Extending your Ticket
Want to extend your stay in Israel after the 10-day Birthright Trip is over? Great!
We urge our participants to extend their ticket before departing rather than waiting until you arrive in Israel. Although airlines permit flight extensions to be made in Israel seats are limited and the extension process takes time, that during the trip you might not have. Here are some tips for planning your extension:
To extend your flight, please reach out to Gil Travel. If you wish to make the request before your flight to Israel (recommended), kindly allow a minimum of 7-10 business days (depending on the airline)for processing. Otherwise, the confirmation for your extension may only be provided after your arrival in Israel. Here is the link to the extension form on their website:
Some things to keep in mind:
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Extensions are NOT guaranteed and can be expensive.
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We do NOT advise that you plan post-trip travel until you've reserved a new return flight.
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Extension can be made for up to 90 days maximum.
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Stopovers are not permitted.
Please note: If you have confirmed an extension and then cancel or change your trip, you will be forfeiting your extension, including all fees paid to Gil Travel and the airline. Birthright Israel or Yael Adventures is not responsible for extensions processed with Gil Travel or with the airlines. Extensions are the individual’s responsibility.
Cancelling/Forfeiting Your Return Ticket
You are able to cancel your return ticket and plan the return flight to your home country on your own.
You must notify us in advance or you may lose your $250 deposit. Forfeiting your return flight is different from extending your return flight. By forfeiting your return ticket you will be canceling your return flight altogether and will be responsible for arranging your own flight home from Israel.
To forfeit the return flight in the Birthright Israel App::
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You can now cancel your own return flight from the Participant App
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Return flights can be cancelled after departure from the home country and up to 48 hours before the return flight from Israel to avoid losing your deposit
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Cancel Return Flight option is on the following screen and flows as follows:
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Clicking on CANCEL MY RETURN FLIGHT opens a Pop Up mini window for you to follow and confirm the action.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL LAW: Your passports must be valid for 6 months from your final scheduled day in Israel. No exceptions! You must fly with the group from the scheduled gateway airport. If you change your trip AFTER booking your extension, your extension will be forfeited.
Plan Ahead
You can generally extend your ticket up to 2-3 months from the date you depart depending on the rules of the airlines.
You will be on an organized group flight, which means you can only change the date of the return. You can not change the route on the ticket to include another destination. You will not be allowed to extend your ticket on the front end and meet the group in Israel.