El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (level:The world) The Matmed frequent flyer club has informed members that as of April 2025 there will be changes to the way they collect “diamonds,” which can be exchanged for improved status. Market sources believe this is an attempt by the Israeli airline to undo some of the changes it made last September. At the time, El Al was operating in a competitive market and was making strenuous efforts to attract passengers. But the market has changed dramatically since October 7 and El Al dominates the skies with near-total dominance on many routes.
What is the diamond program?
El Al’s Matmed frequent flyer club has three million members in Israel and abroad, including nearly 400,000 FlyCard credit card holders, according to the airline’s financial report for the first quarter of 2024.
The Matmid Club allows members to accumulate points that can be used to purchase airline tickets and upgrades. The club also offers other benefits similar to consumer loyalty clubs.
Points are accumulated in several ways. The main way is to accumulate points by purchasing a flight ticket and making purchases using the club’s credit card. The higher the fare, the more points are earned.
The new frequent flyer club loyalty programme, which launched in September 2023, offers an upgrade system that allows club members of any status to upgrade their flight tickets.
The club has five membership levels: Matmed (basic), Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum Plus. Luxury clients are Gold and above.
The higher the level, the more points you earn with each purchase, and the range of benefits improves and expands to include unlimited lounge access, first boarding, personalized service, and more. To move from one level to the next, members need to accumulate “diamonds.”
These diamonds allow only club members to advance in ranks, and are collected at the same time with points, which are used as “money”.
How do you collect “diamonds”? The formula is very simple. For every dollar when purchasing a flight ticket, “space” seat or bag you are entitled to one “diamond”. Fly card holders get 1.2 diamonds for every dollar. In addition, you are entitled to diamonds when purchasing with the club’s credit card – every 80 shekels earns one diamond.
How many diamonds do you need to upgrade? To reach Silver level, you need 3,000 diamonds or 2,000 diamonds and six one-way flights (three round trips) in a year. To reach the highest Platinum level, you need 28,000 diamonds or 25,000 diamonds and 40 one-way flights in a year.
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What will change next April?
At the beginning of the month, El Al informed its frequent flyer customers that the way each member’s status is determined in the club may soon change. According to a letter distributed to customers, a “new Diamond Program” will be launched that will include new threshold conditions. Meaning: It is possible to be relegated without ranking to a lower status and even basic status.
What changes will be made? It has not been specified yet, but Matmed assures that if changes are made, they will not be radical. The amount of diamonds that must be collected to move from one tier to the next will not increase by more than 30%.
What is the difference between El Al’s Matmed program and other frequent flyer clubs?
El Al is not part of an international airline alliance, so its frequent flyer club members have limited options compared to members of other loyalty clubs around the world, who have greater flexibility.