El Al Israel Airlines Baggage Allowance, Fees & How to Add Extra Baggage

LY / ELY · Israel

Buy additional checked bags and added weight online via elal.com Manage My Booking or the EL AL app up to 3 hours before departure; extra-bag fees vary by route and date, with online pre-order saving up to 50% versus airport purchase. Use the official links below to review baggage rules, booking access, and related airline services.

Baggage Policy Official website

Updated Sep 2, 2026

El Al Israel Airlines Baggage Allowance

Free checked and carry-on baggage allowances by cabin class and route. Allowances vary by route, ticket type, and frequent flyer status — always confirm with the official baggage policy before you fly.

Checked baggage

Piece concept; free allowance depends on ticket type (Lite/Classic/Flex) and destination region (Europe & Middle East, Far East & Africa, North America, Eilat). Each piece up to 23 kg. Lite includes no free checked bag on routes where offered.

Label	Amount	Notes
Europe & Middle East – Lite	No free checked baggage	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/baggage-allowance (Europe and Middle East tab, Economy class table): 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)' row under Lite column shows 'Pre-order: The fee varies'. Indicates no bag included; first bag must be pre-ordered for a fee. Same tab footnote: '“The fee varies” – The price depends on a number of factors, such as the destination and date of the flight.' and 'Pre-order option is available up to three hours prior to departure.'
Europe & Middle East – Classic	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same table: Classic column shows 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'. Weight verbatim '23 kg per piece'. Additional pieces (2 to 5 additional pieces of 23 kg each) require pre-order fee ('Pre-order: The fee varies') – not part of free allowance.
Europe & Middle East – Flex	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same table: Flex column shows 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'.
Far East & Africa – Lite	No free checked baggage	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/baggage-allowance (Far East tab, Economy): Lite column shows 'Pre-order: The fee varies' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'.
Far East & Africa – Classic	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same Far East table: Classic column shows 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'.
Far East & Africa – Flex	2 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same Far East table: Flex column shows '2 Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)' row. Taken as 2 pieces × 23 kg each included for Flex on this region; original cell text preserved verbatim '2 Included in the ticket price'. If interpreted as single-piece typo, amount would be 1 × 23 kg; the verbatim cell is recorded here for traceability.
North America – Classic	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/baggage-allowance (North America tab): 'EL AL offers two types of tickets in Economy Class on flights from/to North America' – table shows Classic 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'. Note '* Only two types of tickets are offered for flights to/from North American destinations - Classic and Flex.' – Lite not offered on this corridor.
North America – Flex	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same North America table: Flex column shows 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'.
Eilat (domestic) – Lite	No free checked baggage	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/baggage-allowance (Eilat tab): Lite column shows 'Pre-order: The fee varies' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'.
Eilat (domestic) – Classic	1 × 23 kg	Official verbatim same Eilat table: Classic column shows 'Included in the ticket price' for 'One piece of checked baggage (23 kg)'. Eilat offers only Lite and Classic (two types) per heading 'EL AL offers two types of tickets in economy class on flights to/from Eilat'.

Carry-on baggage

Personal item + carry-on; eligibility and count depend on Lite/Classic/Flex and route (North America only Classic/Flex; Europe/UAE Lite carry-on must be gate-checked from 21 May 2025). Carry-on size 56 × 45 × 25 cm; personal item 30 × 18 × 18 cm.

