Lounge directory
Tel Aviv Ben Gurion lounges TLV: every lounge and how to get in
Ben Gurion rebuilt its entire lounge lineup over the winter of 2025 to 2026. The Dan Lounges are gone, Priority Pass opens nothing, and two new operators now hold the floor. Here is every door in both terminals and the realistic ways through each one.
Lounge verdict Thin. Five facilities exist on paper, but only two of them admit ordinary travelers, both gate access through airline contracts or paid entry, and the prices for that paid entry are still to be confirmed. This is one of the weakest lounge lineups of any major international gateway.
Best access play A business class ticket or Star Alliance Gold status, which opens the Aspire Lounge in Concourse E around the clock. Travelers on EL AL premium tickets get the King David Lounge instead, and it is the better room.
The one thing to know Priority Pass has had zero lounges at TLV since December 31, 2025. The card that unlocks 1,500 lounges worldwide unlocks exactly none here, including for US Amex Platinum holders.
Last reviewed 1 May 2026
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 lounges, where everything lives
Terminal 3 handles nearly all international traffic at Ben Gurion, and every conventional lounge sits airside in its duty free concourse area. After the winter shake up, four facilities remain: two contract lounges, one airline lounge, and one VIP service that is more escort package than lounge.
The Aspire Lounge in Concourse E is now the default door. It serves business class passengers on most airlines except EL AL, admits Star Alliance Gold members, and runs 24 hours according to the Israel Airports Authority. The Jetex Lounge in Concourse C opened in May 2026 in partnership with American Express Israel, and it also runs around the clock. Both lounges state that economy passengers may buy entry for an additional fee, with prices to be confirmed.
The King David Lounge by Concourse D belongs to EL AL and is the most complete room at the airport, with showers, a spa room, massage chairs, and a cigar room. It admits EL AL first and business class passengers, the top Matmid frequent flyer tiers, and King David Club members, and nobody else. The Arbel Lounge on Level 1 of the eastern gallery is a different product entirely: a paid VIP service that walks you through check in, security, and passport control, with third party tariffs starting around 550 dollars for a single traveler.
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspire Lounge | Concourse E, departures duty free area | 24 hours | Business class on most airlines except EL AL, Star Alliance Gold; economy paid entry, price to be confirmed | The default lounge at TLV now. Fine, not memorable. |
| Jetex Lounge | Concourse C, departures duty free area | 24 hours | Business class and eligible frequent flyers per airline contract; Israeli issued Amex Platinum and Centurion; economy paid entry, price to be confirmed | New in May 2026. Foreign Amex cards do not work here. |
| King David Lounge | Concourse D, departures duty free area | To be confirmed, follows EL AL schedule | EL AL first and business, top Matmid tiers, King David Club members | The best room at the airport, and the most exclusive. |
| Arbel Lounge | Level 1, eastern gallery | 24 hours | Paid VIP packages, from roughly 550 dollars solo, less per person in groups | An escort service with armchairs, not a lounge you wander into. |
Hours last reviewed 1 May 2026 against the Israel Airports Authority lounge listings.
The shake up
What closed, what replaced it
For decades the Dan Lounges in Concourses B and C were the answer to almost every access question at TLV: Priority Pass, credit card deals, and walk in entry all funneled through them. That entire system ended on December 31, 2025, when the Dan Lounges closed permanently.
The closure took Priority Pass down with it. No replacement lounge has joined the program, so as of June 2026 the card has zero participating locations at Ben Gurion. The credit card entry arrangements that Israeli banks ran through the Dan Lounges ended in late 2025 as well, with the Aspire Lounge picking up the contract for Max cardholders, an arrangement to be confirmed directly with the card issuer before you rely on it.
Two more changes are in motion. A second Aspire Lounge is planned for Concourse B once renovations there finish, with no published opening date. And the Jetex partnership with American Express Israel, announced in May 2026, covers only cards issued by Premium Express in Israel. American Express confirmed to US media that foreign issued Platinum and Centurion cards are excluded, which makes the Jetex door useless to the large American market that used to lean on Priority Pass here.
One broader 2026 caution: TLV schedules and terminal assignments have shifted repeatedly through the security situation of the past two years, and some foreign carriers have suspended and resumed service more than once. Lounge contracts follow airline schedules, so treat every airline lounge arrangement here as worth a same week check.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1, one private terminal and nothing else
Terminal 1 historically handles budget carriers and its operating status has varied through 2025 and 2026, so confirm your terminal with your airline the week you fly. There is no conventional lounge inside it.
