Of all the places to get asked this.......

I've done a lot of business flying over the years (old favourite trick was to get Continental code share BC tickets cheap making sure it was on a Virgin flight to get bumped to UC). In 2001 I travelled transatlantic about 18 times!!

Anyway in all my years of flights and probably in excess of 200 flights all over the world I'd never ever been approached by anyone to carry stuff on a flight, until......

In 2002 I had to fly into Tel Aviv (not virgin obviously), for anyone who has flown into Israel let me tell you the security clearances are an absolute nightmare.

Being in Tel Aviv airport while queuing for the London flight on the way back a youngish girl (maybe 16-17) came up to me and told me she was over her baggage allowance and could I take some bags back for her. I was dumb struck, of all the airports to get asked to take something on a plane, to be asked at Tel Aviv.

Anyway I told the staff when I got to the ticket desk and pointed out the girl who asked me, a couple of security guards went over to her and after 2 or 3 minutes of questioning they left her alone. I however got grilled for nearly 45 minutes!!

Suffice to say I'm never flying to Israel again.

One of the girls at work and I were talking about how difficult it is to use our flight benefits to travel internationally during the summer.

We then realized that DL's recent launch of service to TLV was available-- Very available. People certainly aren't lining up to fly over to that part of the world these days.

Off topic I know, just thought I'd share since it was TLV related.

Travelling back from an assignment in the French Caribbean some 25+ years ago, I was given a "gift" when I left Martinique by the company who I'd been working with. They said that there were 3 bottles of champers in the box and of course being completely naieve about air-travel, and with 9/11 still in the future I gladly accepted the package without a second thought...

On the subject of flying through TLV, if you don't fly El Al you need to be on a VERY early flight out, otherwise the security screening prior to check-in is absolutely APALLING; it's a scrum with maybe 200+ other people, (late arriving PAX get taken to the front of the scrum almost randomly - so why bother to get there early if you can jump the queue - this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy). If you fly El Al then it's all relatively civilised, even if you do feel that the plane might as well have a bulls-eye on the tail....[:0]

I fly to TLV about twice a month. Security is sometimes unbrearably long and annoying. Sometimes its not. Go figure.

Ive tried every variation from London. Based on the ludicrous check in and waiting at LHR on El Al the elapsed time is the same for indirect flights.

BA Direct - quickest elapsed time, security normal, expensive, go on the 777 not the 767 flight. Good food. OneWorld

El Al Direct - 4 hour check in, security nightmare. avoid avoid avoid. No alliances with any FFP.

Austrian via Vienna - very early start, quick change, best in low cost business class. Star Alliance

Lufthansa via Frankfurt - Same early start. FRA-TLV is either 744 or an Airbus - In flight Internet. Star Alliance

I have yet to try the new Swiss via Zurich Star Alliance - next time I will.