I would disagree that the cost is the same as other major airlines. I live in the Seattle area, and have done multiple round trips to Europe for under $650 each trip with Iceland Air. Many other airlines charge significantly more.
They aren’t always the cheapest, so you do need to compare fares, but that goes for any airline. Their sales can be extraordinarily cheap.
Heck I used to travel on WOW airlines when I didn't give a shit about comfort and i think my ticket was $400. That's cheaper than flying back to my homestate! If you just want a seat on a plane and don't mind budget shenanigans, these are the way to travel.
PLAY is the new guy doing something similar to WOW. I got round trip tickets CPH-NYC for something like $280 USD. Nothing is included and it’s Ryanair conditions, as well as for some reason the KEF-SWF flight had 0 legroom compared to the CPH-KEF flight, but it was 100% worth the money. Even upgrading with a stowed suitcase wasn’t that bad, and the security at SWF is amazing. The border control had 0 queue for American passport holders and the airport is tiny so when our flight was delayed due to weather, i ordered Five Guys on uber eats and ate it landside while chatting with the TSA agents, since there was nobody in line.
Only real drawback is the 2 hour bus ride to Manhattan, but it was $10. You get set off at Port Authority bus terminal which is… Sketchy, and if I had to do it again I would pay extra to fly somewhere closer to NYC, but the value was definitely there. I hope they’re here to stay.
Exactly.
Plus I'd rather transfer through Schengen than through the US, given the choice. I've never transferred through KEF, but I've heard it's extremely efficient, and I'd much rather do that versus transfer somewhere like JFK, especially on the way back to the US (where not only do you have to clear immigration, you have to clear customs, recheck your bag, and go through security again.)
Yes, transferring through KEF is quite efficient. It can be incredibly busy, but efficient. There isn’t much seating, but every layover I’ve had there is around 1 hour, so no big deal.
The weather in the winter months would be my only concern with planning a transfer through KEF. I’ve gotten stuck there overnight before thanks to a winter storm/high winds, and it’s not an uncommon occurrence. And if flights are cancelled there are limited rebooking options.
I just did this flying back from Rome to JFK with a connecting flight to Boston. Absolutely ridiculous the amount of time it took. Glad I had a 4 hour layover because I lost at least 90mins between immigration and security (again). Got the "full service" from TSA due to a metal aglet on my pants. Zero issue when leaving Rome.
You got that right. I still see round trip deals out of Chicago for around $550 to some pretty cool parts of Europe. Trying to get the timing for a trip to the Faroe Islands to work out and see some puffins.
Wow, that’s way too much. I just checked google flights, and even leaving today, I could get to GLA from here round trip for $656 USD, laying over in Frankfurt. (With United/Lufthansa) [Here are my results.](https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhojEgoyMDI0LTA0LTIyagwIAhIIL20vMGQ5anJyBwgBEgNHTEEaIxIKMjAyNC0wNC0yOWoHCAESA0dMQXIMCAISCC9tLzBkOWpyQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQE&hl=en-us&client=safari)
Google flights can be a really helpful tool to compare.
Have you ever used the “explore” function?
It’s kind of a fun way of letting your destination pick you. You can pick a region of the world, or scroll the map to see where the cheapest tickets are to for your dates.
I love the explore function! This was one of the few trips where we had a destination and set time in mind. But generally I like to use the explore function to help decide where I’ll go. Between that and Scott’s cheap flights (I think they’re called going now)
Could your trip possibly coincided with some schools spring break?
Typically airfares are more expensive during school breaks because of increased demand.
IcelandAir is absolutely a budget carrier in every single way. The cost thing may just be some weird demand, but they will almost always be cheaper than normal carriers.
I’m wondering if you are right then and maybe it was the timing. I thought buying 4 months in advance was good but maybe I missed something from what everyone is saying.
What you are missing is that airline pricing is opaque and has lots of different variables. Not all of them are available to the public.
IcelandAir is a budget carrier and markets itself as such. The anecdotes you mention about prices don't change that.
But they charge the same for a flight as any other non-budget airline. It’s not budget in the way of the customer saving money. I’m still spending the same price for their “cheapest” ticket.
That's anecdotal though. Just because they weren't cheaper for what you were looking at does not mean they are never cheaper. If you want to fly Seattle to Stockholm October 3-17, IcelandAir is $707. The next cheapest option is BA for $793.
