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El Al’s Matmid frequent flyer program has never been particularly rewarding or competitive, though it was improved earlier this year, based on many suggestions that I made to the airline’s executive team over the past few years since the airline was sold to new ownership.
I thought the airline would try to squeeze into OneWorld, which made sense given their partnerships with Alaska and Qantas.
Unfortunately, they decided to try to enter SkyTeam and partnered with Delta. Delta has a very weak mileage program (hence the well deserved SkyPesos monikor) and SkyTeam is the weakest of the 3 major alliances. While most airlines have excellent pricing for partner airline awards, Delta charges a small fortune.
That partnership launched this week and you can now use Delta miles to fly on El Al.
Sadly but as expected, the prices between North America and Israel are not good at all.
Delta was first to kill off award charts and their pricing is now variable, but consistently bad.
Delta particularly hates one-way awards.
For example, a one-way flight on El Al in March is 80K Delta miles in coach, 135K in premium, and 360K in business:
A one-way flight in April on Delta is 100K miles in coach, 165K in premium, and 360K in business. On El Al it is 100K miles in coach, 165K in premium, and 320K in business.
Round-trips are better. A round-trip in March is 92K miles in coach, 180K in premium, and 370K in business:
How does that compare to other redemption options for travel on El Al?
Alaska currently charges 50K in coach, 80K in premium, or 100K in business class for a one-way El Al flight.
In March, Alaska is actually lowering those costs to 35K in coach, 45K in premium, or 70K in business class for a one-way El Al flight!
You can earn Alaska miles on the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, you can read more here.
Sadly, El Al is cutting ties with Alaska on 7/31 (apparently moved back from 6/30) due to the Delta partnership. But there should be a glorious window of opportunity there if you have Alaska miles.
Another redemption option is with Qantas, though they block availability on many El Al flights.
They charge 37.8K in coach, 70.8K in premium, and if you can find it, 90K in business each way.
You can also book El Al awards with Etihad. They charge 67K in coach, 74K in premium, and 120K in business class each way. Their availability matches what Delta and Alaska shows, but you need to call them to book awards.
Delta pricing for awards outside of North America is better.
For example, Tel Aviv to Tokyo, Phuket, or Bangkok is 40K Delta miles in coach or 70K in business each way. Round-trip is double that.
Transfer miles from AMEX to Delta on cards like
- AMEX Platinum Card
- AMEX Gold Card
- AMEX Blue Business Plus Card
- AMEX Business Platinum Card
- AMEX Gold Business Card
- Delta Gold AMEX Card
- Delta Platinum AMEX Card
Will you book any El Al awards with Delta miles? Post any deals that you find!
HT: Tyler Glatt
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58 Comments On "You Can Now Book El Al Awards With Delta Miles, But Should You?"
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Since when was elal bookable with etihad?
It’s so confusing how many airlines elal is partners with. Is Etihad part of skyteam that it will remain an option ?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/etihad-launches-award-travel-el-al-excellent-availability-redeem-el-al-points-3-airlines/
Airlines can have partners with non-alliance airlines. But Delta and Alaska are former partners turned bitter rivals, so it’s not surprising that Delta insisted they had to go.
So any other partners that can book elal besides Qantas and etihad and Alaska ?
No. and now alaska is going and delta is taking it’s place
I stocked up Alaska miles for elal business by the time I can actually go it’s gonna be too late
You can book for after the partnership ends.
Dan if AA is partners with LY. Why hasn’t there been an option to book ly with aa points?
They broke their redemption partnership years ago.
Now their codeshare partnership will end as well in March.
Isn’t the round trip a pretty good deal? Will those be hard to come by?
What’s the cancellation policy when booking Alaska qantas and etihad award- ly flights?
any hope that we can transfer delta miles to Elal matmid? Or these are just bookable via delta website?
No.
If AA is willing to book my award booked by them onto on elal due to the war, would I be able to cancel it for free up to departure like AA offers ? Or that would be subject to elal terms of cancellation?
AA’s terms always apply to their issued tickets.
So if they rebook me on elal I can still cancel for free up to departure thru them ?
Correct
What are Alaska mileage expiration terms ?
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/
So closing the card after first year would danger my points to expire after 24-36 months
70k in J TLV to NRT is a steal
Sure is!
AA charges 40k
AA can’t book El Al.
I booked TLV-HKG-NRT on CX for 40k AA miles in J a few months ago.
Doesn’t compare to a nonstop flight.
Also, CX partner award space is very stingy these days.
Are these rates standard or they can go up and down like delta does with their own rates?
They are variable.
