How expensive are flights to Israel for Sukkos?

Roughly double a normal week or worse. A New York-Tel Aviv nonstop that runs about $1,400 on Delta or $2,000 on El Al in a quiet November week climbs sharply for yom tov, and business class can clear five figures round trip. Book far ahead or use points with fixed award charts.

When are the cheapest days to fly for Sukkos?

Avoid the Sunday-to-Tuesday rush before yom tov and the mass return right after Simchas Torah. Flying on chol hamoed weekdays, or returning midweek after everyone else is home, is where fares and award space breathe.

Do award seats exist for Sukkos at all?

Yes, but they go first to people who book at schedule open, roughly 11 months out. Fixed-chart programs like Qantas (for El Al) do not raise their points price for yom tov, so a Sukkos seat costs the same points as a November one - if you grab it early.

Yom tov begins at sunset on Friday, September 25, 2026 and runs through Sunday, October 4 (including Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah). Pesach 2027 begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 21, 2027.

Flying to Israel for Sukkos: Beat the Fare Spike With Points

Everyone in the community knows Sukkos fares are brutal. What most people do not know is exactly when they turn brutal, and why the same week that costs your neighbor $2,800 a seat can cost you 28,000 points. This is the playbook.

The short answer

Sukkos cash fares roughly double a normal week or worse - a nonstop that runs about $1,400 (Delta) or $2,000 (El Al) round trip in a quiet November week climbs steeply for yom tov. Points prices on fixed-chart programs do not move. Book at schedule open (about 11 months out), fly chol hamoed weekdays, and use programs whose award price ignores the calendar.

The dates that matter (2026-2027)

Sukkos 2026: yom tov starts at sunset Friday, September 25. Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah run through Sunday, October 4. The expensive travel window: roughly September 20-24 (flying in) and October 4-6 (flying home).
Pesach 2027: yom tov starts at sunset Wednesday, April 21, 2027 and runs through Thursday, April 29. Same pattern, bigger crowds.

Why points beat cash specifically for yom tov

Airlines price yom tov weeks with dynamic cash fares: demand jumps, fares follow. Two kinds of award programs respond very differently:

Dynamic award pricing (Delta SkyMiles, United’s non-saver levels) rises with the cash fare. Weak protection.
Fixed award charts (Qantas for El Al, partner awards through Aeroplan, Flying Blue’s standard rates) charge the same points for Sukkos as for a random Tuesday in November. The Qantas trick was practically invented for yom tov: El Al’s own cash fare can hit double its normal level while the Qantas chart price stays flat.

The catch is availability, not price. El Al releases only a handful of partner award seats per flight, and yom tov seats are the first to disappear.

The booking calendar that wins

Eleven months out (right now for Pesach 2027): schedules open and award space loads. This is when yom tov seats are actually gettable. Set a reminder for your dates.
Six months out: space thins; cash fares start their climb.
One month out: panic pricing on cash, near-zero award space. The only play left is last-minute releases in the final two weeks - real, but not a plan for a family.

The flying-day tricks

Fly chol hamoed. Midweek chol hamoed departures price meaningfully lower than the pre-yom tov rush, and award space is better.
Return late, not with the crowd. The Sunday after Simchas Torah is the single worst day to fly home. Wait until Tuesday or Wednesday and the fare exhales.
Check both JFK and Newark, and check one-way awards - mixing carriers outbound and return often beats a round trip on one program.
Set alerts. ExpertFlyer and seats.aero will email you when El Al partner space opens on your dates. Let the robots watch so you do not have to.

If El Al space is dry on your dates - and by Elul it often is - the Europe backup routes page shows how to get there on one award through Paris, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt. Bringing the whole mishpacha? The family playbook covers getting 4-6 seats.

Ranked: the best cards for a yom tov seat

Amex Gold - 4x on groceries and food (the biggest line item in a frum budget) feeds Qantas, Flying Blue, and Aeroplan at 1:1. Apply now
Chase Sapphire Preferred - your path to United’s nonstop saver space and Flying Blue. Apply now
Capital One Venture X - flat 2x everywhere, transfers to Qantas, Aeroplan, and Flying Blue. Apply now

Yom tov dates verified against Hebcal and Chabad.org; cash fare levels from live fare searches run September 9, 2026 (November week: $1,396 Delta, $2,005 El Al nonstop round trip). Award availability patterns per DansDeals and One Mile at a Time.