Flying business class on El Al these days can cost a small fortune (more than $5,000 each way!), but currently there is an incredible amount of dates with business class saver award space, as well as saver award space in other classes of service.
Note that in business class, there are typically just 1 or 2 saver award seats per flight.
Here is what an El Al award will cost for a sample one-way flight from JFK to Tel Aviv on September 1st:
- Virgin Atlantic (Transfer instantly from AMEX, Chase, Capital One, or Citi. Transfer from AMEX by 12/31 for 40% bonus):
- Coach: 62K (44.2K AMEX)+$9.60
- Premium: 84K (60K AMEX)+$9.60
- Business: 150K (107.1K AMEX)+$9.60
- Delta (Transfer instantly from AMEX):
- Coach: 74K+$9.60
- Premium: 155K+$9.60
- Business: 320K+$9.60
- El Al Non-Executive (No US transfer options):
- Coach: 60K+$36.30
- Premium: 108.5K+$36.30
- Business: 150K+$36.30
- El Al Executive (No US transfer options):
- Coach: 48K+$36.30
- Premium: 86.8K+$36.30
- Business: 120K+$36.30
- Air France Flying Blue (Transfer instantly from AMEX, Chase, Capital One, or Citi. Transfer from Chase by 1/15 for 20% bonus):
- Coach: 65.5K (54.5K Chase)+$36.30
- Premium: 87K (72.5K Chase)+$36.30
- Business: 158K (131.6K Chase)+$36.30
- Etihad (Only bookable via phone. Transfer instantly from AMEX, Capital One, or Citi):
- Coach: 67K+$32
- Premium: 74K+$32
- Business: 120K+$32
- Qantas (Transfer instantly from AMEX, Capital One, or Citi):
- Coach: 37.8K+$32
- Premium: 70.8K+$32
- Business: Qantas is currently blocking all business class awards on El Al.
Here is what an El Al award will cost for a sample round-trip flight from JFK to Tel Aviv from September 1st-8th:
- Virgin Atlantic:
- Coach: 124K (88.5K AMEX)+$61.19
- Premium:168K (120K AMEX)+$61.19
- Business: 300K (214.2K AMEX)+$61.19
- Delta:
- Coach: 60K+$61.19
- Premium: 210K+$61.19
- Business: 380K+$61.19
- El Al Non-Executive:
- Coach: 120K+$110.09
- Premium: 217K+$110.09
- Business: 300K+$110.09
- El Al Executive:
- Coach: 96K+$110.09
- Premium: 173.6K+$110.09
- Business: 240K+$110.09
- Air France Flying Blue:
- Coach: 131K (109.1K Chase)+$110.09
- Premium: 174K (145K Chase)+$110.09
- Business: 316K (263.3K Chase)+$110.09
- Etihad:
- Coach: 134K+$106
- Premium: 148K+$106
- Business: 240K+$106
- Qantas:
- Coach: 75.6K+$106
- Premium: 141.6K+$106
- Business: Qantas is currently blocking all business class awards on El Al.
Booking with Virgin Atlantic:
Below are the dates where you can currently find at least 1 El Al business class saver award seat from NYC to Tel Aviv:
Below are the dates where you can currently find at least 1 El Al business class saver award seat from Tel Aviv to NYC:
If you, a member in your household, or an authorized user has one of the following Chase cards, you can transfer points into miles:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a 60K signup bonus for spending $4K in 3 months, earns 2.1 points per dollar on travel after the card's 10% anniversary bonus, 3.1 points per dollar on dining, streaming, and online groceries after the card's 10% anniversary bonus, has a $50 hotel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.25 cents each for paid travel ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a 60K signup bonus for spending $4K in 3 months, earns 3 points per dollar on dining/travel, has a $300 travel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.5 cents each for paid travel ($550 annual fee with $300 travel credit). Read more here.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a 90K signup bonus for spending $8K in 3 months, and earns 3 points per dollar on up to $150K of annual spending on shipping, advertising, and travel, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.25 cents each for paid travel ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card has a $750 signup bonus in the form of 75K points for spending $6K in 3 months, and earns 1.5 points per dollar on business purchases ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a $350 signup bonus in the form of 35K points for spending $3K in 3 months and another $400 signup bonus in the form of 40K bonus points for spending another $3K in 6 months for a total of 75,000 Chase Ultimate points, plus if you have a Chase business checking account open on the card's first anniversary you will get a 10% points bonus on all earnings from card spending, this card earns 5 points per dollar on the first $25,000 in combined purchases on cable, TV, telecom, cellular, and office supply stores, plus 2 points per dollar on dining and gas on up to $25,000 in purchases ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Flex has a 20K signup bonus, plus 5 points on rotating categories, 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a signup bonus that earns an extra 1.5% cash back in the form of 1.5 points per dollar everywhere on up to $20K of spending during your first year, on top of at least 1.5 points per dollar everywhere, 5 points per dollar (marketed as 5% cash back) on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is offering a rare bonus to earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership and offers 2 points per dollar spent on up to $50K spending annually 1 point per dollar thereafter, plus transfer points to airlines and hotels and keep AMEX points alive. Terms apply. Read more here.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is offering a 150K bonus for spending $20,000 in 3 months and offers monthly credits, lounge access, and much more. Terms apply. Read more here.
