El Al expands beyond flights with hotel and experiences booking platform

El Al launched a new service on Tuesday, El Al Travel, allowing customers to book hotels through the airline now, with attractions, event tickets and other experiences to follow later. The announcement was made at a festive, media-heavy event attended by journalists and influencers. The airline said the move reflects a broader shift in tourism, where travelers want more than transportation to a destination.

Under the new platform, travelers flying to El Al destinations will be able to reserve hotels, and in the next phase also buy tickets for performances, sports games and a range of attractions. Members of El Al's frequent-flyer club will also be able to earn and redeem points for hotel bookings and related services.

Chief executive Lior Levi said the launch marks "the beginning of a new era" for the airline. He said the way people consume tourism has changed because they are looking for "experiences, moments, memories," not just flights. He added that customers want to spend more time with family, friends and partners and that El Al now aims to accompany them throughout the trip.

Levi said travelers already prioritize experiences, noting that the flight ticket makes up only a quarter of trip spending and that 74% prefer experiences. "Today we are launching El Al Travel, the company's new experiences platform," he said, describing it as a broader ecosystem of hotels now and, later, attractions, shows, sports and culture, from trip planning through the return home.