Related: Get A 20% Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into British Airways Avios
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Get A 20% Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into El Al Matmid Points
Offer expires 11/30.
Normally to fly round-trip between NYC or Toronto and Tel Aviv you need to transfer 70K Membership Rewards for coach, 150K for business, and 250K for first class. That gives you the 1,400 Matmid points needed for coach, 3,000 Matmid points needed for business, and 5,000 Matmid points needed for first.
With this promotion you’ll need to transfer just 59K Membership Rewards for coach, 125K for business, or 209K for first.
You can make a Matmid account for free via the 20% bonus offer link above. Once you have a Matmid account you can search award availability on ElAl.com
Some caveats:
-El Al charges $349 in taxes and fuel surcharges for a round-trip award.
-El Al business is the only business class between the US and Israel that is not fully lie-flat. First class is fully lie-flat.
-El Al does not have any partner redemptions, so you’re really locked into their availability if you transfer. Transfer only if you are booking a ticket.
-American does not charge fuel surcharges to book travel on El Al with American AAdvantage miles. You can transfer 20K Starpoints into 25K American miles which you can earn on the fantastic Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.
-You can book El Al coach for 80K American AAdvantage miles off-peak via Europe (free stopover if you want) or 90K AA miles nonstop.
-You can book El Al business for 135K American AAdvantage miles nonstop.
-You can only book El Al first class with El Al points.
-With both programs you can book one-way award for half the miles.
-El Al has no close-in expedite fees. American has a $75 close-in expedite fee and a $25 phone booking fee.
-Free one-way domestic tickets with every one-way international ticket: With AA miles if you want to fly on El Al from Tel Aviv to NYC for 45K American miles you can just book Tel Aviv to JFK, stopover in NYC for as long as you want, and then book NYC-Hawaii (or any other domestic destination) for the same 45K miles. Then you can spend as little as 15K miles to get back from Hawaii to NYC or you can go back to NYC for free by tagging it onto a future international trip with a stopover in NYC. Plus with AA miles you can change the dates of travel at any time for free!
HT: freemymiles, via DDF
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Need some Membership Rewards points?
-The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card comes with 25,000 points for spending $2,000 and the first year is free. That will net you some 30,000 Avios.
–The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 25K points as well you can get $200 of airline fee credits (or airline gift cards in $100 increments) in 2013 and another $200 in 2014. It also comes with a $100 global entry expedited customs (5 year membership) refund, platinum card airline club access (American, Delta, and USAirways) for you and your entire family for at least 4 years, priority pass worldwide unlimited lounge membership, Starwood gold elite status with a point rebate even on award stays, car rental perks at Avis, Hertz, and National, lost item (up to $10,000/item) refund protection, checked baggage protection, 3 additional Platinum users (with 4 years of free platinum card lounge access, priority pass membership, and global entry refund) for just $58 each on the consumer card, no foreign exchange fees, and many more free benefits. There is a $450 annual fee. As with all annual fees they are refundable if cancelled within 60 days, they are pro-rated if cancelled after 60 days and have another American Express card (i.e. if you have the card for 3 months and then cancel you would get a $337.50 refund), and they are pro-rated if you downgrade the card even if you have no other American Express card.
The Platinum card also now gives free entry to top-of-the-line Centurion lounges worldwide including in Dallas and Las Vegas and other US airports coming soon. There are also lounges in Argentina, Brazil, India, and Mexico. You can even get a free spa treatment in the DFW lounge!
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29 Comments On "Get A 20% Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into El Al Matmid Points"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Dan!
I know you like to bash El Al.
But some things that you are saying is simply untrue.
El al has a great business class service with better lounges for a kosher traveler than United, especially in Israel.
And mainly, El al has the SAME LIE FLAT SEATS as united. They changed it a couple of years ago & its amazing.
Yes, their miles are not that valuable (after all they are smart…. they dont like all this “getting a business seat for pennies”)
I am a frequent flyer to Israel and I admit that there is room for improvement for elal – as well as for most airlines.
I really appreciate all your great and intellectual posts. But I cant understand why you never have any good word to say on EL AL.
Thanks
@Gabi:
First of all I’m not bashing, I’m stating facts.
And your facts are complete BS.
El Al does not have 180 degree lie flat seats in business class.
Air Canada does. Delta does. United does. USAirways does. El Al does not.
If you want 180 degree lie flat on El Al you need to fly first class, something that those other 4 carriers don’t offer to Tel Aviv.
They are smart? United makes billions of dollars selling miles to companies like Chase. It’s smart to not get that revenue?
Charging fuel surcharges does not engender loyalty.
In all fairness I have heard their food is good. Though frankly nothing compares with the Chinese food you can get delivered for free to Newark Airport. Best chinese I’ve ever had and it’s CHEAP!
is this a good deal for flying from LAX to TLV for next succos?
i am looking to take the whole family
@Nathan Weiss:
It’s unlikely that you’ll find El Al availability for Sukkos.
