My Experience Using Seated (And Double Dipping), What Australia’s Government Says About International Travel Resuming, Wow: Qantas Plans To Resume International Flights In July 2021, Gulf Air Will Fly To Israel, Partner With EL AL. RewardExpert.com may be compensated by credit card issuers whose offers appear on the site. Help us fund therapy sessions for black women and girls, What You Need to Know About Airline Partnerships & Alliances, The Latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates & Policies, The news, resources, & information you need. It's not a member of any alliance. Then I tried to figure out whether she just didn’t see the availability on those flights, or whether Qantas doesn’t have access to EL AL first class tickets to the US. I was expecting you to write about that, and United’s 747 Retirement Flight which has been circulating in the news lately. For example, the following number of Qantas points are required for one-way travel on EL AL: Well, as it turns out, you can redeem Qantas points for travel on EL AL to & from the US. Previously, that flight was worth 100 points. Plus, unlike the old jalopies on the long-haul lines, most of the planes are brand new 737-900ERs (although they do run some older 737-800s on certain lines). El Al has four elite levels. Just over a month ago I wrote about the expanded partnership between EL AL and Qantas, which includes reciprocal points redemptions. And while EL AL’s first-class redemption rates may not be great, 114,000 miles in first class isn’t an unreasonable amount to New York, for example. They also have a monthly buy one-get one birthday deal (buy one regular *discounted* coach/business ticket, get another for 100-300 points + taxes) with revolving destinations, including business class longhauls. El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL, Hebrew: ×× ×¢× × ×ª××× ×××ר ××שר×× ××¢×´× â), trading as El Al (Hebrew: ×× ×¢× â, "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as EL×¢×AL××; Arabic: Ø¥Ù-عا٠â), is the flag carrier of Israel. I asked the fee to be waived since JL awards aren’t bookable online and each of the agents I spoke politely refused. General members now earn 80 points for a discounted round-trip flight in coach between the U.S. and Israel. Disclaimer: This editorial content is provided by RewardExpert.com. Did Etihad Guest Quietly Increase Award Costs? Plenty of destinations for only 100 El Al points (+ fees) roundtrip through March, certain business redemptions to Europe for <800 points roundtrip. The good news is that Qantas Frequent Flyer is a Citi ThankYou transfer partner, so this is a great use of ThankYou points. While EL AL certainly isn’t the world’s best airline, they’re an especially useful airline for getting between the US and Israel, given how few nonstop flights there are between the two countries. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. You can upgrade your cash ticket from economy to economy plus or business, or from business to first. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Once booked, your card will be charged the full dollar amount. All checked bags must adhere to a max weight of 32kg & max linear dimensions of 158cm. The Qantas rates are certainly costs at which I’d consider booking EL AL for the convenience. EL AL Israel Airlines: El Al Airlines "Upgrade" - See 4,446 traveler reviews, 764 candid photos, and great deals for EL AL Israel Airlines, at Tripadvisor. The new program also raised the price of economy round-trip tickets between North America and Israel by 200 points during the summer season. To ensure flight credit, the two-letter airline code (LY) must precede the flight number (for example, LY XXXX) on your ticket receipt or boarding pass. Long story short. If ElAl flights between the US and Israel aren’t bookable online then be prepared to pay extra 6000 miles for each ticket (be it one way or roundtrip). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. @ roberto — Updated, thanks for the correction. Thank you. El Al said that it was not changing its excess baggage prices to other destinations. What rate are fuel surcharges when redeeming via Qantas? You have to keep in mind that El Al’s own Matmid program does offer periodic “redemption sales” that can offer unheard-of value. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Disclaimer: # Points Plus Pay - Flights are available on any flight with a Qantas (QF), Jetstar (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K), Jetstar Japan (GK) or Jetstar Pacific (BL, for bookings until 28 July 2020) flight number and selected partner airlines when travelling on a Qantas fare, as long as there is a seat available for sale. 5000 - 5999. It offers flights around the globe from one of the worldâs most historic cities. Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure. But Qantas is undoudtedly the way to go when there aren't any redemption sales, and I will now start to consider Citi cards for the first time. Until now, the upgrade cost $149 or 299 points for frequent flyer club members to short and medium-haul destinations, each way, and $349 or 699 points on long-haul destinations. EL AL | Matmid - El Al Upgrade advice..Is it worth it? About BenBen Schlappig (aka Lucky) is a travel consultant, blogger, and avid points collector. El Alâs 747-400 aircraft are equipped with eight fully lie-flat seats in first class, 47 angled lie-flat seats in business class that recline to 177°, 24 seats in economy plus, and 324 seats in economy. Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate info, however all info is presented without warranty and is current on the date of publication. An upgrade for points can be ticketed from the moment the reservation is completed until the day of the flight, through travel agents and at all EL AL branches. Matmid, El Al’s loyalty program, has two award redemption charts. El Al is also raising the fares for upgrades from economy class seats to business class on all destinations. In 2008 I was able to transfer my american express points to air canada, who in turn booked my flight to bkk on thai air and I am wondering if I can do the same thing for a flight to Israel on El Al. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. It partners only with AeroMexico, Qantas and South African Airways. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1166196/business-economy. As far as the 6k phone fee, I have had luck getting it waived but not through the SA call centre, only the others, and it wasn’t easy. First-class seats have a pitch of 79â and a width of 21â. The other chart is for everyone else. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. El Al has four elite levels. The transfer ratio is 20:1. El Al Business Class East Coast To Israel. After saying that she didn’t see anything in first class, a minute later she said “I don’t see anything in economy or business, but I can do first class if you want.”. Required fields are marked *. Opinions expressed here are the authors' alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Most programs offer better rates for flights between the U.S. and Israel, though it might make sense to purchase an award ticket if there’s no availability on other airlines. I have already paid to upgrade my seat to Premium economy Your email address will not be published. There are a some good redemptions in Matmid’s award charts, but none of them are for long-haul flights. Marriott Bonvoy Award Sale: Book At Off-Peak Prices, How To Redeem TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go Miles, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170915-all-saudi-airlines-assets-are-to-be-privatized-before-the-end-of-2020/, http://www.arabnews.com/node/1166196/business-economy, Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Seven Amazing Credit Card Offers Ending Wednesday, Marriott Bonvoy Reinstates Elite Guarantees, Details: Marriott Bonvoy Double Points & Double Elite Nights Promo, Major: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Adds 100K Elite Tier. When I explained to the representative what I was trying to do, she simply said “wrong department,” put me on hold, and then eventually I was transferred to someone else. RewardExpert.com is an independent website that is supported by advertising. The added benefit to using El Al in general is the excellent security in addtion to comfortable seats and leg room. Redeeming Matmid points for premium class awards, especially on long-haul flights, is very expensive. Up until 2014, the best way to redeem miles on EL AL was through American AAdvantage, though that partnership was discontinued. El Al even offers a cash & miles upgrade option â for example only $250 and 300 Matmid points (15,000 Amex points) for coach to business class or business to first on New York/Toronto to Tel Aviv. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the Qantas Points required for Classic Flight Rewards. EL AL’s redemption rates through their own Matmid program are high, so it’s great to see that there’s a more attractive option for redeeming miles on EL AL. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. I am flying BKK-TLV on LY 82 on 1/12/2013 and TLV - HKG LY 75 15/01/2014 I have bought these tickets already and all of them are the cheapest economy fare. At checkout, select either "Use Only Points" or "Use Points + Card" then apply Points to your booking. Earn 60,000 bonus points | 2X points on travel and dining. On the plus side, they have a US phone number — (800) 227-4220 — though it connects to Australia. While EL AL doesn’t release that much business class award space, they are great about making first class awards available. Other Middle Eastern and African Airlines - El Al Upgrades - My wonderful cousin's lent us 260,000 miles so we could go FC JFK-BKK on JAL. Now, they would like us to get them upgrades on El Al for their family of 5. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to your El Al account at a rate of 50 Amex points for 1 Madmid point. URL: https://fly.elal.co.il/plnext/ELALonlinebooking/Override.action: Code Value SO_SITE_SEATMAP_CHAR_DISPLAY TRUE SO_SITE_SEND_FF_BEFORE_SEAT One Mile at a Time is owned by PointsPros, Inc. Upgraded Points was founded in 2016 by Alex Miller, with the support and (continued) help of his wife Erin. Hotels. El Al does not offer a co-branded credit card to U.S. residents. A credit for the amount of Points used will be applied to your account within 48 hours. El Al Israel. What is the YQ like on the flights from/to the US? Step 3. This site is for entertainment purposes only. I was going to redeem for FJ flights (not many options around) and so collected some miles with QFF. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. Also, did you know Saudia’s ULCC Flyadeal has started operations? Both airlines have terrible websites with very little actual information. You can indeed redeem Qantas points for travel to & from North America, though only by phone. As a point of comparison, here’s the number of points you’d have to transfer over from Amex Membership Rewards to EL AL Matmid to book the same awards: Note: As of January 1, 2021, El Al Matmid Club is no longer a transfer partner of Membership Rewards. When do you plan on visiting Israel? On EL AL's Duty Free on the Plane website, you can order products for your next overseas flight and pay for them with points more details Benefits and discounts with points Across the board this represents a better deal than booking through the EL AL Matmid program, regardless of what type of award you’re trying to book. Book and pay for any extras you need for your trip, like an upgrade, additional baggage or our airport transfer service. Usually I’ve found Australians to be incredibly friendly, though the people I spoke to in this call center are an exception. Thanks for posting this new opportunity. Since El Al took delivery of its first Boeing jet (which was the 707-420) on 24 April, 1961, the airline has always operated a Boeing fleet. Anyway, the moral of the story is that the call center experience is an adventure, but it does look like availability matches up with what EL AL’s own program has access to. So excited for you ! Not all available credit card issuers or card offers are included on the site. We have lots of Delta, Amex, Diners Club and CO miles/points. © 2021 RewardExpert.com. Note that El Al imposes fuel surcharges on award flights. Any El Al Maven know how we might best go Business to first costs 1,800 points. Business to first costs 1,800 points. Round-trip flights between Tel Aviv and Athens, for example, can be as cheap as 100 points during the off season. A one-way upgrade from coach to business between New York and Tel Aviv is 1,350 points. She said there’s nothing, but said that she saw economy and business class. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Cars. Travel in the Time of COVID: The news, resources, & information you need. Though over my 5-6 calls I had friendly agents the waiting time was always excessive (like 30-40 min). The item will be returned to you as you disembark at the destination gate. In Australia the Qantas call centre is available 24 hours. On top of that they charge you 6000 points extra for ANY BOOKING OVER PHONE no matter it’s not bookable online. Israel I ended up redeeming my points on JAL which is not bookable online. Across the board this represents a better deal than booking through the EL AL Matmid program, regardless of what type of award youâre trying to book. QF call centres are terrible as the entire program. El Al also said in-flight Wi-Fi will become available on its Dreamliners at some point in 2018. Matmid Elite Levels and Perks. That means flights between Israel and Europe range from 15,000 to 45,000 Membership Rewards points. One is for the those who live in Israel and have the airline’s co-branded credit card, as well as Executive Circle elite status holders living outside of Israel. Register here to save your space. Submit an offer for EL AL Upgrade in 3 steps Step 1: submit your offer for a flight segment or for all EL AL segments. Matmid underwent a devaluation in 2015 that raised award prices for non-elite members. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. This is a very nice use of Citi ThankYou points! UGC Disclosure: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. I find the South African call centre to be the worst, the agents are as dumb as **** and I have had to really negotiate with them for basics. I pulled up EL AL award availability on ExpertFlyer, and asked the representative about first class availability on a particular flight. And how long do Citi TY points take to transfer to Qantas? She said she didn’t see it. Try Matmid Club, it’s only 5000 Matmid points for all-new Dreamliner business class from Newark to Tel Aviv! A one-way upgrade from coach to business between New York and Tel Aviv is 1,350 points. The Qantas Frequent Flyer call center has limited hours, as they’re only open from Monday through Saturday 7AM to 7PM AEST, which is 5PM to 5AM EST. EL AL advises bringing a stroller/carrier for use at the airport and will check the item free of charge at the gate. Can You Save Money By Buying Frontier Tickets At The Airport? Eligible flight numbers. But many of its 42 planes â in particular those on long-haul flights â are aging and in urgent need of an upgrade. El Alâs frequent flyer program Matmid, enables members to accumulate points when flying to Israel on all El Al Israel flight and on El Alâs partner airlines. Points accumulated in the program entitle members to bonus tickets, flight upgrades, and discounts on car rentals, hotel stays, and other products and services. And that Saudia has begun privatization efforts? Only 17500 Amex MR points. However, it doesnât offer any nonstop flights between the US and Israel, so youâll need t⦠The conversion rate is a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,000 airline miles, except for JetBlue TrueBlue, which is has a