Update, 8/15: In the good news department, Alaska is able to rebook El Al flights with schedule changes. When one reader’s El Al business class award flight was changed by an hour, they were able to contact Alaska and get it rebooked to the following day, which they had preferred in the first place. Gotta’ love schedule changes!
Best of all, it was rebooked into a revenue fare class (D), which should earn a nice chunk of miles when credited to partners like Delta, Etihad, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, or Qantas.
Update, 8/1: DEAD!
Update, 7/31: Today is the final day to book or modify El Al awards with Alaska miles. It’s unclear what time it will end, so don’t wait until the last minute!
Here is how to find El Al award space.
Alaska says that flights booked by 7/31 for travel after 7/31 will be honored, but you will only be able to cancel and refund award tickets after 7/31, other modifications will not be possible.
Don’t miss this opportunity!
Originally posted on 3/19:
Alaska Airlines has begun rolling out their new award chart and will complete that process by 3/31. Awards will drop to as low as 4,500 miles each way!
Earlier this week, I wrote about the bargains between the US and Tel Aviv.
I also compared them with other airlines that can book travel on El Al.
Open a new Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card and you can get Buy One, Get One + 50,000 Bonus Miles! Buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) and get 50,000 bonus miles with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Below is what Alaska will charge for all routes that El Al flies. Note that some routes are currently suspended. You should also compare these rates with paid rates, as well as award rates using Delta, El Al, Etihad, and Qantas miles.
Zone 1 awards are a nice sweet spot!
- Middle East Zone 1 (1-1,500 miles): 7.5K coach, 10K premium, 15K business.
- Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Chisinau, Dubai, Dubrovnik, Eilat, Istanbul/IST, Krakow, Kyiv, Larnaca, Paphos, Rhodes, Rome, Sofia, Tbilisi, Thessaloniki, Tivat, Venice, Vienna
- Middle East Zone 2 (1,501-3,500 miles): 22.5K coach, 30K premium, 45K business.
- Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Casablanca, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Liege, Lisbon, London/LHR, London/LTN, Madrid, Marrakech, Marseille, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Nice, Paris, Prague, Seychelles, Warsaw, Zurich
- Middle East Zone 3 (3,501-5,000 miles): 27.5K coach, 35K premium, 55K business.
- Johannesburg
- Middle East Zone 4 (5,001-7,000 miles): 35K coach, 45K premium, 70K business.
- Boston, Fort Lauderdale, JFK, Miami, Newark
- Middle East Zone 5 (7,001-10,000 miles): 42.5K coach, 55K premium, 85K business.
- Los Angeles
- Asia Zone 2 (1,501-3,000 miles): 25K coach, 32.5K premium, 50K business.
- Delhi, Mumbai
- Asia Zone 3 (3,001-5,000 miles): 30K coach, 40K premium, 60K business.
- Bangkok, Phuket
- Asia Zone 4 (5,001-7,000 miles): 37.5K coach, 50K premium, 75K business.
- Tokyo
There are no fuel surcharges, but there is a non-refundable $12.50 booking fee each way. Other than that, tickets can be changes or canceled with no fees anytime before departure.
Alas, it’s not easy to obtain Alaska miles other than from the Alaska Card. You can transfer increments of 60K Marriott points into 25K Alaska miles, or you can transfer Bilt points into Alaska miles at a 1:1 ratio.
Sadly, due to El Al’s new partnership with Delta, the Alaska-El Al partnership will end on 7/31, so you’ll want to take advantage of booking awards by that date. You’ll be able to book travel through June 2025 in July when the partnership ends.
Will you book any El Al award travel via Alaska?
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38 Comments On "Alaska Can’t Book New El Al Awards, But They Can Still Rebook When There Are Schedule Changes"
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Fascinating that TLV-TYO in business is cheaper with skypesos than it is with Alaska miles!
will this work for pesach
How long after having received the bonus for the Alaska airlines card can someone apply again and receive a second bonus?
Many EU destinations went up due to being slightly above the 1,500 cutoff. There should have been another mid teir as 7,500 to 22,500 is a big jump.
How often do Alaska miles expire ?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/mileage-expiration-guide-for-38-loyalty-programs-how-to-keep-your-points-from-expiring-and-how-to-bring-them-back-to-life-after-theyve-expired/
Is Moscow bookable?
