El Al Israel Airlines is an airline often discussed by aviation enthusiasts.
It is said to be “the only airline in the world equipped with infrared missile countermeasures to defend against portable missiles” (although actually, this technology is also adopted by other civilian airlines in Israel).
It is also said, “The security checks during boarding are extremely strict due to anti-terrorism measures, leading some passengers to end up in a separate room stripped down to their underwear.”
The former is a “Well, that’s interesting” kind of story, but the latter is a serious issue for travelers. However, the temptation of its low prices was too much to resist.
El Al Israel Airlines launched its service to Narita in March 2023. Around July, the internet buzzed with news that El Al was offering unbelievably cheap tickets to Europe, enticing me to purchase one myself. My flight was in May 2024, from Narita to Tel Aviv to Vienna, and back from Bucharest to Tel Aviv to Narita, totaling ¥50,710, bought through the travel agency Suprise.
Considering that a round trip from Japan to Europe usually costs just below ¥100,000, this was an incredibly cheap deal.
However, in October 2023, following a significant act of terrorism by Hamas against Israel and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip, El Al suspended its Narita route. Wondering what would happen (though part of me didn’t mind if the flight was canceled), the operation resumed in March 2024, and the trip was on.
So, on a day in May, I headed to Terminal 1 of Narita Airport. Normally, I arrive at the airport about an hour and a half to an hour before departure, as I don’t like spending too much time there, wishing to cut down on sleep time in the mornings if necessary.
However, El Al advises arriving three hours before departure, so I visited the check-in counter almost three hours early.
There, about 20 people were lined up in front of the counter, with several booths ahead where questioning was taking place. Most of the passengers appeared to be Israeli, and their security checks seemed quicker than for the rest. Shortly after, a Southeast Asian man approached me and began questioning in English.
A universal rule during such questioning is never to lie or contradict yourself. It’s also crucial to maintain a friendly and polite demeanor throughout. Thankfully, this man wasn’t intimidating but rather gentlemanly.
The questioning started typically enough, with questions like “Where did you pack your bags?” and “Did anyone help you pack them?” I wasn’t particularly troubled by these; I’ve had similar questions asked by airlines like United before.
But then it got more intense.
“What is your profession?” “What kind of company do you work for?” “What is your position in the company?”
It was hard to see how these questions related to flying El Al, but it seemed they were trying to verify if what I was saying was true. Of course, being truthful meant there was nothing to worry about. They even asked about family and pets.
The questioning then shifted to the trip itself.
“How will you travel from Vienna to Bucharest?” “Have you booked hotels?”
These questions were understandable, but the intensity was palpable when asked about the duration of a night train journey I had mentioned from Budapest to Bucharest, a detail that required precise knowledge.
Following my travel plans, questions about past visited countries came up. Unfortunately, my passport contained stamps from various Islamic countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, among others.
To this, I could only respond, “I’ve also traveled to Chile, Peru, Fiji, and Uganda. It’s not like I’m specifically choosing Islamic countries.” If I were a terrorist, it’s unlikely I would leisurely travel so much.
Depending on the situation, showing photos from the trip could also be helpful in reassuring the questioner. However, there’s always a risk that something I considered benign might raise concerns for them.
In total, the questioning lasted about 20 minutes. The Southeast Asian man even stepped out momentarily to report to a supervisor, possibly affecting the direction of his following questions. Observing others, it seemed that foreigners, like Japanese, spent more time being questioned, whereas Israelis had quicker checks, likely due to practical reasons related to check-in processes.
After the questioning ended, a green sticker was placed on my passport, marking the conclusion of the process. There were also yellow and red stickers, supposedly indicating different levels of checks at boarding. At the gate, people with certain colors were called into booths for more rigorous inspections. The man stripped to his pants likely faced this step. While green seemed to be ok, and red potentially problematic, from past passengers’ stories and my own experience, the exact meanings remained ambiguous. On the return flight, I had a pink sticker but faced no extra scrutiny.
Once aboard, the Boeing 787-9 aircraft didn’t present significant differences from other airlines, except for the lack of beer and only red wine available for alcohol.
The in-flight entertainment was notable for its extensive selection of movies with Japanese dubbing.
Despite my initial concerns, the security after boarding was surprisingly lenient. The transit at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv had no additional checks, and my experience at Bucharest Airport was even more startling. Due to a delayed international bus from Chișinău, Moldova, I arrived at the airport 90 minutes before departure. Despite my fears of a thorough check, I faced no lines or intensive questioning, only a brief inspection of my luggage in a separate room.
Having some time in Tel Aviv during my transit, I ventured into the city and returned without any questioning, making Israeli entry and exit seem notably effortless.
In conclusion, the questioning at Narita Airport, though thorough, was far from the daunting experience I had anticipated. However, the problem now is the absence of cheap tickets from El Al, which used to be available for around ¥50,000 but are now priced at about ¥130,000 due to the weak yen, though it seems not to affect the Israeli tourists filling the planes. I’m eagerly awaiting another super sale.
Notice
This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