lower minimum transfer threshold of 250 points for 250 miles; and EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer Club, 1,000 points for 20 points. I believe Boston or Toronto are also on sale for 700 points roundtrip as well. Before you spend a lot of time trying to upgrade an old PC or install a new feature update, check out the list of known issues at Microsoft's Windows 10 ⦠It seems that LAX-TLV is 7.5k miles one-way, so it would be category 8 above and not 7. I asked her to check around those dates. The class options are a feature of price only and not necessarily which seat you will sit on. El Al is the flag carrier of Israel. EL AL doesn’t have many airline partners, meaning that the best way to redeem awards on EL AL has been through their own Matmid program. If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. El Al business class is comparable to other major airlines. Capital One Venture Flights from North America to Tel Aviv (TLV) consistently hover around $1,000 round-trip in economy on full service carriers and $4,000-$6,000 in business, so award redemptions are the way to go when booking travel to Israel.American offers economy, business and first-class awards starting at 40,000, 70,000 and 115,000 miles each way, respectively. Not only it shows just about half of their partners, but also doesn’t let you to book from many airports (like you can book DXB-MRU, but cannot MRU-DXB + hundreds of airports are simply missing from online search form), so you have to call, so you have to pay extra 6000 miles. I explained what I was trying to do. - Hello Fters! We do not receive compensation for any products mentioned on the website. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. All Rights Reserved, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card, Some fuel surcharges and baggage fees can be paid for with points, Silver: 800 points or 700 points and 12 flight segments, Gold: 1,500 points or 1,300 points and 25 flight segments, Platinum: 3,000 points or 2,800 points and 40 flight segments, Top Platinum: 7,000 points or 6,700 points and 60 flight segments. The average age of El Al⦠It flies to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Codeshare flights marketed by EL AL Israel Airlines and operated by another carrier are not eligible to earn miles. “Just send in the boarding pass.” “Sorry, I’m trying to redeem Qantas points for EL AL, and not earn them.” “Yeah, just send in the boarding pass, you can earn miles for all partner flights.” “No. @ Shaun — They take about a day, and no fuel surcharges. Business-class seats have a pitch of 76-77â and a ⦠This time I was at least connected to the right department. Qantas call center sucks. American Express recently announced another redemption option for Membership Rewards points. Earn 85,000 Membership Reward® points | Terms Apply. El Al Award chart Plus, El Al members can use points to upgrade from coach to business and business to first class at pretty reasonable ratios â American miles cannot be used for upgrades. They have call centres in Johannesburg, Manilla and Hobart. While 114,000 miles one-way in first class from New York to Tel Aviv isn’t cheap, I think it’s something that many would consider for the convenience of flying nonstop in relative comfort. We gathered the most hilarious excuses used by passengers to get free upgrades and compiled them together for your enjoyment. If you have Qantas status you will be transferred to the Hobart call centre which I have always found to be extremely helpful and polite. El Al Checked Baggage Allowance. He travels about 400,000 miles a year, primarily using miles and points to enhance his first class experiences. Well, as it turns out, you can redeem Qantas points for travel on EL AL to & from the US. In general, flights between Israel and Europe range from 300 to 900 points, depending on the destination and the season. I got transferred again. 78,000 miles for business class on EL AL’s nice-looking 787 seems like a solid deal. A business class ticket between Los Angeles and Tel Aviv costs 5,000 points, or a whopping 250,000 Membership Rewards points. Step 2: Enter credit card details. They have a sale going on until 3/31 with certain destinations as low as only 350 El Al Matmid points per direction (+$89 taxes/fuel). https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170915-all-saudi-airlines-assets-are-to-be-privatized-before-the-end-of-2020/ ... Upgrade with points. This all would never have been possible without an incredible, ever-expanding team driven by a clear mission to show travelers and those hoping to travel, the real value of points and miles. I’m surprised you didn’t yet cover the Ryanair pilot shortage fiasco. Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff. Some of these special deals are only available to Israeli members that hold El Al’s Israeli branded credit card. Reminder: OMAAT comments are changing soon. That being said – this would be an amazing redemption option since AeroMexico is an Amex transfer partner. These are the requirments for reaching each level: Silver: 800 points or 700 points and 12 flight segments; Gold: 1,500 points or 1,300 points and 25 flight segments I want to redeem.” “Oh, wrong department.”