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Israel-based El Al's Matmid loyalty program doesn't get much attention outside of Israel — mostly due to the difficulty of earning Matmid points. But, for those that have a stash of Matmid points, El Al just added the ability to book Virgin Atlantic awards through its website. AwardWallet tools first detected this new addition overnight Sunday night.
Here's what to know about El Al's partnership with Virgin Atlantic.
Redeeming El Al Matmid Points on Virgin Atlantic
Technically, El Al members have been able to redeem Matmid points for Virgin Atlantic flights since June 10, 2024. However, since the start, El Al members have been instructed to “contact the call center at *2550 or +972-3-9771111” to book an award ticket with partner airlines.
That's the aspect that changed today without notice. Matmid members can now book Virgin Atlantic awards on the El Al website, right alongside El Al flights.
Based on what's published on El Al's website, the award pricing for Virgin Atlantic flights should follow this redemption chart:
| Distance in Miles | Economy Class | Premium Class | Business Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 400 | 16,000 | 30,000 | 45,000 |
| 401 - 1,500 | 35,000 | 55,000 | 90,000 |
| 1,501 - 2,500 | 55,000 | 78,000 | 135,000 |
| 2,501 - 4,000 | 80,000 | 110,000 | 200,000 |
| 4,001 and up | 130,000 | 170,000 | 300,000 |
However, we are seeing very different award pricing in practice. Award prices on the 2,233-mile route from Tel Aviv (TLV) to London Heathrow (LHR) are pricing as low as 27,600 points in economy — less than half of the 55k point award chart pricing. However, on the same flight, Virgin Upper Class is priced higher than the award chart price.
Unfortunately, not all awards are pricing this cheap. And as with El Al's partnership with Air France, it's cheaper to book El Al award flights vs. Virgin Atlantic awards on the same route. In some cases, El Al awards are less than half of what El Al is selling Virgin Atlantic awards for:
Earning El Al Matmid Points on Virgin Atlantic
Since June 2024, El Al Matmid members have been able to earn Matmid points on Virgin Atlantic flights. Your earnings depend on how you book the flight.
Virgin Atlantic-operated flights marketed with an El Al flight number (e.g., LY4701) will earn Matmid points and elite-status Diamonds “according to an earning index based on the flight ticket fare (similar to the earning index for EL AL flights).” El Al links off to this page that explains how Matmid points are earned under the recently adopted revenue-based program.
For Virgin Atlantic-marketed flights (with a VS flight number), here's the earning chart:
| Class of Service | Booking Class | Earning rate (based on distance in miles) |
|---|---|---|
| Business | J ,C, D, I, Z | 125% |
| Premium | W, S, H, K | 100% |
| Economy Full-Fare | Y, B, V, R | 75% |
| Economy | L, U, M, O, N, X, Q, E | 50% |
| Discount economy | T | 25% |
Matmid elite members will earn a bonus on these base earnings:
- Silver (SL): 33% bonus
- Gold (GL): 50% bonus
- Platinum (PL): 83% bonus
- Top Platinum (TP): 100% bonus
Final Thoughts
As with the other El Al Matmid partnerships we've looked at, El Al's expanded partnership with Virgin Atlantic leaves a lot to be desired. High redemption rates and dynamic award pricing leave little room for value.
However, for those with a lot of Matmid points, the ability to book another partner online is a welcome addition. We just wish that these awards would price at (or less than) the published award chart.
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Also as with Air France, the awards on El Al metal may be available for roughly half the number of El Al points but then the quality of the El Al product is about half of both Air France and Virgin. The El Al staff are often supercilious and brusuqe. The cabins of the planes are invariably grubby and worn and most importantly the seat pitch is less than on both AF and Virgin. All of these points make El Al a less comfortable ride. Most of the El Al European flights do not even serve a meal in Economy. The flight to London Heathrow is an exception. Flying in and out of London Luton you will have to make do with a roll filled with a few slices of heated Salami. It is a really poor soft product for an airline that sells itself as a legacy carrier.