Label	Amount	Notes
Personal item – all Economy tickets	1 × personal item	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/hand-baggage table 'Personal Item And Carry-Ons - Economy Class': Personal item row shows 'One item' for Lite, Classic and Flex. Descriptive text: 'Passengers may bring one personal item on board, regardless of card type or travel class.' Dimensions from official image alt on same page: personal.svg alt='Personal item: Height 18 cm, width 30 cm, depth 18 cm' – taken as 30 × 18 × 18 cm (width 30, depth 18, height 18). Stored under seat. Also applies to Premium/Business (same personal item rule).
Lite – carry-on	1 × 8 kg (56 × 45 × 25 cm)	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/hand-baggage: Economy Class eligibility list 'Lite* - entitled to one carry-on, maximum 8 kg.' and table shows 'One item to be sent to aircraft holds' for Lite. Footnote verbatim: 'Starting from May 21, 2025, passengers traveling on a Lite ticket to or from Europe and the United Arab Emirates will be required to send their carry-on to the aircraft hold at the gate at no cost, except for Matmid program Frequent Flyer members with Silver status or higher...'. Thus from that date Lite carry-on is not kept in cabin on those routes. Dimensions from official image alt hand-svg-en.svg: 'Height - 56 cm, width - 45 cm, depth - 25 cm' (Hebrew alt: גובה - 56 ס"מ, רוחב - 45 ס"מ, עומק - 25 ס"מ) – applies to all carry-ons. North America note: '* Only two types of tickets are offered for flights to/from North American destinations - Classic and Flex.' – so Lite carry-on rules do not apply to North America flights.
Classic – carry-on	1 × 8 kg (56 × 45 × 25 cm)	Official verbatim: 'Classic - entitled to one carry-on, maximum 8 kg.' Same dimensions 56 × 45 × 25 cm as above; stored in overhead compartment.
Flex – carry-on (non-US)	2 × 8 kg (12 kg total, 56 × 45 × 25 cm each)	Official verbatim: 'Flex * - entitled to two carry-ons, maximum 8 kg per bag (total weight of both bags up to 12 kg).' Table shows 'Two items*' for Flex. Footnote * verbatim: 'According to TSA regulations, for flights departing from the U.S, passengers are permitted one carry-on bag and one personal item in the cabin. Eligible customers may check an additional carry-on bag at no additional cost.' – so on US departures Flex passengers may bring only 1 in cabin + 1 checked free. Each bag same dimensions 56 × 45 × 25 cm per image alt.
Flex – carry-on (departing US, TSA limit)	1 × 8 kg in cabin + 1 × 8 kg checked free (12 kg total)	Official verbatim TSA footnote as above. Specific to flights departing from the U.S. – applies to Economy Flex and Premium/Business (same footnote). Verbatim from hand-baggage page: 'According to TSA regulations, for flights departing from the U.S, passengers are permitted one carry-on bag and one personal item in the cabin. Eligible customers may check an additional carry-on bag at no additional cost.'

Premium includes personal item + 2 carry-ons, max 8 kg each, combined up to 12 kg; 56 × 45 × 25 cm each. TSA US-departure limit applies.

Label	Amount	Notes
Personal item	1 × personal item	Same as Economy: one personal item for all classes; dimensions 30 × 18 × 18 cm per personal.svg alt.
Carry-ons	2 × 8 kg (12 kg total, 56 × 45 × 25 cm each)	Official verbatim on https://www.elal.com/eng/baggage/hand-baggage under 'Personal Item And Carry-Ons - Premium And Business Classes' table: Premium column shows 'Two item (Up to 12 Kg in total)'. Clarified below under 'Premium and Business Classes - eligibility, dimensions and weight': 'Premium - entitled to two carry-ons, maximum 8 kg per bag, with a combined weight not exceeding 12 kg.' Dimensions from same hand-premium-business-en.svg alt: 56 × 45 × 25 cm per bag. TSA footnote same as Economy: US departures limited to 1 in cabin + 1 checked free.

Business includes personal item + 2 carry-ons, max 16 kg each, combined up to 20 kg; 56 × 45 × 25 cm each. TSA US-departure limit applies.

Label	Amount	Notes
Personal item	1 × personal item	Same personal item rule: one per passenger regardless of class; 30 × 18 × 18 cm.
Carry-ons	2 × 16 kg (20 kg total, 56 × 45 × 25 cm each)	Official verbatim table: Business column shows 'Two item (Up to 20 Kg in total)*'. Clarified text: 'Business - entitled to two carry-ons, maximum 16 kg per bag, with a combined weight not exceeding 20 kg.' Same TSA US-departure footnote: only 1 carry-on + 1 personal item in cabin, additional bag checked free. Dimensions same 56 × 45 × 25 cm per hand-premium-business-en.svg alt.

How to Add Extra Baggage & Prices on El Al Israel Airlines

Buy Baggage

Go to elal.com and click 'My Booking' in the top navigation to open the Manage My Booking page.
Sign in with your booking reference and last name, or log in to your Matmid account.
Select the baggage option and choose the number of additional checked bags and/or the added weight per bag you need.
If you have already checked in for your flight, add the baggage through the check-in process instead.
Review the fee shown for your route and complete payment.
After payment, the added baggage allowance is reflected in your booking in Manage My Booking.