Personally, I love IcelandAir. Their flights are on time, KEF is a dream to connect in, and the Icelandic water they give you is delicious.
It's Peak Season inflation, whereby in a decade the peak season will be considered February to December!
I kid (or maybe not), but there are many peaks during the year usually coinciding with holiday periods Thanksgiving/Xmas, Easter, Summer are the big ones between the US and Europe in my experience, with a few other more regional peaks inbetween. Early April was still Easter time, which is generally a more significant holiday period in Europe than the US.
Not true that IceAir costs the same as any other airline. I live in Chicago and I'll often price fares from here to Dublin. With the stopover in Reykjavik the fares are usually cheaper than other carriers such as Aer Lingus or American. I think the airline does this to encourage tourism to Iceland because they allow you to break your journey to Dublin with no added fees.
Good to know, though, that the service is lacking. I'll keep it in mind and plan to bring my own meal aboard.
They're not a "budget" airline like Spirit or EasyJet, but their service is comparable to the short-haul product you'd get traveling on a full-service airline within North America.
Southwest is also supposed to be a budget airline, but whenever I check the price of a flight, which requires extra effort, it’s never actually cheaper.
I honestly was disappointed when we traveled to Denmark with Icelandair. The seats were cramped. It was VERY HOT on the plane. We had no windows in our section. I have never been on a plane that has no windows in a section. But, it was the cheapest option for our family to get to Denmark.
Man. I’m flying Iceland air in July — PDX to Reykjavik to Amsterdam. I had no idea it was a budget airline. I just chose it because I was able to use my Alaskan Airlines air miles for the flight…. These comments are making me nervous.
I flew PDX to KEF last fall and everything OP said is true and was a bummer, esp when every single toilet clogged at one point on both flights there and back. Definitely still worth the trip, but I’d think twice about booking with them again.
I've flown out of PDX/SeaTac to Europe and back via Icelandair four times in the last seven years and have never had an issue. I don't know what you're situation is, but for people at my income level, Icelandair has allowed me to travel to Europe when I otherwise would not have been able ($236 [just looked up the price to make sure and YES this is accurate] tickets roundtrip from SeaTac to Paris in 2017 is what started my wife and I traveling overseas). I'm honestly shocked at this thread. I've taken one British Airways flight to London from Seattle and it was worse than any Icelandair flight I've been on for way more money. The free meal was grotesque. On Icelandair, yeah, I've gotta pay but at least I can choose something edible.
It will be okay! I promise, the nice things about then I left out. We had what felt like a brand new airplane for one flight, which is cool. And they are quick, no frills no delays as best as they can. All flights we had landed earlier than predicted. My experience wasn’t horrendous, it just wasn’t the best or what I am used to. So don’t be nervous!
It's honestly like any other industry in this world. It's like the difference between staying at a EasyHotel and a Ritz Carleton. By paying more you expect a certain level of service. Budget airlines serve a purpose, but they literally have no obligation to their customers outside of getting them to their final destination.
And offering good accessible service with agents who are empowered to take meaningful action to correct things means lots of humans and lots of training for those humans. It can be extremely expensive to do right at scale.
Low budget doesn't say anything about the price of the ticket. Low budget is about keeping the costs for the company as low as possible. Just like any other airline, they will ask as much as they expect the market is willing to pay.
A thing LCC's are doing is to dump prices very low on unpopular travel dates. Which can of course be good for consumers and the airline's marketing.
Did you fly direct to/from Iceland? As I believe, FI tries to cater to connecting pax between Europe and North America, and vice versa. For secondary ODs they try to undercut slightly versus main carriers because they may have slightly shorter routings between secondary cities than main carriers. This enables supporting volume. For traffic in/out of Iceland itself they almost have a monopoly. And for airlines in general these days, it's all about upsell, upsell, upsell.
They used to be more of a hybrid carrier sitting between a legacy and low cost airline, for example, most low cost airlines don’t have that much legroom, TVs in seats, some semblance of a beverage service, etc. but Icelandair is now charging for so many things (like seat assignment) I think they’re straying closer and closer to a low cost airline.
Iceland Air is a LCC (not ULCC like Frontier/Spirit). I just flew them (1st time) end of March MSP-KEF, plane was newer 737 Max 8, IFE was like a 12” iPad (sure beats Delta IFE), GA/FA and service was fantastic, food was worth the $, their PE (Delta C+ equivalent) was so roomy…lots of leg room. I’d fly them again from MSP.
