El Al 777-200ER Seat Selection Guide (2026)
El Al's Boeing 777-200ER is a different aircraft from the one it was three years ago. The old 2-3-2 Business cabin is gone, replaced by a staggered 1-2-1 with direct aisle access from every seat, and a Premium Economy cabin has been added where none existed. The refitted jet carries 313 seats: 28 Business, 32 Premium and 253 Economy.
The interesting thing about the Economy cabin is that it is not symmetric. The three blocks do not line up with each other, and they drift further apart the further aft you go. In rows 23 to 28, the A/B/C block carries roughly two inches more pitch than H/J/K in the same numbered row. In the rear cabin the advantage moves to the centre. Nothing on a booking map tells you this; the seats look identical and are sold at the same price.
✈️ Quick Verdict
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER, 313 seats — 28 Business (rows 1–7), 32 Premium (rows 10–13), 253 Economy (rows 21–48)
Version lottery: Yes — a retrofit programme. Five aircraft are recorded in this 313-seat layout; El Al has said the remaining airframe is being reconfigured to match.
Best seats: Business 3A / 3K · Premium 12A / 12K · Economy 23A–28C (the deep side) and 36A / 36K
Seats to avoid: 27A (no window at all), 35A / 35K (no usable window, door in the legroom), the whole of Premium row 10, rows 33 and 34, and row 48
IFE: Safran RAVE, on demand. WiFi: Viasat Ka-band satellite. Layouts: 1-2-1 Business, 2-4-2 Premium, 3-4-3 Economy.
The version lottery: refitted or not
El Al is putting every 777-200ER through the same cabin programme, aligning the widebody fleet with its Dreamliners. Five aircraft are recorded in the 313-seat layout described here, and the airline has said the final airframe is being reconfigured. There is no published second configuration, so we will not put a number on your odds. There is an easy tell instead.
How to tell which one you have
- Look for a Premium Economy cabin. The refitted 777 has one, at rows 10 to 13 in a 2-4-2. The pre-retrofit aircraft had no Premium cabin at all.
- Count the Business rows. Seven rows of four seats, lettered A, D, G and K, means the staggered 1-2-1. Six or seven seats across a Business row means the old 2-3-2.
- Check the last row. The refitted layout ends at row 48, which has only two seats: 48A and 48C.
Business Class — 28 seats, rows 1 to 7
Seven rows of four, staggered 1-2-1, every seat with direct aisle access and a fully flat bed. As on any staggered cabin, the row number decides what kind of seat you actually get.
Odd rows are the true window seats
- Rows 1, 3, 5 and 7 — A and K sit against the fuselage, console between you and the aisle. 3A and 3K have the best-aligned window in the cabin. 1A and 1K get two windows each; 5A, 5K, 7A and 7K are well placed too.
- Rows 2, 4 and 6 — A and K sit further inboard with the console on the window side. All six seats are flagged for window misalignment, and 4A and 4K have no viewing opportunity at all from the seated position. If the view matters, do not book an even-numbered window seat here.
Centre pairs: together or apart
- Couples: 3D + 3G, 5D + 5G or 7D + 7G. In odd rows the two centre seats sit side by side.
- Solo: 2D, 2G, 4D, 4G, 6D or 6G. In even rows the centre seats are pushed apart to the aisles — effectively two solo seats with the console between them.
- Avoid if you want quiet: 1D is a bassinet position and 1G sits next to one.
The Business pick is 3A or 3K — true window, best alignment, and far enough back to be clear of the forward galley and boarding traffic.
Premium Economy — 32 seats, rows 10 to 13
Four rows of eight in a 2-4-2, and only one of the four rows is clean.
| Row | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Avoid | Bulkhead row with extra legroom, but the lavatories are immediately ahead. 10A, 10B, 10D, 10G, 10J and 10K all rate as seats to avoid; 10E and 10F are bassinet positions |
| 11 | Caution | Lavatory queuing traffic ahead affects A, B, D, G, J and K. Only 11E and 11F escape it |
| 12 | Best in cabin | The only row with nothing against it. 12A and 12K are the window pick, 12E and 12F the couple's pick |
| 13 | Caution | Last Premium row: limited recline in all eight seats, plus bassinet positions behind 13D to 13G |
The bulkhead trap is the one to internalise. Row 10 is the row the booking engine will push you toward because it has the legroom, and it is the row sitting directly behind a bank of lavatories for a ten-hour flight. Row 12 is the seat you want.
Economy — the asymmetric cabin
253 seats in a 3-4-3 across rows 21 to 48, split into a forward cabin (21 to 34) and a rear cabin (35 to 48) by the third pair of doors. The three seat blocks are drawn at different pitches, and they do not stay aligned with each other.
Rows 23 to 28: take the left-hand side
Through this stretch the A/B/C block is pitched at roughly 33 to 34 inches while H/J/K runs about two inches tighter. The drift is cumulative — by row 29 the left block sits noticeably further aft than the right in the same numbered row. If you are choosing a window seat in the forward cabin, A is a materially better seat than K, and that is not something the fare or the map will tell you.
With one exception. 27A has no window at all — solid wall at that seat position. It carries the extra pitch and none of the view. Take 26A or 28A instead.
Rows 21 and 22: the front bulkheads
- Row 21 (D, E, F and G only) — a four-seat centre row at the very front of Economy with 72cm (28in) of clear space to the wall. 21D and 21G are bassinet positions.
