Middle East Advice

[ed1chandler]

Hey, all ...

I'm not quite to the point of hiring a booker yet, as I still enjoy "the hunt" ... to a point ... but I figure it can't hurt to see if anyone has any suggestions.

I'm looking to do Egypt, Israel, and Jordan (but not necessarily in that order) later this year or early next. Date restrictions:

• On or after AUG 29.
• Not over Thanksgiving, not over Christmas (but can return as late as 12/24) and not OCT 25-29.
• Total trip length <= 10 weekdays (i.e. vacation days). SEP 7 is a freebie.

I'd be happy to originate at ORD, STL, or even IND if it helped -- but ORD is preferred.

Ideally, I'd find two seats in business, into CAI and back from TLV, that allowed us to capitalize on the Labor Day holiday for an extra day off. In practice, the only way I'm finding to make that work on the outbound (to say nothing of the return) is to fly ORD-YYZ on AC, connecting on to CAI on MS. And honestly, ... if I'm shelling out UA partner rates for business ... I want a drink or two on the way there.

I'm also considering going later to capitalize on AA off-peak awards to Europe and then connect to CAI or TLV using Avios. (So naturally BA waited until now to devalue ... grr.)

I'm flush with AA, US, and UA miles. I've got enough SPG, MR, and UR that I can probably make something happen on DL ... or another ST partner if that's advantageous. Just about the only thing I *can't* do is rustle up enough AS miles to fly Emirates ... not that there's any availability anyway.

Anyway, I'm confident I can work this out, but if anyone has any suggestions to save me a bit of time, I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mingy]

A month or so ago I was looking into JFK-AMM on RJ with Jordan as the beginning or end to a trip around the same time as you. I don't think the flight is daily but there was good business availability for a couple with maybe two to four days available depending on the week. There was more availability later in the month, and I think the return AMM-JFK had more dates available than the way there.

 

[smittytabb]

I've flown Air Egypt to Cairo and El Al to Tel Aviv. Both were interesting cultural flight experiences. If you fly RJ make sure to check out Lucky's post about his experience if you aren't aware of it already. I have to think that it would be a good plan to use AA miles on RJ in business. Were you going overland from Israel to Jordan or flying between them? That's a lot of ground to cover in the time you have. I haven't yet been to Jordan (on my list), but I will say that if you haven't yet been, both Egypt and Israel are worth the amount of time you have as separate destinations. Or you might combine Israel and Jordan. Everyone is different, but it is hard to rush and take in all there is in a short amount of time. You didn't ask that question, but I did ten days in Egypt and ten days in Israel and felt that it was not enough time in either place.

 

[KennyBSAT]

FYI there are no surcharges on IB TLV-MAD when booked with BA Avios. I'm not sure why.

 

[ElainePDX]

I agree with @smittytabb - it seems like too short a time for those three places. I have spent a lot of time in Israel and did a 4 day trip to Jordan, specifically to see Petra, walking across the border between Israel and Jordan in Eilat. Perhaps you could consider 2 rather than 3 countries?

Then again, I tend to go for slow travel and we typically stay at least a week in any place we go, and usually a lot more. I realize work schedules can get in the way and that sometimes a sbort stay is better than no stay.

Do you know what you want to see in those three countries? That might help us advise you better, esp. as to whether it is workable in the timeframe you have.

 

[ed1chandler]

Wow, somehow I missed these responses. Thanks everyone. Let me see if I can address them all.

A month or so ago I was looking into JFK-AMM on RJ with Jordan as the beginning or end to a trip around the same time as you.

Yep, there's a direct ORD-AMM flight on an RJ 787 that has good business availability ... both ways, actually. I might even be willing to fly the back of the plane, at least on the way there. (We prefer that the flight back be as good or nicer than the flight out.)

If you fly RJ make sure to check out Lucky's post about his experience if you aren't aware of it already. I have to think that it would be a good plan to use AA miles on RJ in business.

Yep, I've read it, but thanks. So, apart from the gender role thing, can anyone think of any reason I *wouldn't* want to fly RJ business on the 787?

To be clear, I'm not asking whether there are any better options ... I'm sure there are and I'm always looking. What I'm asking is whether or not there are any "deal-breakers" having to do with RJ, specifically.

