Only 12 percent of Israelis are members of airlines' frequent flyer clubs, according to a study conducted by the Last Minute Travel tourism company, and only some 50 percent of members have used their frequent flyer miles in the last two years.
Currently Israeli and foreign airlines operating in Israel have 700,000 members in their frequent flyer clubs, of which 61.4 percent are male. Secular travelers make up 72 percent of the membership, ultra-Orthodox – 6.8 percent, and religious – 5.9 percent.
Roughly 86 percent are frequent flyers with El Al. The leading Israeli airline also has the greatest number of members who have used their miles in the past two years: 52.8 percent, compared to 43.5 percent on average in other airlines.
The study also showed people aged 65 and over have a significantly higher membership rate, accounting for 27.9 percent of total membership. The majority of frequent flyers are secular wealthy males with higher education and living in the Tel Aviv area.
According to Last Minute Travel Danny CEO Danny Gosis, the number of frequent flyers is proportionally far lower than the number in the United States, where 50 percent of citizens are club members and 70 percent have used their miles in the past two years.