soup, cold drinks and a wide selection of dessert. The bathroom was clean, but had only two stalls for men. No bottled water in there. I went to spend the last amount of Shekels I had, but didn't see anything worth it - though they had plenty of options. I cashed in 230 SH and got back $55 USD. They charged a $4 fee, so the exchange was probably a rip.

TVL-YYZ
Having an empty middle seat on El Al makes all the difference in the world. The flight was an easy 12 hours and 15 min, which was scheduled to take off at 12:50am. We pushed back 5 minutes early and were wheels-up at 1:13am. The dated 767 plays continuous movies & shows. But like the flight over, we could've rented a personal entertainment system for $15. There were Lots of kids on the plane, mostly in the bulk head - bring ear plugs or an iPod. The flight attendants weren't as friendly as the crew, but they worked hard and passed out a lot of water.

OVERALL
In short, going to Israel has not only made me a more experienced traveler but a better person. My dad was right - never judge a book by its cover.

Next week: Caribbean Cruise!


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*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

Note: This trip was sponsored in part by Israel Tourism





Copyright 2009 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pictures From

The Trip

 

Saying Goodbye

 

1st Airport Security Check

 

Checking-In

 

El AL Agent

 

Airport Shops

 

El Al Lounge

 

Getting Ripped Off

 

Plane Food

 

Almost There

 

MEDIA ALERT
SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
  • Yum! You need your own reality TV show -- seriously! Liz B - NYC


  • We're going in June, so I'm getting psyched with your stories, and appreciate the hints (water shoes!) thanks. Nancy F- New York, NY


  • Your Masada and Dead Sea excursion brings back great memories from my one trip to Israel. One of the most memorable split-seconds of my life was atop Masada. My brain perceived an approaching presence, and as I looked off to the east, four Israeli fighter planes blasted by—seemingly out of nowhere--almost at eye level. It was a stirring sight. Tom A - TN


  • Bethlehem is an amazing place & Bethlehem souvenir Centre are good people - I have done there website for them. I live in the UK and saw clicks from your site so I followed it up. I want to thank you for giving them a link from your site. I am glad you had a good time. I have been to the church there and its amazing place, my wife is from Bethlehem I am sure I will visit there sometime again next year. The article is really good. Sal A. - United Kingdom


  • I've seen some of your travel dairies on the net and I enjoy them all the time. It's always good to hear another traveler talking about airport food and general stuff. Have you ever passed through Tallahassee before? It would be interesting to hear what someone else thinks about it. Rather small. I was able to fly through both Memphis and Atlanta this year and was unable to get enough time to enjoy the southern food at the airport. Keep it up. I all ways enjoy hearing one's airport and airline travels. Roland S. - Tallahassee, FL


  • I love following your travels! You are one of the few people I know who has done more traveling than myself! Charlotte H. - Redondo Beach, CA




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