Were you going overland from Israel to Jordan or flying between them? That's a lot of ground to cover in the time you have.

I haven't gotten that far yet -- my first priority is knowing I can get there and back with the time and dates at my disposal. The "on the ground" part has never been much of a problem for me.

I haven't yet been to Jordan (on my list), but I will say that if you haven't yet been, both Egypt and Israel are worth the amount of time you have as separate destinations.

No argument here -- I just have to balance the time I have with my wife's limit of toleration when it comes to places I pretty much have to drag her to. I'm going on the assumption that this may be my only opportunity, so I'm going to have to shoehorn a few things in and make a few sacrifices.

Or you might combine Israel and Jordan. Everyone is different, but it is hard to rush and take in all there is in a short amount of time. You didn't ask that question, but I did ten days in Egypt and ten days in Israel and felt that it was not enough time in either place.

Always grateful for advice, even if I don't ask. (Well, maybe not *always*, but in this case, yeah.) Again, if the wife and I both *had* two 10-day chunks of vacation, and the means to get there and back twice, I'd surely do it. But we have a long list of places to go and only so much time to spread around. I do my best.

FYI there are no surcharges on IB TLV-MAD when booked with BA Avios. I'm not sure why.

Is that just on the TLV-MAD leg, and just in that direction? I was thinking about an off-peak AA award ORD-MAD then continuing with a BA award MAD-TLV ... and then coming back however worked best. Like I said, there's all kinds of RJ availability on the way back in business.

I agree with @smittytabb - it seems like too short a time for those three places. I have spent a lot of time in Israel and did a 4 day trip to Jordan, specifically to see Petra, walking across the border between Israel and Jordan in Eilat. Perhaps you could consider 2 rather than 3 countries?

Oh, I've considered it ... ;-) I think I've explained the whole balancing act of vacation, funds, and spousal toleration. Like I said, I do my best.

I realize work schedules can get in the way and that sometimes a short stay is better than no stay.

Bingo!

Do you know what you want to see in those three countries? That might help us advise you better, esp. as to whether it is workable in the timeframe you have.

As I said, I'm still working on the "getting there and back" part, so let me flip that around on you. What would *you* do if you had two weeks(ish) to split between Egypt and Israel and you were really only interested in a day trip to see Petra and maybe one of those cheesy overnights in a Bedouin camp the night before or after? (Don't judge me ... I'd really like to see the stars without any light pollution.)

One option that's occurred to me is to do Israel first, then transit Jordan on the way to Egypt, seeing Petra and doing the camp thing "on the way." The wife has no interest in anything in the Sinai, so I was thinking of letting her relax in Sharm el-Shekh for a day while I day-trip it up the mountain.

So consider the Petra/Sinai thing a 2 or 3 day slice of meat in my Egypt/Israel sandwich.

That's a lot already, ... and I have to run to my second job so I can pay for my all-too-short vacations. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's responses. Thanks in advance.

 

[smittytabb]

Hey, didn't mean to give too much unasked advice - not something I meant to do. At any rate, no reason not to fly RJ. Indeed, I would like to hear another report of how it went. I would certainly consider flying them, but just haven't heard much besides the one over the top review. And I totally understand about convincing someone else to come on an adventure.

 

[ElainePDX]

Having never been to Egypt, I can't really suggest the best way to split your time. Wish I could since I'd love to go there but it is probably not in the cards for me.

We stayed at a not-very-cheesy Bedouin-type desert accommodation on one of our trips - 2008 I think - that Israelis frequent (friends arranged it and joined us there) and I can attest to the fact that the stars and the sunrise are incredible when you are so far from city lights.

If I had just a week in Israel and wanted the Negev desert and Petra on my broader itinerary, I would spend 3 days in Jerusalem and 2 in Tel Aviv. It might be most sensible to take an organized one day tour to Petra from either of those cities, and then perhaps not go back on the tour bus but move on to Egypt /Sinai, Masada or the Bedouin tent deal.

Never been to the Sinai, even when it was under Israeli control, so can't comment. It's become a pretty dangerous place, and I am one who travels to Israel despite what the current political/terror situation is there and even when the US says not to go. Periodically even Israel warns about travel to the Sinai. Check it out to make sure you'll be comfortable and safe.

