EL AL check-in (ELAL): when to check in, airport deadlines and boarding pass

Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure, on elal.com or in the EL AL app, and it is available around the clock from then on.

The airport deadlines come from EL AL's summary of its terms of contract. Check-in counters open 4 hours before departure. After the security check, Economy passengers must complete check-in 3 hours before departure; First and Business passengers have until 2 hours before departure. EL AL states that passengers arriving late will not be boarded, and that a late arrival at the counter may cost you rights under Israel's Aviation Services Law.

Because the security check comes before the counter, EL AL recommends arriving at the airport 4 hours before the scheduled departure.

The gate time printed on your boarding pass is the one to follow. EL AL notes that flights cannot be delayed for passengers who arrive late at the gate, and that it may off-load their baggage at their cost.

1. Open check-in on elal.com or in the EL AL app, from 24 hours before departure.
2. Enter your booking details.
3. Enter the passport you will use to enter your destination country. EL AL asks for this in particular for destinations in Italy, so that the self-service steps at the airport go smoothly.
4. Receive your boarding pass by email and save it to your device, or download it from the app to your digital wallet. You can also download it and print it.

The online self-service page also lets you choose or upgrade a seat, request a special meal and cancel your check-in if your plans change.

After online check-in, the boarding pass arrives by email and can be kept on your phone, added to a digital wallet from the app, or printed. A printed or saved boarding pass changes the airport timing: once through security, you go straight to passport control, which EL AL asks you to begin no later than 2 hours 15 minutes before departure in Economy.

The boarding pass also shows your boarding zone, a number under the word "Zone". It appears as soon as you check in, online or at the airport.

If you did not check in online, the digital self check-in kiosks next to EL AL's international check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport let you do it on arrival. The service is free of charge and open to passengers in every class. It does not replace the airport security check. Passengers with disabilities and unaccompanied minors should go directly to the check-in counters.

With checked baggage and a completed check-in, the fast lane works in three steps:

1. Print your baggage tags at the Self-Service Fast Lane kiosks, in Terminal 3 near the VAT counter by Entrance Gate 32, or in Terminal 1 at Area A.
2. Go to counters 185 to 188 at the end of Terminal 3 for a dedicated security screening and document check.
3. Drop your bags at the Self-Service Bag Drop counters.

The fast lane covers EL AL and Sundor operated flights from Terminals 3 and 1, and connecting flights on the same ticket when the final destination is in the same country. For flights to Israel, EL AL offers the same kiosk service at Paris, Copenhagen, Los Angeles and Prague airports.

Two early options appear in older EL AL material: an advance check-in service, where passengers checked in and handed over their bags the day before the flight, and an early check-in at home service. EL AL's own page for the advance check-in service states that it ran until 31 October 2022, and the early check-in at home page is no longer online.

Today, the earliest way to check in is online, 24 hours before departure. At Ben Gurion, the kiosks and the self-service bag drop are what shorten the time spent at the airport.

EL AL participates in TSA PreCheck expedited screening, available at more than 200 U.S. airports. Travelers approved by the TSA add their Known Traveler Number or PASS ID to the reservation, or during check-in, and TSA PreCheck should then appear on the boarding pass. The dedicated lane is used once you have checked in with EL AL. Children aged 12 and under may accompany an eligible traveler.

The TSA alone approves travelers and decides how the lane is used; EL AL states that it is not responsible for the program.

EL AL and Sundor board by zones. Each passenger gets a zone number on the boarding pass at check-in, and boarding for a zone starts only when it is called, through smart gates that read the boarding pass. Before boarding, EL AL sends an update by text message and app notification, and signs near the gate show the zones.

EL AL warns that, because overhead bins are limited, a carry-on may have to travel in the hold, and recommends checking it at the counter. For connections, the self-service bag drop accepts itineraries on a single ticket when the final destination is in the same country, for example Tel Aviv to Bangkok to Ko Samui.

iBoardingPass is an independent service, with no commercial link to EL AL, that checks in for you and sends you the boarding pass as soon as it is available. The point is practical: check-in opens 24 hours before departure, often in the middle of the night on a long-haul trip.

You share the booking reference and the passenger name; the service watches for check-in to open, completes it and emails you the boarding pass. You can still check in yourself, and you remain responsible for your travel documents and the details you provide. The service does not replace the security check, baggage drop or boarding. Discover the service.