Please read below carefully to find the correct procedure for your specific travel situation. (If you do not notify the correct party, you may lose your Birthright trip deposit).
Before Departure from North America:
1. If you did NOT make an extension: If you are making your own return flight plans (or staying in Israel after your trip), meaning you do not want to use the return portion of your Birthright paid ticket home – and you are NOT extending to another date – then you MUST notify your Trip Organizer – not Gil Travel. This means you are forfeiting your return ticket. Your Trip Organizer will make the needed adjustments. Again, this is only if you are not extending.
2. If you DID make an extension:
a. If you have extended with Gil Travel and ARE using that flight, then there is no further action needed. As long as you received your email confirmation from us, then your good to go!
b. If you DID extend and received your confirmation, but now would like to forfeit that extension flight, then you MUST notify your Trip Organizer – not Gil Travel. This means you are forfeiting your return ticket. Your Trip Organizer will make the needed adjustments.
(The same applies if you want to “catch” the second leg of your flight home from Europe or other stop-over point (for example if your extended ticket included a stop-over in Europe, but you now want to fly to Europe earlier on your own, and you want to catch the second leg of your Birthright ticket from there). In such a case you MUST notify your Trip Organizer – not Gil Travel. If you do not notify your Trip Organizer, then when you miss your first leg out of Tel Aviv, then your second leg will be cancelled, and you will need to purchase your own ticket home).
Once you are in Israel:
1. If you did NOT make an extension: If you are making your own return flight plans (or staying in Israel after your trip), meaning you do not want to use the return portion of your Birthright paid ticket home – and you are NOT extending your Birthright ticket to another date
a. For ELAL participants ONLY, click here to submit the request to forfeit your return flight
b. For participants for all other airlines click here to find the correct airline contact to submit the request to forfeit your return flight
Again, this is only if you did not extend.
2. If you DID make an extension:
a. If you have extended with Gil Travel and ARE using that flight, then there is no further action needed. As long as you received your email confirmation from us, then your good to go!
b. If you DID extend and received your confirmation, but now would like to forfeit that extension flight, then
– For ELAL participants ONLY, click here to submit the request to forfeit your return flight
– For participants for all other airlines click here to find the correct airline contact to submit the request to forfeit your return flight
(The same applies if you want to “catch” the second leg of your flight home from Europe or other stop-over point (for example if your extended ticket included a stop-over in Europe, but you flew to Europe earlier on your own, and you want to catch the second leg of your Birthright ticket from there). In such a case you MUST notify the correct party stated above. If you do not notify, then when you miss your first leg out of Tel Aviv, then your second leg will be cancelled, and you will need to purchase your own ticket home).