Prices

No fixed published prices: 'The fee varies' depending on the destination and date of the flight. Pre-order online up to 3 hours before departure; the exact amount is shown during the purchase process.

Label	Amount	Notes
Standard / non-Lite fares	See official pricing	Official site states 'The fee varies' — the price depends on the destination and date of the flight. The exact fee is displayed during the purchase process in Manage My Booking or at booking.
First checked bag on Lite tickets	See official pricing	Lite tickets include no checked baggage allowance; the first bag is purchased as a pre-order and the fee varies by route and date.

Fixed tariff for bags with total dimensions over 158 cm and up to 277 cm, purchased via the EL AL call center. Amounts shown as [more than 3 hours before the flight] / [less than 3 hours before the flight, full price], per passenger per flight segment.

Label	Amount	Notes
Europe and the Middle East	$65 / $100
Far East and Africa	$100 / $150
North America	$185 / $200
Eilat	25 NIS / 35 NIS	Prices for Israeli domestic flights are charged in NIS.

Additional sports equipment beyond the free allowance has fixed regional fees. Payment is made at the airport only and cannot be made in advance.

Label	Amount	Notes
Europe and the Middle East	$70 one way
Far East and North America	$150 one way
Eilat	100 NIS one way (surfboards 150 NIS)	Israeli domestic flights are charged in NIS.
Skis and snowboard equipment	Free	One checked bag with ski or snowboard equipment up to 32 kg and 277 cm total dimensions is carried at no extra charge in addition to the allowance (not on Lite tickets).

FAQ

Can I buy extra baggage online?

Yes. Add extra checked bags and/or add weight to a bag (up to 32 kg) online through Manage My Booking on elal.com or via the EL AL app, up to 3 hours before departure.

Where do I buy extra baggage?

Purchase through Manage My Booking on elal.com or the EL AL app (before check-in), through the check-in process (after check-in), via the EL AL Service Center, at the airport, or through a travel agent. Oversized baggage (over 158 cm) is purchased through the EL AL call center.

When is the deadline to buy extra baggage online?

Pre-order online up to 3 hours before the flight. Adding baggage later and/or at the airport may be at a higher price, and potentially significantly higher.

How does El Al calculate extra baggage charges?

El Al does not publish fixed extra-bag prices: 'The fee varies' depending on destination and date of flight. The prevailing rate is the rate on the date of payment, and prices are displayed in US dollars (local currency at some airports).

Is it cheaper to buy extra baggage online vs at the airport?

Yes — online pre-order up to 3 hours before departure saves up to 50% compared to airport prices and has no handling fees. The EL AL Service Center adds a $5 handling fee per passenger per reservation.

What are the checked baggage limits?

Each checked bag can weigh up to 23 kg (weight can be added up to 32 kg) and must not exceed 158 cm total dimensions. Passengers may check up to 5 bags in total; 6 or more bags, bags over 32 kg or over 277 cm must be arranged in advance via EL AL Cargo.

What are the overweight and oversized baggage rules?

Bags up to 32 kg can be pre-purchased online or via the app/call center with added weight. Bags over 32 kg go through EL AL Cargo. Oversized bags (158-277 cm) are purchased through the call center at fixed regional tariffs: Europe & Middle East $65-$100, Far East & Africa $100-$150, North America $185-$200, Eilat 25-35 NIS, per passenger per flight segment.

Do codeshare or connecting flights have different baggage rules?

Yes. The published baggage terms apply to EL AL flights on EL AL aircraft only. On codeshare flights the marketing carrier determines the baggage procedures, and connecting flights on other carriers may have different allowances and fees.

Can I pay for extra baggage with cards, cash or Matmid points?

Baggage can be paid for in cash or Matmid points when ordered in advance (up to 3 hours before the flight). FLY CARD and FLY CARD PREMIUM holders receive a 50% discount on one additional Economy-class bag (not on Lite tickets).

Can I get a refund for extra baggage if I cancel or change my booking?

No. In the event of cancellation or change of additional services after purchase, no refund is given and the passenger is charged in full.

Are there any important exceptions I should know?

Lite tickets include no checked baggage allowance. Matmid members receive additional checked baggage by status (Silver: 2 bags x 23 kg, Gold and Platinum: 2 x 32 kg, Top Platinum: 3 x 32 kg). The FLY CARD discount must be arranged via customer service (+972-3-9771111) up to 3 hours before departure.

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