EL AL Reviews & Complaint Guide

The check-in line at Boston Logan was long enough that I expected a disaster. A gate agent near H9 noticed the tight connection on LY606, moved the document check along, and explained exactly where to go next. It was the kind of calm help that makes a stressful airport morning feel manageable.

At gate C7, passengers with bags that had already passed the sizer were suddenly told to check them. The staff sounded annoyed when people asked whether the bags would come out planeside or at baggage claim. I would have packed differently if EL AL had made the rule clear before boarding started.

The area around seat 10C smelled strongly of the lavatory for most of the flight. A crew member offered a middle seat several rows back, but that was the only option. For a long trip, this was one of those problems that sounds small until you are stuck with it for hours.

We started a vacation with one suitcase missing after EL AL LY717. The desk at CCU took the claim and told us to buy basic clothes, then every phone call after that gave a different answer. The bag finally reached the hotel almost two days later with a broken zipper pull, and the reimbursement offer did not come close to what we spent.

After boarding EL AL LY754, the screen at my seat froze and the crew tried restarting it twice. Then we were told there was a maintenance warning and everyone just sat there without a clear timeline. I understand safety checks, but the communication on July 19, 2026 made the whole cabin feel stuck and ignored.

The app said EL AL LY791 was boarding soon, the airport screen still showed delayed, and the gate desk told us to ignore both until they made an announcement. That kind of mixed information is exhausting when you are trying to decide whether to get food, call a ride, or run to a different gate.

The delay stretched long enough that passengers were given meal vouchers, but the amount barely covered a sandwich at the airport. I appreciate getting something, but it felt more symbolic than useful when families were stuck waiting for hours with children.

This was a rare travel day where nothing dramatic happened. EL AL LY865 boarded close to the posted 13:35 time, the cabin was clean, and the crew kept the announcements short but useful. I landed at BKK close enough to schedule that my ride did not have to circle the airport.

The fare looked reasonable when I booked, but the final cost felt different after seat selection, baggage, and a change fee. For the Istanbul to Cairo trip, the add-ons made the ticket feel misleading. I would rather see the real price earlier than be surprised step by step.

After the cancellation, passengers were told hotel vouchers would be sent by text. Some people received them, some did not, and the desk could not explain why. By the time I found a room myself, the nearby hotels were much more expensive than they had been earlier in the evening.

I paid extra so our family could sit together, then at the airport the seats had been split anyway. The agent kept pointing to the screen like that answered the problem, even though my receipt showed the seat purchase. On a long LAX-HND flight, being moved away from a child after paying for seats is not a small inconvenience.

The airport desk told us all rebooking had to be handled by phone. I called twice from the terminal, waited long enough to watch other passengers give up, and still did not reach anyone who could fix the trip. When travel plans are falling apart, being bounced between airport staff and the call center is not support.