@KennyBSAT just did a short trip to Israel. and fit in a lot of stuff. You might check out his blog.

Also, remember that things close down in Israel from shortly before sundown (or even sooner) on Friday until Saturday night, for the Sabbath, and that can complicate things like renting a car. (Most agencies close at noon or 1PM Friday and do not reopen until Sunday morning.) So plan ahead if your getting around depends on having a car at specific times.

Hope at least some of this helps!

 

[smittytabb]

Yeah, I agree with Elaine. I wouldn't go to Sharm el-Shekh or the Sinai in general. If you want the desert experience under the stars, do it in Morocco as it is much easier and probably safer. I really loved Egypt. I cannot say enough about how it is one of those destinations that exceeds expectations. I am not sure what I would do with the time you have. I think where you end up flying into will determine a lot of that.

 

[raenye]

How are you with hot weather, Ed? August is terrible there, mid September is probably fine.
Most of the Jewish holidays fall in September or early October, so that can affect airfare and/or traffic in Israel. If you want to go early, perhaps start from Egypt?

 

[KennyBSAT]

@ElainePDX yes I need to finish that trip report! We spent 3 days in Israel and loved it. We stayed just outside the old city of Jerusalem and spent one and a half days there, one day in Ein Gediwhere we hiked up the canyon in the National Park before going down to the Dead Sea, and the last half day we drove down to a Bedoin village West of Masada (everything was closed on Saturday but the drive and Desert views were worth it) before heading back to Jaffa for dinner right on the sea. Most TLV departures are close to midnight which we really liked.

It's not for everyone, but I'm right there with you @ed1chandler on seeing what you want to see, even at a faster-than-ideal pace. You can enjoy the heck out of any place in 3 days, even if it deserves a month to 'do' it properly.

Qatar does fly to Luxor as well Cairo, and Egypt is in the Middle East zone for AA awards so ORD-DOH-Egypt would also be 67.5K in business. But LXR doesn't show up on BA or QF so you'd have to call to check for seats.

If possible (assuming you want to hit all 3) I'd try to put together U.S.-Egypt-Israel-Jordan-US to take advantage of the RJ availability. Depending on what you want to see in Israel, you could spend a couple days in Tel Aviv and/or Jerusalem and then explore your way down to Eliat, cross into Jordan and use tours/public transit/taxis to explore your way back up to Amman.

Edit: CAI-AMM on MS or RJ is ~$200, $65 of which is taxes. U.S.-Egypt-Jordan-Israel might work better for routings. DOH-LXR is a daily morning flight which connects well to the PHL-DOH flight but not the ORD-DOH.

Do you have US miles that you could use to take advantage of their stopover?

 

[ElainePDX]

@raenye makes a very good point. The fall is a time of many Jewish holidays in addition to the big ones (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippor) and all the holidays, whether major or minor, will be like a Sabbath in terms of many things not being open. I bolded the dates that will be like a Sabbath, that is, restaurants, museums, etc. closing early the day before and totally closed on the day of:

Sep 14 Rosh Hashana (New Year day 1)
Sep 15 T Rosh Hashana II (New Year day 2)
Sep 23 Yom Kippur
Sep 28 Sukkot Day 1
Sep 29 Sukkot Day 2
Sep 30 Sukkot Day 3
Oct 1 Sukkot Day 4
Oct 2 Sukkot V (Friday) Day 5
Oct 3 Sukkot VI(Saturday) Day 6
Oct 4 Sukkot VII/Hoshanah Rabah Day 7
Oct 5 Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah

It will be harder to get award seats (and hotel rooms) because many people go to Israel specifically for these holidays.

RE: the weather, I was in the desert in late August and early Sept. in 2013 - I actually was there for the start of these holidays - and we ran into a problem renting a car due to the closures. We ended up getting it before we really needed it and when there was a problem with the car, had to wait until the agency reopened 3 days later. Luckily it was a minor thing. But it was hot - high 90s - although it does cool down nicely at night.

