How to Book El Al With Points

The four loyalty programs that book real El Al seats, what each charges, and which card points transfer in.

Facts verified September 2026 Independent, community-run

El Al is famously stingy with award seats, and its own Matmid program is a pain. The good news: you mostly do not need Matmid. Partner programs book the same El Al planes, and every major credit card currency reaches at least one of them.

The short answer

Find El Al award space on Qantas or Flying Blue first - both are bookable with points from Amex, Chase, Capital One, or Citi, and both beat paying cash most of the time.

Ranked: the programs that book El Al, in order

  1. Qantas Frequent Flyer - the value play. Qantas is El Al’s closest partner and prices El Al awards on a fixed chart, so a JFK-TLV seat costs the same points before Sukkos as it does on a quiet week. Transfer in from Amex, Capital One, or Citi at 1:1. The catch: some dates and routes do not show online and need a phone call. Full walkthrough in our Qantas trick guide.

  2. Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) - the easy button. Book El Al right on the Air France site. Transfers at 1:1 from Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Bilt, usually instant. Watch the monthly Promo Rewards - New York to Israel can drop to 26,000-35,000 points each way. Economy on El Al metal typically runs 30,000+, business around 85,000+, plus about $150 in fees via Europe.

  3. El Al Matmid - earn by flying, not by card. Important update many older guides miss: US credit card programs no longer transfer into Matmid (Amex ended the partnership in 2021). Matmid points now come from flying El Al or from Israeli credit cards. Matmid still matters because it sometimes shows seats partners cannot see - but you cannot top it up with Amex or Chase points.

  4. United and Aeroplan - not El Al, but nonstop. If the goal is simply getting to TLV nonstop: United (Newark) is bookable with Chase points at ~42,500 in economy, and Aeroplan (Air Canada via Toronto, or United flights) is bookable with Chase or Amex points at ~40,000. One note as of September 2026: the United (Newark) and Delta (JFK) nonstops only resumed on September 8 and 6 respectively - award-space patterns on both may still be settling. Sometimes the sane answer is not flying El Al at all - our card rankings show which cards feed these programs.

The workflow every time

  1. Search Qantas and Flying Blue for your dates before touching your points.
  2. Screenshot the exact flight and price.
  3. Transfer the points (one-way street, no refunds).
  4. Book immediately - award seats do not wait.

Program terms verified September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which airline program is cheapest for booking El Al with points?

Qantas Frequent Flyer is usually the best value for El Al nonstops because it prices El Al awards on a fixed distance chart instead of dynamic pricing. Flying Blue is the easiest to use and can drop to 26,000-35,000 points each way on promo awards.

Do Chase points transfer to El Al?

Not directly to El Al Matmid. But Chase points transfer 1:1 to Flying Blue, which books El Al flights on the Air France or KLM site, and to United and Aeroplan for other nonstop options to Tel Aviv.

Is it better to book El Al with points or pay cash?

When cash fares spike - before Sukkos, Pesach, and the summer - points usually win by a mile, because partner award charts do not rise with the cash fare. On cheap dates, compare both before you transfer.