Icelandair have been going through very tough negotiations with its pilots, cabin crew and mechanics. This is getting almost no coverage in the English language press anywhere.
There have been a number of days in May where some transatlantic and European flights were cancelled on very short notice (ie 12-24 hours in advance only), and at least one day where the entire network was shut down. If you are transiting Iceland and going to Europe, there are good workarounds, but if you are going to Iceland, there is not a lot they can do. These are mostly full flights.
At this moment, the pilots have been legislated back to work, but they are still sometimes causing occasional cancellations by "sicking out" (this hasn't happened the last couple of days). Meanwhile, the flight attendants are planning to walk out next Tuesday, May 27, on Friday June 6, and other dates you can see here....
https://newsclient.omxgroup.com/cdsP...609019&lang=en
As it happens, I have a long planned father-daughter long weekend trip booked from Toronto to Iceland booked for June 6 (ie one of the dates publicly identified by the airline as a possible strike date). I have also booked a hotel for 4 nights, and several expensive tours in Iceland, for which there is no ability to cancel within 5 days.
I repeat - these are all 100% non-refundable if Icelandair cancel YYZ-KEF 24 hours before June 6, and they don't get us there. I will be out probably $3,000, half in hotel, half in tours. The hotel has already told me there is nothing they can do - if it happens, I can go chase my credit card company for a refund. Great.
There is a simple solution of course, that manages this risk and helps me deal with the heartache and frustration. Even though I have a "no change" fare, these are pretty unusual circumstances, 100% not involving me. I called to see if we could fly on the the 5th to avoid the problem (frankly for them just as much as for me).
No dice. I got stonewalled. Just nothing. No changes to flights allowed. No ability to talk to a supervisor. Just nothing.
I have no issue with the strike, these things happen. But given what is currently known, willfully inconveniencing your passengers, and costing them real money, when it could be easily prevented?
That is different. This is one of the silliest ways to fritter away customer goodwill I have ever seen. I will remember this, and tell this story, for a long time. As I am doing now.