- American Express® Business Gold Card is offering a 100K bonus for spending $15,000 in 3 months, monthly business credits, Walmart+ membership, up to 4 points per dollar spent with a $150K annual spend cap, and more benefits. Terms apply. Read more here.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express is offering an 80K bonus for spending $8,000 in 6 months and offers monthly credits, lounge access, and much more. Terms apply. Read more here.
- American Express® Gold Card is offering a 60K bonus for spending $6,000 in 6 months, monthly credits for Uber and Grubhub, and more. Terms apply. Read more here.
- AMEX Green Consumer Card is offering a 40K bonus for spending $3,000 in 6 months and offers up to $199 in annual CLEAR Plus® credits, $100 LoungeBuddy credit, plus transfer points to airlines and hotels and keep AMEX points alive. All information about the AMEX Green Card has been collected independently by DansDeals.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is offering 75,000 bonus miles for spending $4K in 3 months, plus earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10K anniversary bonus miles, Global Entry/Pre-Check, Capital One lounge access, Priority Pass Lounge membership, Hertz President's Circle status, free lounge access and status for free additional cardholders, transfer miles to airlines and hotels, 5K MLB redemptions, and more. $395 annual fee. Read more here.
- Capital One Venture X Business is offering 150,000 bonus miles for spending $30K in 3 months, plus earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10K anniversary bonus miles, Global Entry/Pre-Check, Capital One lounge access, Enhanced Priority Pass Lounge membership, transfer miles to airlines and hotels, 5K MLB redemptions, and more. $395 annual fee. Read more here.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is offering 75,000 bonus miles for spending $4K in 3 months, plus 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, transfer points to airlines and hotels, 5K MLB redemptions, and more. $95 annual fee. Read more here.
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is offering 20,000 bonus miles for spending $500 in 3 months, transfer miles to airlines and hotels, 5K MLB redemptions, and more. No annual fee.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business is offering 50,000 bonus miles for spending $4,500 in 3 months, 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, Global Entry/PreCheck, transfer miles to airlines and hotels, 5K MLB redemptions, and more. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- New offer: Capital One Spark Cash Plus is offering $2,000 cash back (convertible to 200,000 miles) for spending $30,000 in 3 months, plus get another $2,000 cash back for every $500K spent in your first year, 2% back everywhere, $40 MLB redemptions, annual fee refund when you spend $150K/year, and more. $150 annual fee.
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44 Comments On "WOW! HURRY! El Al Opens The Floodgates On Business Class Saver Award Space! Here’s How And When You Can Book It"
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What is the executive non transfer?
Delta is insane on round trip award in coach. Cheaper than one way!
how do you find availability on delta?
Sad about Qantas blocking all awards in J on LY. Is that true for this floodgate open and QF not matching or is QF always not showing Elal?
And is it true for Elal business to non USA regions too that is also being blocked on QF?
Interestingly, I’m seeing instances where there is saver award through Virgin, but not through Matmid on the same flight
If you don’t have enough points in your Matmid account for the savor award, it will only show you cash tickets bookable with points (tested 2 accounts)
I did not know that. Thanks
Yup, absurd bug/feature introduced by Shahar Markowitz despite my loud protesting.
Chase has a %20 transfer bonus to flying blue
Added, thanks!
Mistake on sample round trip fee on Delta coach? 60K?
Nope. You can test it yourself.
Why is Qantas blocking all business class awards on El Al?
They have always been finicky with El Al space.
Oddly, their El Al economy and premium space now matches other airlines, which is a good thing.
For economy and premium it’s actually the cheapest! No?
Delta can be cheaper for RT economy.
do you forsee them re opening business class awards any time soon?
how to see the options via the calendar? also anything from miami ?
Yes, other cities have as well.
cant seem to pull up the calendar as you showed. any idea where the flexible link is
same
I see my virgin points in my account but when booking it shows insufficient points
Worked on mobile web
I recall you doing a post with instructions on how to find partner awards and cannot seem to find it. Can you post the link?
Select book with points and select Multi-City, it Should take you to the old Search
Just booked 2 in J! I can now cancel my Y ticket. Thanks Dan!
Awesome!
Booked 2 business class tickets, thanks Dan!
Nesiah tova!
Is availability the same across partners?
Yes, except for Qantas.
how do i book the seats? I snagged 2 one ways jfk tlv, but i cant choose a seat any way around this?
you can do it by taking the E-ticket number and putting in the Elal Site
Not seeing any elal show up on airfrance
Depends on the dates you selected. I booked a RT El Al ticket on AF through this deal (Thanks Dan!!!) cuz I had points sitting there
@dan can you please share the link to book via va?
Thanks!
Booked LY 2 RT Business Class tickets via Amex
Virgin cannot change seats online. what’s the best way to get seats assigned?
I can do it by taking the E-ticket number and putting in the Elal Site
Thanks Dan just booked flights on Elal through delta for August for 60k per person. August 19 to September 2. Was waiting for a deal like this for a while.
Thanks Dan! Just booked a late-summer trip for the family via Delta for 60K miles each – 1/2 the price of buying them with cash! Are the 60K RT tickets from Delta always available, or is this a special one-off?
Where can the virgin calendar still be found?
Hey
I’m trying for hours to figure out how did you got to the monthly calendar availability and I can’t
May please guide me how to get there please ?
Put in multi-city then it will switch to the old system. (virgin)
https://www.virginatlantic.com/flight-search/book-a-flight?tripType=MULTICITY