Jerusalem and TLV will not be as hot, but they also could be pretty warm. Ditto for the rest of the places you are considering. Sept. 7 might be a freebie but I think you'll have a better trip if you arrive in Israel after Oct. 5.

 

[ed1chandler]

We stayed at a not-very-cheesy Bedouin-type desert accommodation on one of our trips - 2008 I think - that Israelis frequent (friends arranged it and joined us there) and I can attest to the fact that the stars and the sunrise are incredible when you are so far from city lights.

I'd be interested in the details if you have them handy.

I would spend 3 days in Jerusalem and 2 in Tel Aviv. It might be most sensible to take an organized one day tour to Petra from either of those cities, and then perhaps not go back on the tour bus but move on to Egypt /Sinai, Masada or the Bedouin tent deal.

I'm sure it's naiveté, but I haven's seen anything in TLV that really interests me ... not enough to sacrifice other things, anyway... so that shaves a couple of days off for other things. As for your tour suggestion, that was precisely my thinking. Plenty of companies offer tours to Petra from either Jerusalem or Cairo, so it shouldn't be much trouble to have them pick us up in one and return us to the other ... and it takes care of what would otherwise be a TLV-CAI (or vice versa) flight.

Never been to the Sinai, even when it was under Israeli control, ... Check it out to make sure you'll be comfortable and safe.

... which is why that part would be guided.

Also, remember that things close down in Israel from shortly before sundown (or even sooner) on Friday until Saturday night, for the Sabbath, and that can complicate things like renting a car. (Most agencies close at noon or 1PM Friday and do not reopen until Sunday morning.) So plan ahead if your getting around depends on having a car at specific times.

Noted. Thank you. While I may drive in Israel, I've not read a single opinion of driving in Egypt other than, "For the love of God, don't do it."

It's not for everyone, but I'm right there with you @ed1chandler on seeing what you want to see, even at a faster-than-ideal pace. You can enjoy the heck out of any place in 3 days, even if it deserves a month to 'do' it properly.

Yep, ... 20% of "doing it properly" is better than 100% staying home and watching Netflix.

Qatar does fly to Luxor as well Cairo, and Egypt is in the Middle East zone for AA awards so ORD-DOH-Egypt would also be 67.5K in business.

Good to know, but I hadn't anticipated Luxor being on either end of the Egypt portion of the trip. What's your thinking there? Is there any advantage to flying business ORD-DOH-(CAI or LXR) on QR vs ORD-AMM-CAI on RJ? They're the same price in miles, but routing through DOH adds another 2000 miles each way.

But LXR doesn't show up on BA or QF so you'd have to call to check for seats.

Ah, but it *does* show up in KVS. Still, the only advantage to QR I'm seeing is that I could fly ORD-DOH-LXR and then work my way down the Nile and return home from CAI. Otherwise, I'd be flying ORD-AMM-CAI, then figuring out transportation to/from Luxor. So, essentially, QR saves me having to get from CAI to LXR -- but it seems to me that inter-Egypt flights are cheap.

If possible (assuming you want to hit all 3) I'd try to put together U.S.-Egypt-Israel-Jordan-US to take advantage of the RJ availability. Depending on what you want to see in Israel, you could spend a couple days in Tel Aviv and/or Jerusalem and then explore your way down to Eliat, cross into Jordan and use tours/public transit/taxis to explore your way back up to Amman.

You guys are really great ... let me just get that out on the table before I go on ... because this is really helping a lot.

Edit: CAI-AMM on MS or RJ is ~$200, $65 of which is taxes. U.S.-Egypt-Jordan-Israel might work better for routings.

My routing thoughts are this: If I fly *A in business, I'll probably do Egypt-Jordan-Israel. If I fly off-peak OW to Europe and connect to the Middle East on an Avios award, I'll probably do Israel-Jordan-Egypt. That's just from looking at availability. I have no strong opinions about the order of things ... whatever works.

DOH-LXR is a daily morning flight which connects well to the PHL-DOH flight but not the ORD-DOH. Do you have US miles that you could use to take advantage of their stopover?