Dan, I and i assume other Dansdeals followers have a ton of marriott points. What do you recommend is the best deal for us to use the Marriott points to convert to some airline so that we can purchase airline tickets for ELAL airlines?
Transfer to Alaska. But wait for the new chart in March if you can.
Thanks. 1. is the transfer done instantly from marriott to alaska, so that we can search on the Alaska website for ELAL airlines flight, view the required Alaska points, and then instantly transfer the required Marriott points to Alaska and then complete the purchase online for the ELAL airlines flight on the Alaska website? 2. Do we know what changes are coming in march to the alaska rewards program? Are we sure that it’ll be better value for points in March?
1. No, it takes a few days.
2. https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/alaska-airlines-elite-status-changes-new-unified-award-chart-incredibly-sweet-spots-aa-el-al-icelandair/
Wow. Dan you are quick to respond. 1. ELAL Premium economy round trip will be 90K Alaska points? How many Marriott points needed to convert to get to 90K Alaska points? 2. Any way to reserve/hold the elal tickets at a alaska airline until the transfer from Marriott to alaska completes?
1. Yes.
60K Marriott=25K Alaska.
No.
Last question. ELAL has different prices for their premium seats, depending on the flight, does Alaska have same availability as ELAL website and charges the same amount of points for any ELAL premium seat on any ELAL flight ?
Issues with alaska airlines website. 1. For the entire month of January, ELAL airlines has flights every day from any of the New York airports to TLV. However, Alaska Airlines is only showing availability to leave on 5 days from the entire month of January. 2. In addition, on those days Alaska takes you from New York to California and then to TLV. They’re not giving any availability directly from New York to Tel Aviv.. 3. there is no available option to choose a premium seat …it is either regular seats or business class seats. Lots of issues ….seems like Alaska doesn’t want to book too many ELAL airline flights.
That has nothing to do with Alaska.
El Al isn’t releasing award seats in Jan or Feb because they have a monopoly those months and will sell out anyway
Very intereting.
You book Delta flights on ElAl web for much cheaper!
Would love a post with info on how to take advantage of delta status on an ElAl flight.
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/delta-el-al-partnership-now-live-reciprocal-mileage-lounge-elite-status-benefits-el-al-will-terminate-alaska-american-partnerships/
You can also book El Al awards with Etihad. They charge 67K in coach, 74K in premium, and 120K in business class each way. Their availability matches what Delta and Alaska shows, but you need to call them to book awards. I see it available online when searching via pointsyeah.com
That’s what this post says.
but you need to call them to book awards. Is what the post says, I believe that it’s bookable online.
You can book it without calling? Or it’s just showing availability that you need to call in for?
I don’t have enough points in my account to get that far
Dan off topic but maybe you can give me advice ? I see delta availability on AF, but not on virgin. Is there a reason for that ?
Try calling Virgin.
Can I credit my recent LY flights retroactively to my Delta SkyMiles account?
I’m not seeing availability on Elal from European cities (LHR,CDG,FCO). Any idea why?
Hi Dan an unrelated question, If I book united airlines via turkish awards whats my options for upgrade to premium economy with cash?
Cant find a single seat thru Delta TLV-LHR, although they are available with Alaska and Qantas. Any idea why?
And by the way I notice flights that are available on Alaska that are not available on Qantas “and vice versa” (I thought Alaska always has more availebility)
Dan, I just want to point out, that if you have an Amex Delta card, you get a 15% points discount on your bookings.
That’s only valid on Delta flights.
How about Virgin Atlantic points to be redeemed for Delta to Israel?
Dan,
Do you think the LY partnership with Qantas will actually remain active or there’s a chance they might end it too in the near future?
Hi Dan
If I book elal with delta points, do I still earn elal points for my status?
TO @DAN and anyone else, an interesting point about the codeshare:
I did find “reasonably” priced tickets (not miles rather $) for stopovers in Europe flying Delta to Europe and connecting to ELAL on Delta’s site.
I always wanted to go to Prague, in the summers Delta flies there. Previously it would have been very expensive or complicated as you would have to fly on 2 separate tickets and connect both ways, now you can go direct one way and stop the other, you can potentially even stop in 2 separate cities!
(Searching it as multi city would open more options otherwise most of these are 2-4 hour connections going to TLV. From TLV to the US there are much fewer probably as the departing flights leaving TLV in the AM wouldn’t make the connections)
This virtually opens up this option in most major European cities!!
With quantas i can book for a friend?
When booking a flight using dollars on Elal’s website it gives the choice to put your elal matmid or Delta skymiles number. @Dan which would you recommend to put in?