With the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict dominating world headlines for the past few weeks, it’s likely that most travelers won’t choose to go to Israel or the surrounding region for the time being. However, those who do have reasons to travel to Israel in the coming weeks should be aware of the current situation in regard to travel.
Can You Still Fly to Israel?
The US Department of State still has Travel Advisories in place urging Americans not to travel to Gaza, and to reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank. Those who intend to go to Israel in the near future should monitor State Department Travel Advisories closely, as they are regularly updated with pertinent information. These advisories are useful whether you are an American citizen or not.
As for actually getting to Israel, El Al Airlines is the only carrier currently offering flights to the country from the US. Other US-based carriers such as American, Delta, and United that regularly fly to Tel Aviv have suspended all flights to Israel.
If you booked a trip on one of these US-based carriers on or before October 6, you may be eligible to cancel your trip and be refunded by the airline. This is not the case if you booked on October 7 or later, after hostilities had already begun between Israel and Hamas.
Understand Your Travel Insurance
Before booking a trip to this region, it is essential to understand how your travel insurance plan can provide coverage during instances of war and armed conflict. While most plans have exclusions for acts of war, they may be able to provide coverage if the specific event causing the trip cancellation was declared an act of terrorism by the US government.
However, the way each travel insurance plan may cover these events can vary. Please read the policy certificate carefully before purchasing any plan, and contact us prior to purchase if you have any questions.