El Al has a fairly terrible frequent flyer program.
Points from flights expire after 3 years, redemption rates are pretty awful, and they charge a huge fuel surcharge ($350 in total fees for JFK-TLV) on redemptions to boot. Plus you can’t use El Al points for travel on any other airline, so you’re limited to just the availability of 1 airline. As opposed to program like Continental/United where you can search for avaialbility and redeem miles on over 40 partner airlines!
Adding insult to injury: They also charge $25 to join the program.
Use this link however and you’ll be able to join for free
Why do you want to join if the program is so terrible, you ask?
Primarily because if you are a member you are able to check award availability online. You can use AA miles to book El Al flights, but that must be done by calling AA. Best of all AA allows you to even book one-way awards on El Al AND they don’t charge a fuel surcharge for redeeming miles to fly on El Al!
Another benefit is for flights that aren’t to/from North America that Matmid members get an extra 11 pounds of free checked luggage.
Need AA miles? You can always transfer 20,000 Starwood points easily earned with the Starwood Consumer AMEX or the Starwood Business AMEX for 25,000 AA miles or sign up for some of the best AA card offers ever (they don’t expire until the links stop working)
Here is the AA partner award chart.
You can book a one-way between Israel and the following zones for the following amounts:
-North America : 45K coach, 67.5K business.
(North America includes Hawaii, as AA bizarrely counts Hawaii as part of North America for intercontinental awards which can make a Buenos Aires-Honolulu ticket in May be fewer miles (20K) than Los Angeles-Honolulu (22.5K)!)
-Europe: 20K coach, 30K business.
-Asia: 22.5K coach, 30K business.
-India/Middle East: 17.5K coach, 25K business.
-Africa: 30K coach, 45K business.
-South Pacific: 30K coach, 45K business.
-South America Zone 1: 60K coach, 82.5K business.
-South America Zone 2: 67.5K coach, 90K business.
Because the way the chart is set up, sometimes it is cheaper to book a flight like US-Europe-Israel during off peak periods for 40K instead of 45K from the US-Israel. You won’t be able to go nonstop from the US to Israel for 40K…but you can check out any European city for as short or long as you want, or just use it as a connection point.
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31 Comments On "HURRY! Join El Al’s Matmid Frequent Flyer Program For Free!"
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by fee its says $25 is it free anyways ?
@MILES:
Yes, it will be free with the link in the post. No credit card is required.
Please correct the first paragraph. You wrote: “Plus you can use El Al points for travel on any other airline…” I think you meant to say “can’t” Thanks for all of your deal hunting.
Can I earn AA “and” ElAl miles on the same trip?
Does ElAl charge $25 each year or just a one time charge? in other words is this $25 promo code good only for 2011? Thanks!!
THANKS DAN i got it
Does anyone know if I can get credit for points from a flight a few weeks ago? Didnt want to pay the fee but now that its free….
ITS A ONE TIME FEE WHICH THEY R CURRENTLY WAIVING
I AM 24 AND GET THIS RESPONSE ” Invalid age for campaign”
I really appreciate your candid approach to things. Honesty like you, is hard to come by. We really appreciate what you do. Just dont go on too many vacations, we need your full attention to save us money.
@ari:
Thanks Ari!
My father-in-law has used AA miles to fly El Al for free. He says that the seats are severly limited.
called for availability said nothing for the next 3 months – aa points on elal to israel.
@Jack:
You got a bad rep, there’s plenty of avaialbility, just search on elal.com for awards.
If it’s available on elal.com for awards than AA can book it too.
Try again for say, 02/06-02/15.
Don’t forget to check from JFK and Newark.
I dont really understand the chart, bottom line how many AA miles will it take to fly elal direct, two way, NY to israel during peak times (summer)?
Thanx
@kim:
Just multiply by 2 for round trip.
Coach: 45k each way x 2 = 90k
Business: 67.5k each way x 2 = 135k
Is it generally possible to book a trip with say 85% of the required miles and the rest pay cash?
@Tyr:
No.
WOW! Thanx dan – i signed up the family š
keep getting invalid age for campaign? how old do you need to be to fly?
@dan
Why do you say that only on flight not from/to North american destinations do you get an extra 11 pounds? The site says that all matmid members get an extra 5kg without making a difference in destinations?
@yada:
May I suggest growing up a bit š
@Jkhein:
Actually it’s quite clear that the 5kg benefit excludes NA flights:
http://www.elal.co.il/elal/english/allaboutyourflight/beforeyourflight/luggageandbaggage/personnalalloeance.html
Dan,
Very confused about the AA links. I’ve applied once and been turned down because I already have an AA card. Is it worth applying again or should I find an AA link not specifically for first timers???
Is this deal dead, it keeps trying to charge me $25?
you can always buy points from elal for $1 each if your short on points for an award ticket.
Is there any way to combine AA miles and continental miles towards a trip to Israel?
Shor yoshuv; so if I’m short ten thousand points all I need is ten grand! Yay!!’;)
DEAD code now worked till today. thanks d
how do i fund the matmid number they sent me?
code did not work today.
“Campaign Code in not valid”
not working