After a lovely stay at the Intercontinental, LTD had an early morning flight to the USA from Tel Aviv to Chicago, via Amman.
RX Tip for Check in at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion:
Know your terminal! There is a set fee to airport from hotel via taxi. Even though I requested a credit card taxi, he was unable to take a credit card.
Our driver did not speak English, and we are used to using the American Airlines App for our OneWorld Travel -- but guess what? We didn't have Verizon service in Israel! Fortunately we were at terminal 3 which after much difficulty communicating with the driver, was a relief that he suggested it. It is miles between terminals at Ben Gurion. We expected there was one terminal for Royal Jordanian, but that was not the case. It was not easy to find Royal Jordanian even though we knew we were at the right terminal. There is security prior to check in and the security agent did not know where Royal Jordanian counter was located. Finally we found it around the corner.
This was a very stressful event. As I always say try to travel business class overseas because the experience is generally better. But from the airport to security all of this was disorienting and anxiety-provoking at Ben Gurion.
My suggestion for Ben Gurion: VIP SERVICE. Bronze is probably sufficient, unless you are not flying business class then you may wish a higher level of service.
Security was easy. Look for the business class line. I did not need to remove my three in one bag, my iPad or Apple Watch. Computers did need to be removed.
Next passport control was fast.
On to the gate.
We had entry to the Dan business class lounge. The one by our gate closed at 7am so we had to go to the next concourse. It was very crowded with scant food offerings. The bathroom was unisex with only 4 stalls and no hand cream.
Boarding Royal Jordanian was easy and on time. The a319 had more legroom than domestic us flights. There was a footrest. 2x2 configurations are the norm on Royal Jordanian. Arab Coffee offered upon seating.
Security in Amman is difficult. There is a mandatory document check at which there is no expedited or preferred line. Large families will slow you down but a close connection here can be done because the airport is small.
The business class lounge in Amman is decent but beware of the smoking area near the bathrooms! It is like walking through a fog to go to the bathroom!
At the boarding area there is another document and security check. The security check is THOROUGH. Every item in your carry on will be examined. Allow 15 minutes before boarding time for this.
Return on the A380 was similar to Chicago to Amman. We chose window seats for this, and if you are solo, we do not recommend this location on the Royal Jordanian Dreamliner. It is very hard to get to the aisle to go to the bathroom unless you are ready to climb over someone or have them sit up completely. Again, the movie collection was abysmal compared to American flights. See our recent post for a thorough review of the Royal Jordanian Dreamliner.
Arrival in Chicago was as expected. There is no additional security for the Jordanian arrival. Please visit the American Airlines Flagship Lounge in Chicago if you can! See our review of this.
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