Yeah, ... see, that's the thing ... if I fly PHL-DOH then I have to get myself to PHL from ORD in the first place, and then it's a zero-sum game. Is adding an ORD-PHL segment on the front end of PHL-DOH-LXR worth saving a LXR-CAI segment on what would otherwise be ORD-AMM-CIA-LXR? http://bit.ly/1LOkjZ0

I do, indeed, have a pile of US Airways miles, I had looked at the PHL-TLV flights on US, but (as above) I'd have to get there from ORD in the first place and nothing was looking good ... at least when I looked.

In theory (at least with the partners in question here), if I can use AA miles, I should be able to use US miles instead. AA charges 135 round-trip to the Middle East in business, while US charges 120 -- so that's a win.

As I recall, US gives you either a stopover or an open-jaw, but not both, so help me understand your thinking here. Unless I'm missing something (and I probably am) the advantage here would be the possibility of leveraging that stopover in Luxor by routing ORD-PHL-DOH-LXR//LXR-CAI ... but then what? Having used the stopover, I lack the open jaw I need to get home from TLV. Not to mention the dearth of availability on ORD-DOH or DOH-LXR.

What I really need is the open-jaw and I can get that either on AA or US, so then the price becomes the deciding factor.

So, to make a long story short ("Too late!")

Options:

1. My "fallback" is ORD-AMM-CAI//TLV-AMM-ORD on RJ in business. There seems to be ample availability there for most of the fall. That'd be 135k AA (or theoretically 120k US).
2. Another option is an off peak AA one-way award ORD-MAD on IB followed by an Avios award MAD-TLV. That gets me there for 20k AA + 12.5k BA each. Then I could get back ... however, but the main advantage is that it saves me between 28k and 32.5k miles by flying the outbound in the back of the plane.
3. There is a pittance of availability flying ORD-IST-CAI//TLV-IST-ORD on TK in business. Alternately, the return flights could be TLV-WAW-ORD on LO's 787 in business. However, either of those has me paying crazy UA partner rates of 160k UA miles, round trip. (Because of course the UA partner award sale doesn't include US-Middle East.)

Okay, enough ... I'm beat.

Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts, though.

 

[KennyBSAT]

My first thought is that it's cruel of RJ to not open any coach seats so there are never more than 2 award seats on a flight.

Indeed, the only reasons to fly ORD-DOH/AUH-CAI/LXR would be if there weren't ORD-AMM-Egypt seats available, or because you wanted to fly Etihad or Qatar.

What I would look to do if this routing is available: ORD-AMM(stopover)-Petra-Eliat, rent a car, explore your way up to Jerusalem, TLV-AMM on RJ with Avios, AMM-CAI(destination)-AMM/DOH-ORD. 120K US miles and 4500 Avios. Stay safe in Egypt!

Driving in Israel is definitely recommended - as easy as anywhere you might go, and signs are in English.

 

[ElainePDX]

@ed1chandler - This is where we stayed:

http://www.beerotayim.co.il/english.htm

While there may be stars in the sky, no star accommodations here. The sleeping accommodations are not in a tent, nor are they a hotel room. The six of us - 4 adults, 2 kids - shared a hut/room where we all slept on mats. (There is a photo of a similar one on the website in the photos that display under the lodgings heading.) The bathrooms are communal in a different nearby building. I can't remember if we brought linens or if that was supplied. The evening meal was great. It is served communally and the guests eat while sitting on mats on the floor of a large tent. We stayed up quite late talking, after the kids fell asleep in our laps, and then we carried them to the sleeping room. I slept just a few hours and then went outside, where I dozed in a chair while waiting for the sun to rise.

We had a very pleasant time, but it is pretty rustic.

 

[ed1chandler]

Indeed, the only reasons to fly ORD-DOH/AUH-CAI/LXR would be if there weren't ORD-AMM-Egypt seats available, or because you wanted to fly Etihad or Qatar.

I looked at Etihad availability a week or so ago and it was a ghost town. I'll have another look.

@ed1chandler - This is where we stayed:

Much appreciated -- not sure if my darling wife will be down for that or not. I think she's still holding a grudge about walking the Camino a few years back.