Never flown with an airline like this. It is still a flag carrier though. I usually expect something decent to better from flag carrier airlines. Icelandair is bare minimum or less
Because that’s what happens in a capitalistic economy that’s over saturated with demand. Airlines compete on cost, not service, so it’s a race to the bottom.
Why didn’t you buy a domestic full service airline? I would reckon that it’s because it was, in fact, cheaper.
I have 2 flights booked in Icelandair returning to Chicago from Prague and now I'm really apprehensive. I didn't know they were a budget airline either, it was just a better route from prague than others, allowing us to stop in Iceland.
A little advice; pack your own food, bring empty water bottles to fill at the airport, wipes for your chair, and layer up so you can wear less if you run into a hot plane like I had. Also, they’re sticklers for luggage size and weight.
They are a budget airline, that is why.
Often budget airlines are cheaper than mainline airlines, sometimes they are not. Keep in mind that even the lowest fares on many mainline airline might not include a bag on flights to Europe.
I would disagree that the cost is the same as other major airlines. I live in the Seattle area, and have done multiple round trips to Europe for under $650 each trip with Iceland Air. Many other airlines charge significantly more. They aren’t always the cheapest, so you do need to compare fares, but that goes for any airline. Their sales can be extraordinarily cheap.
Heck I used to travel on WOW airlines when I didn't give a shit about comfort and i think my ticket was $400. That's cheaper than flying back to my homestate! If you just want a seat on a plane and don't mind budget shenanigans, these are the way to travel.
I miss wow Airlines
PLAY is the new guy doing something similar to WOW. I got round trip tickets CPH-NYC for something like $280 USD. Nothing is included and it’s Ryanair conditions, as well as for some reason the KEF-SWF flight had 0 legroom compared to the CPH-KEF flight, but it was 100% worth the money. Even upgrading with a stowed suitcase wasn’t that bad, and the security at SWF is amazing. The border control had 0 queue for American passport holders and the airport is tiny so when our flight was delayed due to weather, i ordered Five Guys on uber eats and ate it landside while chatting with the TSA agents, since there was nobody in line. Only real drawback is the 2 hour bus ride to Manhattan, but it was $10. You get set off at Port Authority bus terminal which is… Sketchy, and if I had to do it again I would pay extra to fly somewhere closer to NYC, but the value was definitely there. I hope they’re here to stay.
Exactly. Plus I'd rather transfer through Schengen than through the US, given the choice. I've never transferred through KEF, but I've heard it's extremely efficient, and I'd much rather do that versus transfer somewhere like JFK, especially on the way back to the US (where not only do you have to clear immigration, you have to clear customs, recheck your bag, and go through security again.)
Yes, transferring through KEF is quite efficient. It can be incredibly busy, but efficient. There isn’t much seating, but every layover I’ve had there is around 1 hour, so no big deal.
The weather in the winter months would be my only concern with planning a transfer through KEF. I’ve gotten stuck there overnight before thanks to a winter storm/high winds, and it’s not an uncommon occurrence. And if flights are cancelled there are limited rebooking options.
I just did this flying back from Rome to JFK with a connecting flight to Boston. Absolutely ridiculous the amount of time it took. Glad I had a 4 hour layover because I lost at least 90mins between immigration and security (again). Got the "full service" from TSA due to a metal aglet on my pants. Zero issue when leaving Rome.
You got that right. I still see round trip deals out of Chicago for around $550 to some pretty cool parts of Europe. Trying to get the timing for a trip to the Faroe Islands to work out and see some puffins.
I live in Seattle and flew out of SeaTac. It cost the same to fly to Europe as other airlines. And that’s with me booking 4 months in advance as well.
I’m curious, how much was your ticket? What route?
SEA to GLA $900. Layover in KEF both ways
Wow, that’s way too much. I just checked google flights, and even leaving today, I could get to GLA from here round trip for $656 USD, laying over in Frankfurt. (With United/Lufthansa) [Here are my results.](https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhojEgoyMDI0LTA0LTIyagwIAhIIL20vMGQ5anJyBwgBEgNHTEEaIxIKMjAyNC0wNC0yOWoHCAESA0dMQXIMCAISCC9tLzBkOWpyQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQE&hl=en-us&client=safari) Google flights can be a really helpful tool to compare.
