Iceland Air....why are they so cheap?
Jul 7, 2016, 1:25 pm
#17
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The seats in economy have lower than average leg room and they are sticklers about how much your luggage weighs. Even your carry on.
Jul 7, 2016, 2:19 pm
#18
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My daughter flew them a few weeks ago. It has a ULCC vibe, but it was cheaper than anything else and they wanted to do the stopover en route to Paris. Since that trip she talks about Iceland as much as she does Paris!!
The insanely cheap deals don't seem to pop up so much from MSP, DEN, or ORD. I used to see $399 R/T ads, valid for decent months to visit like May or September. My guess is that they now fill more seats with traffic to/from Europe that they don't need to sell such cheap tickets anymore. Maybe where they're head to head with WOW???
The insanely cheap deals don't seem to pop up so much from MSP, DEN, or ORD. I used to see $399 R/T ads, valid for decent months to visit like May or September. My guess is that they now fill more seats with traffic to/from Europe that they don't need to sell such cheap tickets anymore. Maybe where they're head to head with WOW???
Jul 7, 2016, 2:30 pm
#19
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They're basically long short-haul flights rather than short long-haul flights. It just so happens that KEF is in the middle of the Atlantic so they can join the two halves up easily.
Jul 7, 2016, 2:46 pm
#20
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And breaking the trip approximately half way to Europe can be a great idea--iceland to East Coast is about 5 hours, with trips to Europe even less.
I flew Icelandair from Iceland to Boston yesterday--the experience was about the same as flying any US carrier.
Jul 7, 2016, 3:46 pm
#21
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When I look at the flights offered there is a layover in Iceland but it's only about 1.5 hours. There are options that would give us a 14 hour layover. How do you go about leaving the airport and then returning? Is that even enough time?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Jul 7, 2016, 3:50 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2011
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I wouldn't worry about a short connection, the airport is small and easy to manage. They know what they are doing when determining flight schedules.
A 14 hour layover would allow you to see a little bit of the city (the airport is out of the city) but I would suggest a day or two, at least. The stopover should be free, as far as airfare is concerned.
A 14 hour layover would allow you to see a little bit of the city (the airport is out of the city) but I would suggest a day or two, at least. The stopover should be free, as far as airfare is concerned.
Jul 7, 2016, 4:07 pm
#23
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I'd love to know how people are finding cheap airfares in the summer. I typically book our summer trip to Europe 3-5 months in advance, and Icelandair is typically runner-up in most expensive airfare.
Jul 7, 2016, 4:26 pm
#24
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Jul 7, 2016, 5:10 pm
#25
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Back in the day it was Icelandic and they were the (or a) cheap way to fly Chicago to Luxembourg on a DC-8. I don't know what other routes they had that were TATL non-stop, but that was one.
They are absolutely an option from and to the cities they serve. Opportunities to stop-over in Iceland should be considered.
They are absolutely an option from and to the cities they serve. Opportunities to stop-over in Iceland should be considered.
Jul 7, 2016, 5:59 pm
#26
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We flew them IAD-KEF-CDG and it was fine. I highly recommend the no-cost stopover opportunity. We spend 3 days, renting a car and driving the Golden Circle, and it was great
Jul 7, 2016, 6:02 pm
#27
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They're pretty much the best option if you ever need a one-way ticket across the atlantic. Other airlines charge more for 1-way than returns.
The planes are fine: a 757 is a 757, and it's got decent seats and AVOD. You have to buy your own meals on board, or feel free to bring your own.
As others have mentioned: going east is rough, especially if leaving from the east coast. The layovers (1-1.5 hours) are perfectly timed though: you disembark, possibly go through immigration (if you're going to/from a schengen country), and from there it's a brief wait until boarding time. The airport gets very busy at that time since most flights are arriving/leaving around then.
The planes are fine: a 757 is a 757, and it's got decent seats and AVOD. You have to buy your own meals on board, or feel free to bring your own.
As others have mentioned: going east is rough, especially if leaving from the east coast. The layovers (1-1.5 hours) are perfectly timed though: you disembark, possibly go through immigration (if you're going to/from a schengen country), and from there it's a brief wait until boarding time. The airport gets very busy at that time since most flights are arriving/leaving around then.
Jul 7, 2016, 6:31 pm
#28
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As others have mentioned, Iceland Air is great if you don't mind the connection. In my experience (handful of trips to Iceland) the airline staff are pleasant and the 757s they fly are well maintained. If you book an Economy+ seat you could find yourself bumped up to their Saga seats which are the equivalent of domestic F.
The downside to flying Iceland Air is that their Saga points don't transfer to many, if any, partner airlines.
The downside to flying Iceland Air is that their Saga points don't transfer to many, if any, partner airlines.
Jul 7, 2016, 7:42 pm
#30
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