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EL AL, the flag carrier of Israel, flies to over 50 destinations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
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Matmid Club is EL AL’s frequent flyer program where you earn points for flying EL AL, and for transferring rewards from your IHG® Rewards Club account. Matmid Club points can then be redeemed for flight awards and upgrades on EL AL, and more. For everything you need to know about EL AL Matmid Club, keep reading.
| Hub | Tel Aviv |
| Alliance | None |
| Redemption Options | EL AL flights, upgrades, seating, inflight WiFi, merchandise, fuel surcharges, baggage, flight cancellation insurance, hotels, restaurant discounts, concert discounts, movie discounts, donations |
| Average Point Value | $0.085 |
Matmid Club Elite Status
EL AL Matmid Club is one of the few airline loyalty programs that provides benefits to its base-level members. When you enroll, you automatically receive Matmid status and enjoy prioritized seating and exclusive member offers.
Above Matmid level are four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Top Platinum. To receive status, you need to earn a certain amount of qualifying points, or a combination of qualifying points and flight segments, in 12 consecutive months.
| SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | TOP PLATINUM |
| 400 points | 1,000 points | 2,500 points | 6,500 points |
| 300 points + 10 flight segments | 500 points + 15 flight segments | 1,000 points + 20 flight segments | 5,000 points + 40 flight segments |
Status members enjoy the following perks:
| SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | TOP PLATINUM | |
| Points bonus | 10% | 40% | 60% | |
| Last minute upgrade | X | X | X | X |
| Hand luggage x2 in economy | X | X | X | |
| Checked baggage in economy | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2/3 |
| Seat selection benefits in economy | X | X | X | |
| Access to King David Lounge | You + 10 | You + 40 | You + 60 | |
| Express check-in | X | X | X | |
| Priority boarding | X | X | X | |
| Dedicated phone service center | X | X | X | |
| Personal service by Personal Account Manager | X | |||
| Concierge service | X |
Lifetime Gold membership is awarded to those aged 67 years and over who have held Gold, Platinum or Top Platinum status for 10 consecutive years.
Earning Matmid Club Points
Matmid Club members earn points on EL AL flights, as well as on flights with airlines that EL AL operates code-share agreements with (Aeromexico, Qantas and South African Airways). How many points you earn depends on destination, booking class and elite status.
You’ll also earn Matmid Club points when you book Cash&Points flight tickets. The amount is dependent on booking class.
Matmid members earn points on stays with partner hotel brands, such as:
- 7 to 14 points per stayat Hilton hotels.
- 1 point per $20 spent at IHG hotels, plus 10 points per stay.
- 20 points per stay at Radisson hotels.
- 12 points per stay at Marriott hotels.
Receive Matmid Club points when you rent cars from the following partner brands:
- Avis – 10 points per rental, plus 15 points with Gold or Platinum status
- Budget & Hertz – 10 points per rental
- Europcar, Sixt & Ofran – 12 points per rental (minimum 7 days)
Please note, you won’t earn points for car rentals in Israel, but you can convert Hertz Shekels to Matmid Club points at a 7:2 ratio.
Earning Matmid Club Points With IHG Rewards Club
Note: As of January 1, 2021, EL AL Matmid Club is no longer a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards®.
As a United States citizen, the easiest way to earn Matmid Club points is by transferring your IHG® Rewards Club points at a 250:1 ratio. Credit cards that earn IHG Rewards Club points include:
IHG® REWARDS CLUB TRAVELER CREDIT CARD
The IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card is offering 120,000 points when you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months as a welcome bonus. Our valuation puts these 120k points at around $600.
This card earns 15 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Earn 1 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
When you redeem points for a stay of 4 or more nights, the card rewards you with a fourth night free. Additionally, you save 20% when you purchase points with your card.
You get automatic Gold Elite status with this card. The annual fee is $0.
IHG® REWARDS CLUB PREMIER CREDIT CARD
The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card has an offer for 140,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months. Our valuation puts these 140k points at around $700.
This card earns 25 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Earn 1 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
After each account anniversary year you’ll get a Free Night at eligible IHG hotels worldwide. Redeem points for any stay of 4 or more nights and you get a free reward night.
Also, get a Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
Get automatic Platinum Elite status with this card. The annual fee is $89 a year.
Redeeming Matmid Club Points
Matmid Club members can use their points for:
- Free flight awards with EL AL
- Points plus cash flight awards with EL AL
- Upgrade awards on EL AL flights
- Seating awards on EL AL flights
- WiFi awards on EL AL flights
- Merchandise awards on EL AL’s Duty Free on the Plane website
- Fuel surcharges, baggage and flight cancellation insurance awards
- Hotel awards
- Restaurant, concert & movie discount awards
- Merchandise awards at EL AL Matmid Club mall
- Charitable donations
Matmid Club points expire after 120 months of inactivity. To keep your account active, make sure to earn or burn points at least every three years.
Matmid Club Tips & Tricks
The best ways to use your Matmid Club points for maximum value are:
- Fuel surcharges on award flights. For a round-trip ticket between the United States and Israel, EL AL charges $250. You can redeem 300 points to pay for $150 of the cost.
- Upgrades on cash tickets. From economy to economy plus or business, or from business to first. A one-way upgrade from economy to business between New York City and Tel Aviv is 1,350 points. Business to first on the same flight costs 1,800 points.
- Short-haul flights. For example, roundtrip flights between Tel Aviv and Athens can be as cheap as 100 points in the off season. You’ll often find flights between Israel and Europe between 300 to 900 points, depending on the season and the destination.
Bottom Line
After the dissolvement of its partnership with American Express Membership Rewards®, EL AL Matmid Club has very little use for American consumers. The frequent flyer program doesn’t have many options for U.S.-based members to earn Matmid Club points, nor does it have many attractive ways for Americans to burn points.
If you want to redeem rewards to fly EL AL, we recommend using Qantas miles instead. American Express Membership Rewards®, Citi ThankYou® Rewards and Capital One® Rewards all transfer to Qantas.
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Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.