British Airways extends Tel Aviv cancellations, allows EL AL rebooking

British Airways has, not unexpectedly, announced that announced that flights to Tel Aviv will remain suspended until 25th October. This is the last day of the summer timetable.

It is the latest in a series of pauses, with the existing suspension due to end on 31st July.

From 26th October onwards, the morning outbound flight has been cancelled. Only the evening outbound flight (with the enticing 3.20am arrival time in Tel Aviv) is bookable.

Virgin Atlantic has permanently cancelled its Tel Aviv route so this is not available as a rebooking option.

British Airways has, however, agreed a comprehensive deal with EL AL.

If you have a BA ticket to Tel Aviv for travel up to 25th October, or you are on a cancelled morning flight from 26th October, you can ask to switch to an EL AL service from Heathrow. This includes redemption tickets.

If this is not convenient or there is no availability on your chosen date, there is an alternative. You can be rebooked on British Airways to various cities in Europe and then switch to a connecting EL AL flight.

Options include Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Larnaca, Madrid, Milan and Paris.

The trade guidelines also imply that Lufthansa Group airlines are available as an option but that agents should push you to accept EL AL in the first instance.

You can, of course, also request a full refund if your British Airways flight has been cancelled.

Further details can be found on the BA trade website here.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (June 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express Credit Card

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 on the FREE standard card and 1 Avios per £1 on the Pro card. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.