Flying business to New York with an Israeli company that’s not El Al: Before the inaugural flight to New York, Arkia held a festive event on the new aircraft, during which a tour of the new business class was held, tastings from the luxury menu were presented, and the airline’s summer destination campaign was launched, featuring the new presenter, Orel Tzabari.
Also, during the press conference and following the wave of flight cancellations by the American airlines, the company announced that it is reinforcing the New York route with a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The addition of the aircraft will allow for two additional weekly flights — which will join the existing three, so that a total of 5 weekly flights will be operated on this route. The new Dreamliner includes 355 seats, of which 26 are upgraded premium economy seats. The cost to upgrade to a premium economy seat: $600 one-way.
The new business class includes 18 seats that recline into a two-meter-long bed, expanded baggage allowance, personal comfort kits, VIP service, and a premium food menu that will provide an upgraded flight experience.
Business class ticket prices will start at $1,750 per person one-way, and in total from $3,500 round-trip. On El Al, we hardly found any availability in economy class, and the few business class flights we did find were priced starting at $5,600 round-trip.
What did we experience in the new business class?
Right before the inaugural flight, we were there to check what really matters: How comfortable the seat is, what we get in the fancy kit, the taste of the fish, and of course, how much this pleasure will cost us.
A flight to New York is not just another flight. The attractive destination, possibly with the greatest variety of offerings and options, can sometimes be quite a project — because flying for nearly 12 hours is not exactly a breeze.
After passing the security check, we arrived at the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and discovered 18 seats that would make the next 12 hours (a lot) more bearable. Let’s hope that the seat, which reclines into a bed, will sweeten the expected jet lag at least a bit.
After receiving a drink of our choice, including wines from Israeli boutique wineries, the flight attendant came and asked what we would like for dinner. Flights always make me hungry, especially when the food comes on real glass plates with actual cutlery. So I chose as a starter the noodle salad with Asian sauce and sliced chicken breast from the menu composed especially for the business class. When it arrived with an additional green salad, I thought it was the main course — but no, that came later. For the main course, I ordered roasted chicken thigh steak with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables — not too fancy, but it definitely did the job — and now it’s time to sleep.
That’s exactly what the kit is for, containing a toothbrush, branded creams, socks, and most importantly — an eye mask.
The national fan
As part of the event, Arkia unveiled its summer 2025 campaign starring the new presenter, actor and comedian Orel Tzabari. The main message of the campaign: “Need to get some air? Arkia — the national fan! Want to go abroad? Go abroad!”
This summer, the company is offering more than 30 destinations in Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean basin, and New York.
As mentioned, Arkia decided to reinforce the route using Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft from the Italian airline NEOS, which will allow it to add direct flights, with tailored solutions for observant passengers and to provide a real solution to the rise in demand, according to Oz Berlowitz, CEO of Arkia. “We are monitoring demand levels in real time and adapting ourselves to the needs. The Israeli public continues to choose to fly, and we thank them for the trust they place in Arkia,” he said.