Airline rules shift for kosher flyers: JetBlue adds meals, cRc revises its guide, Dubai links to Israel close

Flydubai has cancelled all Tel Aviv flights through October 31. The cancellations follow the Sept. 30 attack on Flight 1073. The UAE also revoked Dubai landing permits for Arkia, Israir and El Al on Oct. 7, and security talks have stalled, with no resumption expected.

For advisors, this is a rebooking and refund issue now. Clients on Dubai-routed or Dubai-stopover itineraries to or from Israel should be moved. Etihad via Abu Dhabi is the working alternative. Pesach and winter-break Israel routings should avoid Dubai connections until the position changes.

• Flydubai Tel Aviv flights cancelled through Oct. 31
• Arkia, Israir and El Al Dubai permits revoked Oct. 7
• Etihad via Abu Dhabi is the working alternative

JetBlue told DansDeals that kosher meals (code KSML) can be pre-ordered in BlueFirst on flights of 899 miles or more. The order must be placed at least 24 hours before departure. That threshold is lower than United's 2,000 miles. Flights under 899 miles have no meal service.

BlueFirst is on sale now, with the first flight on Dec. 8. It covers more than 30 routes, including New York to Costa Rica and Florida. Both are popular frum winter and Pesach destinations. Advisors should build the 24-hour cutoff into booking checklists for clients in the cabin.

The cRc has updated its pocket guide to hashgachos on airline meals. It accepts 12 certifications, including KLBD, Badatz Yerushalayim, COR and Kosher SA. It does not recommend six, including the Consistoire de Paris, the Israeli Rabbanut Lekashrut Artzit, and certifiers in Japan, the Philippines and New Zealand.

Advisors can use the guide to set client expectations and to handle special-meal requests. Two caveats apply: it excludes Lubavitch standards, and the status applies to airline meals only. It is a handy reference ahead of Pesach booking season.

Casa Myriam has opened in Juan-les-Pins, a dairy kosher Italian restaurant under the Rabbinat d'Antibes. It has a terrace and is a short walk from the train station and the beaches.

Year-round sit-down kosher dining between Nice and Cannes has been limited. This gives advisors planning Côte d'Azur family and group trips, and Riviera Pesach programs, an option that doesn't send clients into Nice for a meal.

Air Haifa begins flights from Ben Gurion (Terminal 1) to Ramon Airport (Eilat) on Oct. 25. It plans about two to three flights a day, with introductory fares from NIS 79. Israir and Arkia charge roughly NIS 170–300 on the route.

Baggage is extra. Changes or cancellations give a credit valid for two years. For clients already in Israel, it is a cheaper domestic option for winter and Sukkot-to-Chanukah Eilat add-ons.

Dartmouth's kosher dining station, the Pavilion, previously held Tablet K certification. It now operates under the OU, with a mashgiach present whenever food is prepared or served. The kitchen was kashered and re-equipped. The Commons is open to the public.

The change is useful for advisors planning college tours or parent visits in New Hampshire for observant families. It also shows a major certifier expanding onto campuses.