West Coast travelers heading to Israel have spent more than three years routing through Newark, Istanbul, Athens, or Europe to get to Ben Gurion. That ends next spring. United announced today that it will resume nonstop service between San Francisco and Tel Aviv on March 28, 2027, with 3x weekly flights on the Boeing 787-9.
The announcement came as part of what United called the largest international expansion in the airline’s history, a package of 10 brand-new cities plus a handful of new and resuming routes. For the kosher travel world, only one line in that press release matters, and it’s the SFO-TLV one.
Why This Route Went Away
United launched SFO-Tel Aviv in 2016 after a sustained push from Israeli tech workers in the Bay Area, and the route became a genuine asset for the community. It ran with 777 and 777-300ER equipment, which meant real award space in economy, Premium Plus, and Polaris, and it took pressure off the perpetually oversubscribed Newark flights.
Then came October 7, 2023. United pulled all four of its Tel Aviv routes. Newark returned in July 2025, followed by Chicago and Washington Dulles that November. San Francisco stayed dark. As recently as this past October, United was still telling customers on social media that it had no update to share on the route.
El Al Moved First
The competitive picture explains the timing. El Al announced in June that it is bringing back its own San Francisco service on October 25 of this year, running 3x weekly on the 787 with the outbound flight from Israel numbered LY49 as a nod to the 49ers. El Al originally opened the route in 2019 and dropped it in March 2020 when the pandemic shut down global travel, so this is a 6.5-year gap for them as well.
El Al returning to an unserved route was always going to force United’s hand. What is notable is that United is not matching El Al head-on with a widebody 777 and daily frequency. Three weekly 787-9s is a cautious re-entry, and the March start date puts it well after the fall Yom Tov season and after El Al has had a full winter to establish itself.
What It Means for Travelers
Two carriers on SFO-TLV changes the math for anyone flying to Israel from Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere that connects cleanly through San Francisco. Competition on this route historically meant better cash fares and dramatically better award availability, and having a US carrier back in the market gives MileagePlus members a way to use miles and status on the segment that matters most.
For observant travelers, the schedule is the other piece worth watching. Three weekly frequencies on both carriers means six departures a week between them, which gives real flexibility for building an itinerary that avoids arriving on Erev Shabbat or landing at Ben Gurion Friday afternoon with no margin for a delay.
El Al passengers get kosher catering standard. United passengers ordering the kosher meal should expect the usual double-wrapped tray from the airline’s catering partners, and anyone flying Polaris should pre-order well in advance.
The Rest of the Expansion
The other resuming and new routes include Los Angeles to Osaka daily, Washington Dulles to Milan 3x weekly, and Denver to Paris daily. The 10 new cities lean heavily on the Airbus A321XLR and cover Luxembourg, Toulouse, Ibiza, Valencia, Marseille, Okinawa, Ljubljana, Olbia, Catania, and Terceira in the Azores.
Catania and Olbia are the two most relevant to this audience beyond Tel Aviv. Sicily and Sardinia both draw significant summer traffic from Israeli and European Jewish travelers, and direct Newark access opens up itineraries that previously required a European connection.
Booking Notes
March 28, 2027 is far enough out that award space should be wide open when the schedule loads. United cardholders get expanded saver award access, which on this route has historically been the difference between paying 80,000 miles and paying 200,000. Set an alert and book early.
Hat tip to DansDeals, which broke the news of United’s expansion and the SFO-Tel Aviv resumption.