Two separate plane tickets - Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv

To say that Ben Gurion has heightened security is an understatement.

Ben Gurion is probably one of the more secure airports in the world - if not THE most secure. You need to give yourself extra time for the security procedure. This will start state-side as you go through a second security screening before getting on your Tel-Aviv flight.

It may take a while to go through immigration. Once through, I'd suggest picking up your luggage and then immediately checking in for the next flight. (Edit: some forums state that you can't check luggage more than 3 hours prior to your flight. I don't know as I always go carry on only) These activities have the potential to take a few hours.

Prepare for multiple interviews from security. Tell the truth - they are trained to detect inconsistencies. No need to give more info than asked for, but don't withhold either.

Good news - the secure parts of the airport have many stores and services. And by all means try the coffee!

Oh, and give yourself plenty of time on the way back out too.

You can't stay airside anyway. You are entering Israel and have to go through passport control.

If you arriving on El Al it will most likely be in Terminal 3. Israir flights to Eilat are at Terminal 1.

It is suggested that you get to the airport three hours ahead of time for all the formalities of security. There are numerous levels unlike in the U.S.

I would contact Israir and see if your bag can be interlined and then ask them what the procedure is for doing what you are doing.

The plane is an Airbus 320.

You'll go through passport control and then pick up your luggage. You may want to get a luggage cart since you'll be stuck with your stuff while you linger in this terminal. The carts used to be free but now I think you need coins or a credit card to get one. By the way, you can get shekels here. There's a Change run by a bank right in the middle of the baggage claim hall and at the back of this "kiosk" is an ATM machine. The ATM may only dispense 100 shekel notes. You can then walk around to the Change and ask for some smaller notes (50 or 20) and coins. There are also toilets as you walk from the gate to passport control and in the baggage hall (good idea before you have all your luggage to manage). Then you walk through customs in the green lane - there are always a few officials on duty but they usually look like they are all on a coffee break. Now you're in the main hall on the ground floor. There are a few shops and a cafe and lots of seats where you can plop down. No one will care if you are there for a couple hours or more. You can also walk out the middle (#2 I think) door of the terminal (past the smokers) to see the Menorah sculpture (Dali, if memory serves me well). For a nicer experience, take the elevator (if you have a luggage cart) or the escalator if you can manage it with your stuff up to the departures level. Ignore all the check-in counters and look for the passageway in the middle behind them. Walk through to find more shops, a cafe and a view of the tarmac. There's free wifi in the terminal.

At some point you will have to move on to Terminal 1. I'd hang around T3 as long as possible since there are more shops and services there. There is a free shuttle from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. Per that website: The station for the shuttle service form Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 is located on Level G, next to the station of the Long- Term Car Park shuttle.

Are you sure your flight to Eilat is from Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion Airport? There is another Tel Aviv airport with flights to Eilat. I also notice that Oct 11 is a holiday in Israel. Not sure if all the shops and services will be open. I've never gone through the airport on a holiday.

Just a positive note. Having read and heard all kinds of stories about "extreme" security measures at TLV, I was pleasantly surprised to get only a few questions, no different than those I've gotten at many other airports, on both arrival and departure. I actually had much more intense experiences from the security leaving Milan and Rome (where flights to the US are processed in the same places, and by the same people, as flights to Israel). So, I hope your TLV airport experience is as benign as mine was!

Thank you all for your replies. I feel better about this.

I'm flying on United with a layover in New York. I purchased shekels here so I'll arrive with bills but no coins.

All of this is made more complicated because my travel arrangements, including flights, are made by a tour company (Keshet, in case anyone's heard of them). I booked an overnight in Jordan with them from Oct. 12-13, departing from Eilat; and a tour of Israel from Oct. 16-27. Keshet told me they'll have all the flight itinerary details next week!!! I'm used to booking flights 6 months out and checking them online every 2 weeks in case of changes.

I don't even know what airline I'm on between Tel Aviv and Eilat. I asked the company for that information twice in the last few weeks, along with other questions. It took them two weeks to get back to me, they didn't answer that question, and now they're closed until Sunday for Rosh Hashanah. When I booked the tours, I requested back-to-back flights into and out of Tel Aviv on Oct. 11 so I wouldn't have to leave the airport - they know I'm doing the Jordan tour before the Israel tour - so I assume the Eilat flight departs from Ben Gurion, but perhaps I should ask them as clarification.

This is the first organized tour I've taken as an adult and I'm a little uneasy about it because I'm not in control of my own itinerary - flights, hotels, etc. Everything is handled through Keshet. I'm so not used to this.

As Chani mentioned, there is another Tel Aviv airport...Sde Dov.....and it is located along the shoreline in north Tel Aviv. (I was able to watch planes turning on to final approach from my hotel room last year.) It handles smaller planes on dometic flights. There are two airlines at this airport that have regular scheduled service to Eilat.

Until you know for sure, there is nothing you can do so don't worry about it. Kesher is a well known tour company and they have done this before. Since they are arranging all of your travel, they know how much time you will need should you have to change airports. And they'll tell you how to do it.

In the future, if you want a quicker answer, call them. Don't email.