What Terminal 1 does have is the Fattal Terminal, a private terminal experience next to the main building where check in, security, and passport control all happen in a separate facility before a car delivers you to the aircraft. Third party tariffs list around 560 dollars for the first passenger and 380 dollars for each additional one, with private guest rooms sold separately, all to be confirmed with the operator. It is a chauffeur class product, not a layover product, and for anyone reading a lounge directory it is almost certainly the wrong tool.
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fattal Terminal | Terminal 1, separate private building | To be confirmed, booking required | Paid packages, roughly 560 dollars first passenger, 380 dollars each additional, to be confirmed | A private terminal, not a lounge. Skip unless someone else is paying. |
Listed by the Israel Airports Authority as of 1 May 2026. Reserve directly with the operator.
Access decoder
Which doors open for you at TLV
Work down this list and stop at the first line that matches you. That is your lounge, and at Ben Gurion the list runs out fast.
A business class ticket. Most airlines except EL AL contract the Aspire Lounge in Concourse E, and some send premium passengers to the Jetex Lounge in Concourse C instead. Your boarding pass or the agent at check in will tell you which one your carrier uses, and both run 24 hours.
Star Alliance Gold. The Aspire Lounge in Concourse E admits Star Alliance Gold members traveling on alliance carriers. With Lufthansa group, Austrian, and other alliance airlines serving TLV in waves through 2026, confirm your carrier is actually flying before you count on this.
EL AL premium or status. First and business class passengers on EL AL, the top Matmid tiers, and King David Club members use the King David Lounge by Concourse D. EL AL passengers are specifically excluded from the Aspire contract, so this is the only door for them.
An Israeli issued Amex. Platinum and Centurion cards issued by Premium Express in Israel open the Jetex Lounge in Concourse C with unlimited visits. Cards issued by American Express anywhere else do not qualify, full stop.
Priority Pass. Nothing. The program lost its last TLV lounge when the Dan Lounge closed on December 31, 2025, and no current lounge participates. The full story, and what to do with a long wait instead, is on our Priority Pass at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV) guide.
Cash. The airport authority states that economy passengers may buy entry to both the Aspire and Jetex lounges for an additional fee, with prices to be confirmed at the door or with the operators. Above that sit the VIP packages: roughly 550 dollars per person at the Arbel Lounge and 560 dollars at the Fattal Terminal. For the price of either you could book a Tel Aviv hotel room for two nights, which tells you what we think of that math on an ordinary layover.
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Priority Pass opens nothing at Ben Gurion since December 2025, and the replacement lounges run on airline contracts and paid entry. Compare what your cards and status actually unlock before you fly.
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FAQ
Ben Gurion lounge questions
Does Priority Pass work at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion?
No. The Dan Lounge, the last Priority Pass lounge at TLV, closed on December 31, 2025, and none of the lounges that replaced it have joined the program. As of June 2026 the card opens nothing at Ben Gurion.
Which lounges at Ben Gurion are open 24 hours?
The Israel Airports Authority lists both the Aspire Lounge in Concourse E and the Jetex Lounge in Concourse C as open 24 hours. The King David Lounge follows the EL AL flight schedule, with exact hours to be confirmed.
Can I pay to enter a lounge at TLV without status?
Yes, in principle. The airport authority states that economy passengers may use the Aspire and Jetex lounges for an additional fee, with prices to be confirmed at the door or through the operators. The Arbel Lounge and Fattal Terminal sell VIP packages that run several hundred dollars per person.
What happened to the Dan Lounge at Ben Gurion?
The Dan Lounges in Terminal 3 closed permanently on December 31, 2025, ending both their Priority Pass arrangement and their credit card entry deals. The Aspire Lounge in Concourse E has taken over as the main contract lounge, and a second Aspire location is planned for Concourse B after renovations.
Does a US Amex Platinum card get me into any lounge at TLV?
No. The Jetex Lounge admits only Platinum and Centurion cards issued by American Express in Israel, and the Priority Pass that comes with the US card has no participating lounge here. Your realistic options are a business class ticket, Star Alliance Gold status, or paid entry.
Which lounge do EL AL passengers use at Ben Gurion?
The King David Lounge by Concourse D, reserved for EL AL first and business class passengers, top Matmid frequent flyer tiers, and King David Club members. It has showers, a spa room, and massage chairs, and EL AL passengers are not covered by the Aspire contract lounge.
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