Two Deals to Tel Aviv at Up to 60% Off

September 2015
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Fares to Tel Aviv from the U.S. and Canada are about $3,300 to $3,700 for advance-purchase Business Class, not unusually expensive. However, using miles might be smarter given that two major carriers, Air Canada and El Al, have good mileage award availability to Tel Aviv over the next 11 months in Business Class.

Miles & Points Math

Air Canada: Charges 165,000 miles. Transfer partners are Amex Rewards and Starwood (135,000 points with Starwood transfer bonus).

Air Canada Partner Opportunity: Using All Nippon miles, the cost is only 104,000 in Business Class, 37% less than Air Canada charges and availability is sometimes similar to Air Canada’s offerings. Transfer from Starwood and you only need 84,000 points only 4,000 more than Air Canada charges for economy class. (See the April 2015 issue for more details on getting All Nippon miles.) All Nippon is also a transfer partner with Amex Rewards.

El Al: Charges 4,500 to 5,000 points for Business, and has just one partner, Amex Rewards. At first glance, this sounds great, but to get those 5,000 points, you have to transfer 250,000 Amex points, given the exchange rate. It takes 1,000 Amex Rewards points to get 20 El Al Matmid points.

El Al Partner Opportunity: Using South Africa Airways miles, only 100,000 in Business Class, 150,000 fewer miles (60%) than a transfer from Amex Rewards. Transfer points to South Africa Airways from Diners Club, and availability is sometimes similar to El Al’s own inventory.

Sweet Redeems Survey: U.S. to/from Tel Aviv in Business Class

[table_opt style="double-blue-header" id="2385 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]

[[" Airline "," Departure City ","U.S. <span style=\"color: #800000;\">to<\/span> Tel Aviv","#colspan#","#colspan#","Tel Aviv <span style=\"color: #800000;\">to<\/span> U.S. ","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray"],["Air Canada","Toronto","Sept., Nov., Jan. to April, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span> <\/strong>to <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July<\/span><\/strong>","","","Oct. to Feb., <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., March, April,\nMay, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">June, July<\/span><\/strong>","June"],["El AL","Boston","Nov. to June","","","Dec. to March, June","",""],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles","Oct. to March, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">June<\/span><\/strong>","April, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span><\/strong>","May, June, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July<\/span><\/strong>","Oct. to Dec., Feb.\nto April, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July<\/span><\/strong>","May, <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">June<\/span><\/strong>, July","June"],["#rowspan#","New York\n(EWR)","","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Jan.<\/span><\/strong>","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Nov., Dec., Feb.\nto July<\/span><\/strong>","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan., May to\nJuly","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March.,\nApril,<\/span><\/strong> June, July","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Feb.,\nMarch"],["#rowspan#","New York\n(JFK)","Oct.","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Nov., Dec., Jan.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span><\/strong> to <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July<\/span><\/strong>","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Nov.<\/span><\/strong>","<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Jan.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Dec.<\/span><\/strong>,\n<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span><\/strong> to <strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July<\/span><\/strong>"]]
<small><span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Handful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hopeful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hooray:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. Months in black at least one seat available; <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong>in <u>blue</u> at least two seats.</strong></small></small>