 

[ed1chandler]

@raenye makes a very good point. The fall is a time of many Jewish holidays in addition to the big ones (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippor) and all the holidays, whether major or minor, will be like a Sabbath in terms of many things not being open.
<snip>
Jerusalem and TLV will not be as hot, but they also could be pretty warm. Ditto for the rest of the places you are considering. Sept. 7 might be a freebie but I think you'll have a better trip if you arrive in Israel after Oct. 5.

I failed to respond to this bit -- apologies. Thanks for the handy list of holidays. I'll sprinkle those over my calendar and see what happens. As it happens, the last week of October just fell out as well, so the two-week-long opportunities are drying up.

What's your feeling about early November?

 

[MickiSue]

So...not having been to any of the countries you are targeting, but being familiar with dragging spouse to someplace I want to go...I can pretty much guarantee that your wife will enjoy herself more if you do more staying/looking around and less getting from place to place. Nothing ensures crankiness like being jet lagged and trying to race from must see site to must see site.

It may be that she loves one location so much that she wants to spend more time there. I have done the "too many places in too little time" trips, and won't do that again. If you miss out on Jordan, but have the flexibility to spend one more day in Egypt, because someone told you about a fabulous place to visit, and you can cut off a day in Israel, or vice versa, wouldn't it be worth it?

If you were mileage running, more places in less time would be the goal. But if you want to soak in the feel of a foreign land, four to five days is not even enough. Three each? Forget it. You'll just be tired and both of you cranky.

 

[ed1chandler]

I can pretty much guarantee that your wife will enjoy herself more if you do more staying/looking around and less getting from place to place.

Oddly, not in my case. She's a "go-go-go" traveler, but has different tastes as to *where* she wants to go.

Three each? Forget it. You'll just be tired and both of you cranky.

It's already a long thread, but I think you misunderstood somewhere along the way. It's a two week trip, so it's not "three each."

Thanks for the thoughts, though.

 

[ElainePDX]

What's your feeling about early November?

Probably will be fine. We were in Israel from Sept. 1 to Dec. 24 in 2008 and it only got cold enough for a warm jacket in late Dec. That will vary by where you are - some places will stay warm. You do run the risk of rain.

We did the Petra trip in mid Nov. and the days were comfortable/ nights got cool. Did the Bedouin desert trip in October; again, nice days and cool nights.

September was pretty hot, at least for the first few weeks.

 

[MickiSue]

I did misunderstand. Read the 10 weekdays as 10 days.

 

[Maverick17]

This might not help OP, since most of the discussion here has been about AA miles and OneWorld. But for anyone who comes along later to read this, don't forget Flying Blue has TLV in the Europe area (as of the end of 2014), so it's a decent discount on miles. I do not know if the discount carries over to J seats or just is a good deal for Y.

 

[ed1chandler]

Everything helps. If the thread is OW it's only because that's how it developed. I've got no issue transferring to Flying Blue. I looked a week or so ago and I wasn't seeing anything compelling, but I'll have another look. Thanks.

EDIT: Barring a promo award deal, coach is a great deal, but business doesn't appear to any better than anyone else. Is that your take as well, or am I missing "the deal"?

 

[Domat]

I did this trip last august had a blast. I agree with skipping TLV nothing special. Jerusalem, Dead Sea are must dos and then Eilat is cool and the border there gets you a no fee visa into Jordan. Obviously Petra is amazing but Jerash, which is north of Amman, has great roman ruins and is also worth a visit. I didn't enjoy Jordans side of the dead sea as much. We did the overnight at Wadi Rum. We thought it was just ok.

Luxor is pretty cool and Giza is awesome. Get a hotel overlooking the pyramids. Worth every penny. Coptic Cairo is worth a visit as well as the Cairo museum. Other then that I really didn't like Cairo.

10 days seems pretty short to me.

We took USair Y in and RJ business back home.

If you have any questions planning your trip let me know.

 

[ed1chandler]

10 days seems pretty short to me.

It's not "10 days"; it's two weeks -- 14 days (plus or minus). It's 10 weekdays, which only came up in the context of how many vacation days I'd have to take for the trip.

We were in Israel from Sept. 1 to Dec. 24 in 2008 ...

Everyone's advice seems to be "you're not spending enough time there", so perhaps I should be asking for career advice instead. What exactly do all of you *do* that gives you the freedom to just ditch the country for 3 months at a time?

