El Al Expands Loyalty Program and Travel Services with IsraCard Partnership
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
El Al is transferring its FLY CARD loyalty program to IsraCard and launching El Al Travel to offer bundled travel experiences. The airline provides unique benefits like 100,000 free flights and extensive point redemption, capitalizing on strong Israeli consumer loyalty. El Al Travel aims to compete with major booking platforms by integrating flights, hotels, and attractions, supported by AI-enhanced customer service and innovative marketing.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- El Al moves its FLY CARD loyalty program to IsraCard, offering 100,000 free flights to new users.
- The airline’s program provides exclusive perks like lounge access and business upgrades, unlike cashback clubs.
- El Al Travel bundles flights, hotels, and attractions, targeting the $1 trillion experience market.
- AI-powered customer service improves support, with plans for full virtual assistance.
- El Al’s market share nears 30%, with over 24 billion points redeemed in 2025.
- New CEO Levi Levy has expanded routes and overseen major operational challenges since January.
El Al is undergoing a major transformation by transferring its frequent flyer program, FLY CARD, to IsraCard and expanding into the broader travel sector through its new platform, El Al Travel. Nadav Hanin, El Al's Vice President of Marketing, explained in an interview at the Globes MAD conference that this move, expected to complete by year-end, aims to offer unique benefits unavailable elsewhere, including 100,000 free flight tickets for new or transferring IsraCard FLY CARD users and weekly 50% discounts on flights using points.
Hanin emphasized the distinction between airline loyalty programs and credit card cashback clubs, noting that El Al’s program provides exclusive perks such as lounge access and business class upgrades, which cashback programs cannot offer. Despite competitors offering free flights, El Al’s program stands out due to the volume of tickets and the strong Israeli consumer preference for El Al, especially heightened by recent conflicts. The airline holds nearly 30% market share, with over 24 billion points redeemed on more than one million tickets in 2025.
El Al Travel represents the company’s shift from a traditional airline to an experience provider, targeting the $1 trillion travel market by bundling flights, hotels, and attractions. Hanin highlighted that 74% of millennials prefer spending on experiences over physical goods. The platform promises better deals than Booking.com, allows point redemption and accumulation, and uses AI-powered customer service to improve support efficiency.
Since its launch, El Al Travel has seen strong demand, with average bookings around $1,000 for three-night stays, primarily to New York, Limassol, and Greece. The service is open to all travelers, even those flying other airlines. To maintain brand relevance, El Al invests heavily in social media marketing and influencer partnerships, including innovative campaigns and a new safety video featuring Israeli celebrities and AI technology.
Hanin also reflected on the challenges faced since CEO Levi Levy’s appointment in January, including managing operations during a major airport shutdown. Under Levy’s leadership, El Al has launched new routes to San Francisco, Seoul, Vietnam, and Argentina, alongside the FLY CARD transition and travel platform expansion.
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