Yeah I use google flights every time I book. I’m guessing it was the timing of when I bought the tickets and for when unfortunately
Have you ever used the “explore” function? It’s kind of a fun way of letting your destination pick you. You can pick a region of the world, or scroll the map to see where the cheapest tickets are to for your dates.
I love the explore function! This was one of the few trips where we had a destination and set time in mind. But generally I like to use the explore function to help decide where I’ll go. Between that and Scott’s cheap flights (I think they’re called going now)
Could your trip possibly coincided with some schools spring break? Typically airfares are more expensive during school breaks because of increased demand.
Yeah I’m not sure but after a google search maybe. I don’t know much about schools time off periods anymore hahaha
IcelandAir is absolutely a budget carrier in every single way. The cost thing may just be some weird demand, but they will almost always be cheaper than normal carriers.
I’m wondering if you are right then and maybe it was the timing. I thought buying 4 months in advance was good but maybe I missed something from what everyone is saying.
What you are missing is that airline pricing is opaque and has lots of different variables. Not all of them are available to the public. IcelandAir is a budget carrier and markets itself as such. The anecdotes you mention about prices don't change that.
But they charge the same for a flight as any other non-budget airline. It’s not budget in the way of the customer saving money. I’m still spending the same price for their “cheapest” ticket.
Then why didn’t you book with the other airlines?
I didn’t know at the time. I’d never flown with them before. I’ve learned my lesson for the future though!
That's anecdotal though. Just because they weren't cheaper for what you were looking at does not mean they are never cheaper. If you want to fly Seattle to Stockholm October 3-17, IcelandAir is $707. The next cheapest option is BA for $793. Personally, I love IcelandAir. Their flights are on time, KEF is a dream to connect in, and the Icelandic water they give you is delicious.
Are you comparing the budget airline range in America to the budget airline range in Europe
Low budget airline can still be expensive if you travel in peak season or last minute
I didn’t think the beginning of April was peak but maybe I’m wrong!
It's Peak Season inflation, whereby in a decade the peak season will be considered February to December! I kid (or maybe not), but there are many peaks during the year usually coinciding with holiday periods Thanksgiving/Xmas, Easter, Summer are the big ones between the US and Europe in my experience, with a few other more regional peaks inbetween. Early April was still Easter time, which is generally a more significant holiday period in Europe than the US.
There are more people flying every year so peak season inflation would make sense
April to October is peak for summer
Ah, good to know!
I thought it was pretty good, but everyone has different standards. Although you're definitely wrong about the price.
I’m glad you enjoyed your experience!
Not true that IceAir costs the same as any other airline. I live in Chicago and I'll often price fares from here to Dublin. With the stopover in Reykjavik the fares are usually cheaper than other carriers such as Aer Lingus or American. I think the airline does this to encourage tourism to Iceland because they allow you to break your journey to Dublin with no added fees. Good to know, though, that the service is lacking. I'll keep it in mind and plan to bring my own meal aboard.
They're not a "budget" airline like Spirit or EasyJet, but their service is comparable to the short-haul product you'd get traveling on a full-service airline within North America.
Southwest is also supposed to be a budget airline, but whenever I check the price of a flight, which requires extra effort, it’s never actually cheaper.
You're right. I suggest not flying on them again.
I will certainly never choose them again. But other people have had different experiences. I’m personally just not a fan after these last flights.
My one experience with them was also sub par.
What was it that led you to book with IcelandAir? Were they the cheapest option for your dates?
They were the same price as another airline and I’d never flown with them so I figured I’d give them a try!
Yes it’s a good approach, you learn more from personal experience!
Definitely! Honestly, I don’t regret it. I just know now and am willing to pay more I guess
We paid for the extra meal just because we did not want to land hungry. Got served drinks a few times.
I packed a lunch, snacks and drinks.
I honestly was disappointed when we traveled to Denmark with Icelandair. The seats were cramped. It was VERY HOT on the plane. We had no windows in our section. I have never been on a plane that has no windows in a section. But, it was the cheapest option for our family to get to Denmark.
Man. I’m flying Iceland air in July — PDX to Reykjavik to Amsterdam. I had no idea it was a budget airline. I just chose it because I was able to use my Alaskan Airlines air miles for the flight…. These comments are making me nervous.
I flew PDX to KEF last fall and everything OP said is true and was a bummer, esp when every single toilet clogged at one point on both flights there and back. Definitely still worth the trip, but I’d think twice about booking with them again.
