PLAY Air Launches Website With 1,000-Ticket Giveaway
From the ashes of WOW Air, PLAY Air is starting to put together the workings of an actual airline. The carrier launched a new website with their business plan in place, promising to give away 1,000 tickets before their first flights.
After delays in their launch strategy, Icelandic startup PLAY Air now has a functioning website and says they plan to start booking flights soon. The soon-to-be carrier says the airline will welcome passengers in the Fall of 2020.
Planning for a PLAY Date
PLAY was announced shortly after the sudden collapse of low-cost carrier WOW Air in March 2019. Leading the new team is Arnar Mar Magnusson, the former VP of operations from WOW.
In July 2019, a team of former WOW Air executives announced the launch of PLAY as We Are Back, or WAB for short. The airline’s name was changed several times, bouncing from WAB, WOW Air 2, and ultimately PLAY. Borrowing from WOW Air’s play book, the low-cost carrier intends to offer discounted flights between the United States and Europe via Iceland’s Keflavik Airport (KEF).
Much like the former carrier, PLAY intends to fly a variety of aircraft from the Airbus A320 family, with capacity ranging from 140 to 240 passengers. However, they plan to distance themselves from WOW Air by focusing on the passenger experience.
“At PLAY, our primary goal is to make flying affordable for everyone and offer lower prices to and from our upcoming destinations,” the website reads. “Our core values are on-time performance, simplicity, happiness, low prices, and safety.”
The website was launched on June 19, 2020, with the promise of giving away 1,000 tickets to e-mail subscribers. The signup form teases those who opt-in to communications “might find a free ticket in our booking system.”
Outstanding Questions Remain on PLAY’s Viability
Even though leaders of the new company are excited about PLAY’s upcoming launch, several questions remain about how the airline will begin operations. Notably, the startup may only have possession of two Airbus A321 aircraft, and have not yet received their Air Operator Certificate.
In a profile by Aero Telegraph published on May 28, 2020, airline leaders said the carrier was fully funded and anticipated getting their AOC “soon.” In addition, while they claimed agreements were in place with labor unions, it’s unclear if the novel Coronavirus outbreak will affect their initial passenger loads.
Even with the external pressure, the airline says they are working diligently to move forward with their launch plans.
“We are concentrating primarily on ourselves,” says Magnusson, as quoted by Aero Telegraph.
Uhm...RKV is the domestic airport... assuming KEF?
Same here... This does not bode well.
Ha, I couldn't even sign up for the email list - their website said "Please try again later." An auspicious start...