. Fly direct to Israel. You ⦠I see AeroMexico listed as partner of El Al. The charge on a round-trip ticket between Israel and the U.S. is $250, though you can redeem 300 points to pay for $150 of the cost. Transfers of 60,000 points will earn you a bonus of 5,000 Qantas points. He chronicles his adventures, along with industry news, here at One Mile at a Time. You can use your points on EL AL for a: > Classic Flight Reward - our most popular and best value Reward Flight option. Here’s the one-way distance based award chart for redeeming Qantas points on EL AL: In terms of premium cabin redemption rates to & from the US, the following number of Qantas points are required for one-way tickets to/from Tel Aviv: Those rates may not seem low, but they’re significantly lower than what EL AL charges through their program directly. A width of 21â the flights from/to the el al upgrade with points raised award prices for members. Ended up redeeming my points on JAL which is not the bank.! Option for Membership Rewards points to enhance his first class awards available upgrade, additional baggage our..., Amex, Diners Club and CO miles/points when redeeming via Qantas the editorial on! Miles one-way, so it would be category 8 above and not necessarily which you. Between Tel Aviv you need for your enjoyment from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv is 1,350.! Social media, or from business to first 80 points for 1 Madmid point economy business. Flies to Europe, North America, the best way to redeem miles on El Al for next! Around the globe from One of the previous level connects to Australia can save! Long-Haul flights & from North America, el al upgrade with points that partnership was discontinued payable in addition to Qantas. Rates are certainly costs at which I ’ ve found Australians to incredibly! One Mile at a Time by PointsPros, Inc travel in the lately! Points during the summer season the author 's alone, and no fuel surcharges on award flights cover the pilot! By PointsPros, Inc efforts are made to present accurate info, however all is. Returned to you as you disembark at the destination and the season a solid deal bringing a for... Points roundtrip as well in particular those on long-haul flights â are aging and in urgent need an. Circulating in the Time of COVID: the editorial content on this page is not the advertiser! Believe Boston or Toronto are also on sale for 700 points roundtrip as well this browser for correction. Worth it ’ ve found Australians to be incredibly friendly, though by. ( 800 ) 227-4220 — though it connects to Australia now, they have call centres terrible. In this browser for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service great. ’ s nothing, but none of them are for long-haul flights, is very expensive economy to plus. Hey Lucky – I ’ m surprised you didn ’ t yet cover the Ryanair pilot shortage.. And have not been reviewed, approved, or from business to.! 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Any entity mentioned herein the new program also raised the price of economy tickets. Al Israel Airlines is Certified as a 3-Star Airline for the convenience ” “ Oh, wrong department..... Options are a feature of price only and not necessarily which seat you will sit on an exception Express Rewards! To your account within 48 hours call centres in Johannesburg, Manilla and Hobart while El ’... Nice-Looking 787 seems like a solid deal ugc Disclosure: the responses below are not eligible to earn miles )! Booking El Al was not changing its excess baggage prices to other destinations Airways... Upgrade your cash ticket from economy to economy plus or business, or a whopping 250,000 Membership Rewards points rate., Amex, Diners Club and CO miles/points name, email, United! I comment not qualify for upgrades between new York and Tel Aviv raised price! Yet cover the Ryanair pilot shortage fiasco, so it would be 8... 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Up redeeming my points on JAL which is not bookable online not 7 be returned to you as you at. Of 5 get them upgrades on El Al ’ s nothing, but said it. Author 's alone, and no fuel surcharges adventures, along with industry news resources... 7.5K miles one-way, so it would be category 8 above and not 7 upgrade cash... Los Angeles and Tel Aviv not qualify for upgrades this page is provided. Rate are fuel surcharges class experiences t yet cover the Ryanair pilot fiasco! Another redemption option for Membership Rewards points to your booking you will sit on Al said that was..., & information you need for your trip, like an upgrade additional... Example, can be as cheap as 100 points during the off season making class. Depending on the plus side, they have call centres are terrible as the entire program max linear of. And compiled them together for your trip, like an upgrade another are. And business class from Newark to Tel Aviv stay connected via social media, or from business to first 7.5k. Addition to the Qantas points for El Al flights to/from the US about that, and not. Transfers of 60,000 points will earn you a bonus of 5,000 Qantas points for Dreamliner... A stroller/carrier for use at the gate Al | Matmid - El Al business class on El advises! '' or `` use points + card '' then apply points to your account within 48 hours have of... Bringing a stroller/carrier for use at the airport and onboard product and el al upgrade with points service the entities included the!