- Row 22 A, B and C — 74cm (29in) to the wall, the most generous bulkhead space in the cabin. 22C gets a partial bulkhead ahead of it, so there is stretch room to the right.
- Row 22 H, J and K — 70cm (27in), slightly less. 22H has the same partial-bulkhead advantage on the left.
- All bulkhead seats: no underseat storage, and the tray table and screen fold out of the armrest.
Rows 33 and 34: the mid-cabin lavatory block
Every seat in both rows sits against the mid-cabin lavatories. Row 34 adds limited recline across the row and a galley behind 34E and 34F. Twenty seats, all rated avoid. The only redeeming detail is 34C, which has no seat beside it and gets the extra side space — but it is still a lavatory-adjacent seat that does not recline properly.
Row 35: extra legroom, no window, and a door in your shins
- 35A and 35K — no usable window, and the L3 and R3 exit doors curve into the legroom from about 45cm ahead. Legs go out at a diagonal. Nothing reclines into you.
- 35B, 35C, 35H and 35J — the legroom without the door. These four are the pick of the row; 35C and 35H sit next to bassinet positions.
- Row 35 has no centre block at all.
Rows 36 to 40: now the centre block is the deep one
Behind the doors the advantage flips. Through rows 37, 38 and 39 the centre D-to-G block is pitched at roughly 35 inches while the window blocks run nearer 31 to 32. The four centre seats in rows 37, 38 and 39 have more legroom than the window seats in the same rows.
- 36A and 36K — the best window seats in the rear cabin: well-aligned window and the deeper pitch.
- 36D to 36G — a centre bulkhead with 76 to 77cm (30in) of clear space, but no underseat storage and bassinets at 36D and 36G.
- 37D–37G, 38D–38G, 39D–39G — the deep centre block. The best value standard Economy seats on the aircraft if you do not need a window.
- 38A, 38K and 40A, 40K — the other well-aligned windows back here.
Rows 44 to 48: the tail
- From row 44 the fuselage narrows and the B and J seats disappear. 44C, 45C, 46C, 47C, 44H, 45H, 46H and 47H have no seat beside them — extra side space and the underseat storage next to you is yours. Of those eight, take 44C, 45C, 46C, 47C, 44H or 45H: 46H and 47H sit against the rear lavatories and give the space back in noise.
- Rows 46 and 47 — the rear lavatories catch 46H, 46K, 47G, 47H and 47K.
- Row 48 (A and C only) — the last row on the aircraft, two seats, neither of which reclines. 48A does at least have a good window.
Quick-pick summary
| Traveller | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Business, solo | 3A or 3K | True window seat with the best alignment in the cabin |
| Business, couple | 5D + 5G | Odd-row centre pair, side by side, mid-cabin |
| Business, maximum privacy | 4D or 6G | Even-row centre seats sit apart with the console between them |
| Premium Economy | 12A or 12K | The only Premium row with no lavatory, no bulkhead and full recline |
| Economy window, forward | 24A, 25A, 26A or 28A | The deeper left-hand block — and not 27A, which has no window |
| Economy legroom, no extra fare | 37D–37G or 38D–38G | The deep centre block in the rear cabin |
| Economy window, rear | 36A or 36K | Aligned window plus the deeper pitch behind the doors |
| Solo, wants elbow room | 44C, 45C, 45H or 46C | Tail taper means no seat beside you — and these four are clear of the rear lavatories, unlike 46H and 47H |
| Family with an infant | Row 21 or 36D–36G | Bassinet positions with bulkhead space |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Al's 777-200ER Business Class lie-flat with aisle access?
Yes, on the refitted aircraft. The retrofit replaced the old 2-3-2 cabin with 28 staggered 1-2-1 seats across seven rows, all fully flat and all with direct aisle access. Look for a Business cabin lettered A, D, G and K.
Which side of the Economy cabin has more legroom?
In rows 23 to 28, the left-hand A/B/C block is pitched about two inches deeper than the H/J/K block in the same numbered rows. Behind the doors the pattern reverses and the four-seat centre block in rows 37, 38 and 39 becomes the deepest. Same fare, different seat.
Which seats have no window?
27A has no window at all — solid wall at that position. 35A and 35K have no usable window because the nearest one sits well behind the seat, and both also have an exit door curving into the legroom. In Business, 4A and 4K have no viewing opportunity from the seated position.
Is the Premium Economy bulkhead row worth it?
No. Row 10 has the extra legroom but the lavatories are immediately in front of it and six of its eight seats rate as seats to avoid. Row 12 is the same fare and a much better seat.
Which rows should I avoid entirely?
Rows 33 and 34 — the mid-cabin lavatory block, twenty seats with a lavatory door immediately behind and limited recline in row 34. Also row 48, the two-seat last row that does not recline, and Premium row 10.
Does the 777-200ER have WiFi and seatback screens?
Yes. The refitted aircraft carries the Safran RAVE entertainment system with on-demand content and Viasat Ka-band satellite WiFi, the same generation as El Al's Dreamliners.
Comparable Guides
- El Al 787-9 — the fleet the 777 retrofit was designed to match
- British Airways 777-200ER — the other 777-200ER with a real version lottery
- Air France 777-200ER — a four-cabin comparison
- KLM 777-200ER — 3-4-3 Economy with a similar tail taper
- United 777-200 — the US 777-200 comparison to Tel Aviv