Starting Wednesday, passengers holding Lite-class tickets, the most basic fare on El Al flights to Europe and the United Arab Emirates, will no longer be allowed to bring trolley bags on board. Instead, they will be required to check bags weighing up to 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) into the aircraft hold. This change will apply even to small cabin suitcases and will not incur additional charges.
The move marks a significant shift from current practices and has sparked frustration among many travelers. "We bought our tickets under certain terms, and now the airline suddenly changes the rules," one passenger told Israel Hayom. "It was really upsetting and frustrating to receive the message. It feels like the airline is doing whatever it wants because of the current situation. They're making unilateral changes as they please and mistreating captive customers."
Another traveler commented, "This is a deterioration in the passengers' conditions. Day by day, the terms are getting worse, and not in our favor."
Despite the restriction, members of El Al's Matmid frequent flyer program with Silver status or higher will still be permitted to bring their hand luggage into the cabin, although even they will be subject to overhead bin space availability.
El Al issued a response stating: "The policy update is intended to streamline the process of handing over hand luggage in advance and ensure that the flight departs on time and with maximum comfort. We stress that there has been no change to the ticket price. For more information, passengers can consult the full baggage policy on the El Al website."