@Gabi:
Just to prove my point:
El Al’s 777 “angled flat” business class seat.
Delta Lie-Flat seat
United lie-flat seat
USAirways lie-flat seat.
ElAl First Class seat
do you have any good recommendations for succos 2014 mileage or cheap tickets?
Dan,
I know all of the Business seats to Israel in my dreams. And I sleep well in all of them. El al’s business seat is lie flat with 170 degrees. The 2 more inches that it doesnt recline like united is not a factor to label it non lie flat. Actually, seatguru and all of these sites label them “lie flat”.
Now after travelling so often I know whats comfortable. And suprisingly enough, the experience in El al business tops it all off. The seat, service, food & lounges are best for a glatt kosher traveller. Now dont think that delta’s new business elite seats aren’t amazing. They are better than elal’s. But overall elal has a very pleasant business experience. United’s business first service are not to compare with elal and I dont understand how they have the getaway to name it business “first” (they say that its between business and first – what a joke).
In economy, I would say United is the best of all because of their newer planes and quiter cabin noise (more respected travellers that dont get up the second the seat belt sign is turned off)
But why argue? Have you ever experienced El Al’s business? Try it out and see for yourself!
El al’s business seat is lie flat with 170 degrees.
i Know for a fact that very soon all EL AL’s business seats in all their 747’s will be flat seats , 180 degrees.
no one here is mentioning their service in business class that is by far better than both United and Delta.
as someone that traveled on all nonstop flights to Israel in business i can safely say that i enjoyed EL AL the most !
even with a 170 degree flat bed …
Every time I try to click create a Matmid account, it takes me to my award point summary page… how do I create an account without going to ElAl and paying the absurd $25?
how do you sign up for a matmid account for free using this link, without transferring points?
when u say the only non flat seat between US and israel doea that mean direct flight or also on turkish luftansa swiss
@chana: @chana: when you’re inside the Amex “points summary” page, there’s an option to enroll.
There is something to be said about getting hot, good food in Elal Biz, plus wine (although they could do better with the Mevushal options). Plus the TLV King David Lounge is amazing! However, it is a little awkward to find a perfect position on the angled seat.
I meant Mevushal options could be better
Is transferring marriot points to united for a 20% bonus worth it?
Sorry I know it may be displaced but don’t know where to ask. Got an offer recently to convert hotel points to miles with a 20% bonus and want to know if it is worth it. Thanks
@haim:
Lie-flat and 170 degrees is an oxymoron. That’s called angled flat.
Very happy to hear about 180 degrees. Do you have an online source?
@us:
Nonstop.
@Shaul Yaakov:
I get amazing hot food on all my flights.
On Singapore from JFK I had awesome hot food from Carlos & Gabby’s.
On United from EWR I had the best Sesame chicken in the world served piping hot and delivered free to the airport from New Kosher Special.
On Cathay from YVR I had an awesome Maple Burger with Onion Rings from Maple Grill.
Bring some sheets of tinfoil and tape, ask the flight attendant nicely to heat it up (show her the gross airline meal if needed), and voila.
@chana: http://membershiprewards.com/elalisrael
Lie-flat on 170 degrees is only true if the plane is on a 10 degree angle.
sign up for matmid for free with this link
https://app.elal.co.il/clubs/registration/RegisterFlyer.aspx?lang=en&V_code=AOW24483828
can I transfer amex points to el al from someone els with same last name but different first name?
are these for had advantage ?
Can I get the 20% if I transfer from Has Advantage CC as well? Or only Amex
dan i have a amex spq and im trying to open a madrid acc on http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/travel/TravelPartner.aspx?brandId=4086&N=&aid=55332 but it keepstelling me that my card is is not eligible for the Membership Rewards program. what can i do.
business from ny -tlv is 2500
To set the record straight. EL AL is by far the worst business class seating on any of the direct flights to Israel from the USA. I have flown all of them. I”m a big united fan generally,
but they don’t get first place either.
My order
1. Delta, upstairs they have only 1 seat on each side of the isle, as they do downstairs. (but it’s a lot quieter upstairs)
2. US Airways from Philly
3. United
4. and last but not least EL AL. With a lousy configuration of 2-3-2, and 2-2 upstairs.
there is no question that EL AL’s first class, beats them all, even though they don’t have the privacy of Delta, or US Air. But they have the best service by far, and a lie flat seat.
To end off; I can fly ALL of them for free.
Thank you Dan for some of the help!!
@Dan:
when you mentioned kosher food delivered to the airport please explain – HOW???
i was thinking about either departing from dulles or jfk to israel and have never driven to jfk. does anyone know if traffic and parking to JFK is to be avoided at all costs or not that bad?
thanks!
@ Dan is this 20% bonus for transfer from has advantage as well ????????????
How long does it take till the points show up in my matmid account?
i transferred it but my miles didn’t show up yet