Many US (or other Western) programs don’t show Moscow and can’t even be booked by calling (Aeroplan for example).
Zone 4 and 5 are the same ?
Can you use amex points for this ?
And is this 7.5k each way ?
For El Al flights LAX-TLV, I see only 55K one-way, either direction. 42.5K for other carriers. I picked random dates in April and August (perhaps coach is sold out but doesn’t seem to be an option).
Got approved for the card yesterday so my plans are to, be”h, book a RT EWR-TLV for the summer.
Thanks Dan for notifying us about Alaska – elal redemption. Many Alaska members are getting a promotion till march 20 of buying miles with 70% bonus miles for free. Just bought 2500$ miles for roundtrip business from nyc- tlv. Just make sure it can take up to 3 days till miles post.
alaskan online not allowing to book partner flights “We’re sorry, we aren’t able to confirm space on these partner flights. Please try again and choose different flights, dates or cities.”
Any workaround
Hi Dan, would you know how can I upgrade an elal ticket booked through alaska. I booked coach o/w for 35k and would like to go business. Do I call elal to see my options? Thank you
You have to call alaska and they will change to business for 70k as long as the flight is available. You can check online first before you call. If you don’t see availability they can’t put you on it.
I just booked elal round trip for next January w 75k Alaska Points, what’s their cancellation policy if I need to make any changes before my flight?
No cancel fees, just lose the $12.50 booking fee.
Am I getting back Alaska points or ElAl Voucher?
Appreciate your feedback, as always!
Alaska miles.
why cant we make modifications after July 31?
Because El Al is ending the partnership.
but its an el al ticket dont they allow changes/modifications?
It’s an Alaska Airlines ticket for El Al-operated flights booked using Alaska Air miles. Issued tickets will be honored of course, but Alaska won’t be able to book any more award space on El Al after the ticketing arrangement for mileage tickets ends. The inability of Alaska Air to book new mileage space on El Al after today means that changes on already-issued tickets can’t happen unless cancelling and rebooking on a different airline that remains a mileage program partner with Alaska Air.
Too bad the 45k mile option in business class from Berlin to TLV is ending.
dan if i apply for the credit card today i know i am too late can i still get the bogo and would i be able to use the card right away or i have to spend 3k on it before i can even book
Trying to book JFK to TLV with a lap infant and they want 70k for lap infant is that right? Any way around that
Just saying. I flew Elal recently and loved every minute and every part of it. The flight attendants are straightforward no nonsense and know how to handle secular and frum people alike.
The only area they can use serious improvement is the boarding in New york which was a mess. Boarding at TLV is great, no announcements, people just know how and when to get on.
Just booked BOS===>TLV===>BKK for 42.5 Miles one-way for June 2025, all on EL AL non-stops in Economy. Essentially, free stopover in TLV to see friends and family.
I am looking at Alaska, after Sukkos, in Nov and they have AA JFK to TLV for 35k, would that be with ELAL as a partner, or if AA starts flying again..?
Did not see any El Al flights when searching using miles last night after midnight even though I did see on Delta. What was I doing wrong. Only saw BA flights for 45k miles + fees
Anyone see any any award flights to book El Al direct with any of the current partners (Alaska, Virgin Atlantic, Etihad, Qantas…) from NY week of September 1-4?
I splurged and called Alaska Air to make my 2 bookings, JFK-TLV, premier economy. Since I am a platinum Matmid member, I am hoping to upgrade either with miles or using the vouchers they issue for special uses, eg vouchers are good for either class upgrade or extra luggage
The problem is the fees. 2 people rt tlv to rome is 30k plus $205.30. that flight has $750 value. if you do a voucher with amex plat biz and get 35% back total is 48,750 – which is kinda less than 30k alaska + $205.30. just saying :/
I am trying to book a ticket using ALASKA miles, but ELAL is not showing as an option, any ideas why?
No more available
needed to change a ticket was still an option to change, but I was not able to complete,
Called Alaska about 5:30 and was done.
Now what should I do with my Alaska points
its over FINISHED PARTNERSHIP. Whoever got tickets, Yay the rest try again next time…
Interesting as i was just on phone with them yesterday and could not change my flight day. I did not have a schedule change by alaska to prompt it, just need to change the flight out of tlv by a week and all they could offer was BA and no elal flights at all.
I wrote that would be the case many times. The news is that they can act if there’s a schedule change.