 

[ed1chandler]

If you have any questions planning your trip let me know.

Thanks. You can count on some PMs. ;-)

 

[SanDiego1K]

The Sinai is great for a beach vacation. The most interesting thing to do there is to go to St Catherine's Monastery. There were planeloads of Russian tourists everywhere we went. Literally. I'd guess that 80% of the flights from Sharm Airport are to various Russian destinations, most of whom I'd never heard of.

I found a nonstop flight between Luxor and Sinai when we were there. I think it only operated one day a week. Luxor is amazing with many remarkable sites and a superb museum. I enjoyed the museum far more than those in Cairo. It displays less and shows it better. It truly is a work of beauty.

 

[ed1chandler]

The Sinai is great for a beach vacation. The most interesting thing to do there is to go to St Catherine's Monastery.

Thanks ... yep, I think that's the plan -- Let my wife do the beach while I trek to the monastery.

 

[SanDiego1K]

If I remember correctly, the hike is beyond the monastery. I thought the monastery was fascinating, and I don't trek. Consider both of you seeing St Catherine and then you going on your trek. I recognize that could be complicated to book so that you are together for the monastery and she then gets to return to the hotel while you trek, but she would miss out if she didn't go. imo, of course.

 

[ElainePDX]

What exactly do all of you *do* that gives you the freedom to just ditch the country for 3 months at a time?

I am currently retired and when we were in Israel for a few months, I was doing freelance writing that I could do from anywhere. My husband was on a working sabbatical but it allowed us time to travel as well.

There are many downsides to being married to a college professor (low salaries, he works all the time, etc.) but one perk is (unpaid) summer vacations and the occasional (partially paid) sabbatical. That gives us the luxury of traveling for longish times. But it also spoiled us. Rather than seizing the moment, we invariably decide not to go away if we "only" have a week or two. We've lost the art of enjoying a short trip. But I don't really mind giving up a few short ones for a major long one and I do feel lucky that we can spend more time in the places we go.

 

[ed1chandler]

Thanks, ... yeah, ... I've never had the luxury of a vacation longer than about 18 days. I've got a cubeville day job and I teach karate in the evening (and you can't really punch people "remotely" ). On the one hand, I wish I could; but on the other hand, I see short trips as nothing more than building a "wish list" for longer trips.

 

[ElainePDX]

A few people here have written off Tel Aviv so I thought I'd post this link. I don't know the blogger but for someone who has enough time in their schedule to squeeze in Tel Aviv, I say go for it:
http://travelsofadam.com/2013/06/reasons-why-i-love-tel-aviv/

 

[Differentplanet]

As mentioned in

A few people here have written off Tel Aviv.....I say go for it:
http://travelsofadam.com/2013/06/reasons-why-i-love-tel-aviv/

TLV is party central in the Mediterranean. Fantastic if you're young, but probably a step below Ibiza.

 

[DtB]

This might not help OP, since most of the discussion here has been about AA miles and OneWorld. But for anyone who comes along later to read this, don't forget Flying Blue has TLV in the Europe area (as of the end of 2014), so it's a decent discount on miles. I do not know if the discount carries over to J seats or just is a good deal for Y.

Everything helps. If the thread is OW it's only because that's how it developed. I've got no issue transferring to Flying Blue. I looked a week or so ago and I wasn't seeing anything compelling, but I'll have another look. Thanks.

EDIT: Barring a promo award deal, coach is a great deal, but business doesn't appear to any better than anyone else. Is that your take as well, or am I missing "the deal"?

(OW) Y is 25k and J 62.5k, provided there is DL Saver availability. Y, lately, is pretty tough, but good luck finding J.

 

[Maverick17]

EDIT: Barring a promo award deal, coach is a great deal, but business doesn't appear to any better than anyone else. Is that your take as well, or am I missing "the deal"?

(OW) Y is 25k and J 62.5k, provided there is DL Saver availability. Y, lately, is pretty tough, but good luck finding J.

Sorry I didn't see your edit chandler. I was referencing coach only. Not really familiar with all the availability and J prices compared to Europe. Only know that TLV at 25 seems to be a bargain if you're wanting/willing to fly coach.