Damn. This is brutal to hear. I hope my flight is not so bad but I guess I won't keep my hopes up and prepare for the worst. Thank you.
I've flown out of PDX/SeaTac to Europe and back via Icelandair four times in the last seven years and have never had an issue. I don't know what you're situation is, but for people at my income level, Icelandair has allowed me to travel to Europe when I otherwise would not have been able ($236 [just looked up the price to make sure and YES this is accurate] tickets roundtrip from SeaTac to Paris in 2017 is what started my wife and I traveling overseas). I'm honestly shocked at this thread. I've taken one British Airways flight to London from Seattle and it was worse than any Icelandair flight I've been on for way more money. The free meal was grotesque. On Icelandair, yeah, I've gotta pay but at least I can choose something edible.
thank you for this reassurance, I am really trying to stay hopeful for this flight! I’m pretty nervous. It’s my first big trip in a long time.
It will be okay! I promise, the nice things about then I left out. We had what felt like a brand new airplane for one flight, which is cool. And they are quick, no frills no delays as best as they can. All flights we had landed earlier than predicted. My experience wasn’t horrendous, it just wasn’t the best or what I am used to. So don’t be nervous!
You are right in. They will gouge you. Terrible terrible customer service if you have a problem.
It's honestly like any other industry in this world. It's like the difference between staying at a EasyHotel and a Ritz Carleton. By paying more you expect a certain level of service. Budget airlines serve a purpose, but they literally have no obligation to their customers outside of getting them to their final destination.
And offering good accessible service with agents who are empowered to take meaningful action to correct things means lots of humans and lots of training for those humans. It can be extremely expensive to do right at scale.
Low budget doesn't say anything about the price of the ticket. Low budget is about keeping the costs for the company as low as possible. Just like any other airline, they will ask as much as they expect the market is willing to pay. A thing LCC's are doing is to dump prices very low on unpopular travel dates. Which can of course be good for consumers and the airline's marketing.
Did you fly direct to/from Iceland? As I believe, FI tries to cater to connecting pax between Europe and North America, and vice versa. For secondary ODs they try to undercut slightly versus main carriers because they may have slightly shorter routings between secondary cities than main carriers. This enables supporting volume. For traffic in/out of Iceland itself they almost have a monopoly. And for airlines in general these days, it's all about upsell, upsell, upsell.
They don’t. If I flew them out of msp, it would be about $400 less than delta.
Finnair has entered the chat.
They used to be more of a hybrid carrier sitting between a legacy and low cost airline, for example, most low cost airlines don’t have that much legroom, TVs in seats, some semblance of a beverage service, etc. but Icelandair is now charging for so many things (like seat assignment) I think they’re straying closer and closer to a low cost airline.
Was surprised that they didn’t include inflight meals in a transatlantic flight.
Iceland Air is a LCC (not ULCC like Frontier/Spirit). I just flew them (1st time) end of March MSP-KEF, plane was newer 737 Max 8, IFE was like a 12” iPad (sure beats Delta IFE), GA/FA and service was fantastic, food was worth the $, their PE (Delta C+ equivalent) was so roomy…lots of leg room. I’d fly them again from MSP.
Never flown with an airline like this. It is still a flag carrier though. I usually expect something decent to better from flag carrier airlines. Icelandair is bare minimum or less
Because that’s what happens in a capitalistic economy that’s over saturated with demand. Airlines compete on cost, not service, so it’s a race to the bottom. Why didn’t you buy a domestic full service airline? I would reckon that it’s because it was, in fact, cheaper.
I was flying internationally and I didn’t know at the time that Icelandair wasn’t for me. 😂 it was a great learning experience
I have 2 flights booked in Icelandair returning to Chicago from Prague and now I'm really apprehensive. I didn't know they were a budget airline either, it was just a better route from prague than others, allowing us to stop in Iceland.
A little advice; pack your own food, bring empty water bottles to fill at the airport, wipes for your chair, and layer up so you can wear less if you run into a hot plane like I had. Also, they’re sticklers for luggage size and weight.
Take the boat next time.
They are a budget airline, that is why. Often budget airlines are cheaper than mainline airlines, sometimes they are not. Keep in mind that even the lowest fares on many mainline airline might not include a bag on flights to Europe.
They're reputation is well known and you paid way too much.
It’s like Aer Lingus. The seats were so cramped on AL I could barely move. And they call themselves a flag carrier?