Sweet Spot Sunday: Book El Al flights to Israel with Qantas points

El Al is the flag carrier of Israel. Its hub is located (as you’d imagine) in Tel Aviv, and currently serves six airports in North America:

• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City.
• Miami International Airport (MIA).
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
• Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

The airline has a notoriously bad loyalty program — but that doesn’t mean you can’t easily fly it for free. It’s one of the most convenient options to get to Israel — and it can be one of the cheapest if you use Qantas points to book it.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Let’s take a look at how to use Qantas points to book El Al flights, and why you’d want to in the first place.

Why it’s special

Qantas utilizes a distance-based award chart. That means the farther you fly, the more you’ll pay. Here’s a look at its partner award chart, which it implements for El Al flights.

Depending on your U.S. origin airport, you’ll spend the following to get to Tel Aviv:

• Between 37,800 and 50,000 points in economy.
• Between 70,800 and 93,500 points in Premium Economy.
• Between 90,000 and 119,200 points in business class.

The sweet spot here is any flight under 5,800 miles. That relegates you to these choices:

• Boston.
• Newark.
• New York City.
• Toronto.

If you fly from any other airport, you’re better off using a different award currency.

Related: Here’s how to get to Israel using points and miles

Generally, your biggest savings will be in economy. Spending 90,000 points for a business-class seat is higher than many airlines such as United Airlines and American Airlines charge — but the ability to spend as little as 37,500 points for an economy ticket to Israel is solid.

For example, an economy flight on other airlines would cost:

• 40,000 American Airlines miles.
• 40,000 or more Aeroplan points.
• 42,500 United Airlines miles.
• 42,500 Avianca LifeMiles.

Another reason this is a great deal is that Qantas doesn’t incur fuel surcharges when booking with El Al. So you’ll pay minimal fees when booking this seat.

How to book this award

Step 1. Estimate your flight distance (optional)

Because Qantas uses a distance-based award chart, you can know what you’ll pay for your flight before you even begin the booking process. Simply head to Great Circle Mapper and enter your origin and destination airports.

A flight from New York City to Tel Aviv is a distance of 5,677 miles. That means the flight should cost:

• 37,800 Qantas points in economy.
• 70,800 Qantas points in Premium Economy.
• 90,000 Qantas points in business class.

Step 2. Enter your travel information on the Qantas site

Navigate to the Qantas website and input your desired route.

When searching, be sure the “Use points” toggle is switched. You’ll have to log into your account to search for award seats. Selecting “Flexible with dates” is always helpful, as well.

Step 3. Find dates with your desired cabin

The Qantas search tool leaves plenty to be desired. You can’t filter by airline, price or number of stops — but the award calendar does show you which dates offer economy, Premium Economy, business class and first class. If you’re interested in, say, business class, this shortens your hunt for the perfect flight.

Select a date and click “Continue.”

Step 4. Find an El Al flight

An El Al flight between the U.S. and Israel is nonstop and will therefore be sorted at the top of the results page when available.

However, you may find El Al seats that include a connection lower on the page. For example, your first leg may be to London with British Airways, then on to Tel Aviv with El Al. If you select one of these mixed partner flights, beware of fuel surcharges.

How to earn points for this award

The easiest way to earn Qantas points quickly is by transferring flexible rewards points. Your options are:

• American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio).
• Capital One miles (1:1 transfer ratio).
• Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio).
• Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 transfer ratio with a 5,000 Qantas-point bonus when transferring in increments of 60,000 Marriott points).

Because of all these options, you can accrue Qantas points with relatively little effort by opening cards such as:

• The Platinum Card from American Express: Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• Citi Premier Card: Earn 80,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

For more ways to earn, check out our complete guide to maximizing the Qantas frequent flyer program.

Bottom line

Because El Al has such an inconvenient and mediocre frequent flyer program, there’s really only one viable option if you’re looking to fly El Al for free: Book it with Qantas points.

If you keep your flights under 5,800 miles in distance, you can get a great deal on coach flights — and a competitive to slightly overpriced seat in Premium Economy and business class.

Qantas points are easy to earn, and El Al is a comfortable nonstop way to reach Tel Aviv. If you’ve been wanting to try the airline out, there’s no better way to do it than with Qantas points.