In May, the airline known for $99 flights from the U.S. to Europe (sometimes even $69), Wow Air, announced an exciting new route: flights from Newark, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Israel, with fares starting at just $149. Starting today, WOW air begins service to Tel Aviv on new Airbus A321 aircraft.
"Our mission is to enable everyone to fly by offering the cheapest prices in Tel Aviv," Wow Air CEO Skuli Mogensen said in a statement in May. "No one has ever offered such cheap prices to North America, and we're proud to bring competition to Israel. I hope it enables people to visit here, and that it will help Israelis to travel."
While flights from the East Coast start at $149, flights from the West Coast are still well below the $900 one-way ticket prices found on full-service airlines like El Al, Turkish Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. On Wow Air, they will set you back just $189.
Last year, 2.8 million people visited Israel from North America, as the Icelandic newspaper Víkurfréttir points out, and the local tourism board is hoping the new routes will increase competition on overall flight prices and encourage more people to visit Israel. Not sure what to do on your trip? Check out Traveler's black book guide to exploring, eating, and shopping your way through the city.
Flights are on sale now, but keep in mind that quoted fares are one-way prices and don't include most of the amenities you'll find on a full-service flight, including seat choice, checked bags, and even meals. Everything costs extra on Wow Air's flights, sticking to the company's no-frills philosophy. (“You only pay for what you use. That’s the ultimate model, because why should you pay for something you’re not using?" Mogensen told Condé Nast Traveler in June 2016.) Round-trip, these flights cost between $350 and $400. A round-trip fare from San Francisco to Tel Aviv in October costs just $360 ($440 with a carry-on), an insane 65 percent off regular round-trip prices on other airlines. From Washington D.C. in November, the fares cost less, just $260 round-trip ($340 with a carry-on).
All you have to do to book is head to Wow Air's website. Just know you'll want to pack a lunch for this flight, since food—and even a glass of water—costs extra (anywhere from $3 to $15) on board.