Delta and El Al Airlines Partnership
It will soon be easier to visit Israel thanks to a new alliance between two major carriers. Delta Air Lines and El Al Israel Airlines have announced a strategic partnership. Consequently, passengers can combine journeys on both airlines on a single itinerary while enjoying the same frequent flyer benefits. (Delta also has similar alliances with 19 airlines through its membership in the SkyTeam alliance.)
Matteo Curcio, Delta’s SVP for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India, stated, “Working closely with El Al Israel Airlines will further strengthen Delta’s connection to Israel by offering more customers unrivaled access to destinations across the U.S.”
Benefits for Passengers
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The partnership facilitates seamless check-in for passengers traveling between the two airlines, inclusive of boarding passes and baggage handling. For instance, a traveler starting their journey with Delta and concluding with El Al would only need to check their bag once throughout the entire trip. Moreover, this cooperation allows for the accumulation of frequent flyer miles across both carriers.
According to the announcement, “Delta offers up to 200 same-day connections from Tel Aviv via its U.S. gateways, including Atlanta, Boston, and New York-JFK, while El Al Israel Airlines provides additional nonstop service to Tel Aviv from Boston and New York-JFK, along with routes from Los Angeles, Miami, and Newark.”
Travel Trends in Israel
In 2022, over two million travelers visited Israel, with a notable increase of North American travelers, according to local media reports. These trends appear to be continuing into 2023, as Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport recorded its highest volume of passenger traffic ever, with over 1.9 million passengers traveling through the airport on more than 13,000 flights in March alone, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Shlomi Zafrany, El Al Israel Airlines’ vice president of commercial and industry affairs, remarked, “This partnership marks another important milestone in our long-term strategy and offers our customers unparalleled service.”
