Icelandair

Newark to Glasgow via Reykjavik, and Icelandair is is a an airline that has overextended itself. The flight to Glasgow was without incident aside of a small delay due to labor action by air traffic comptrollers. The return trip was different. The delay in Glasgow was beyond that airlines control, but the chaos that occurred in Keflavik could have been avoided. All flights to North America were delayed and boarding was chaotic. For an airline touting itself as a good alternative to Europe, they seem to have not been able to handle the volume well. Once on the plane, the flight was smooth, service good. The final flight was on an aged Boeing 757 with bad USB connections.

I had four flights with Icelandair. London - Seattle, then Anchorage - London, both via Iceland. The first two flights were full but it was not a problem. The seats were comfortable, the toilets kept clean. The return flights were not so full so even better. I had researched and knew to take my own food. On the return flights I purchased food on board. Soft drinks, tea and coffee are provided free. I was very pleased with this airline and will use them to get to Alaska again. The prices were very reasonable and the flight time quite short. Transiting through Keflavik is a lot nicer than going through U.S customs. I am so happy to have found an affordable and hassle free way to get to Alaska.

✅ Verified Review | The flight from YVR to AMS was delayed by 2 hours with very little information being provided by the gate attendants. That was frustrating because my onward connection in Reykjavik to Amsterdam was 2 hours from the time of landing, so I could kiss that goodbye. In fairness, the gate attendants did not actually work for Icelandair, and when I called the toll free line, I was answered promptly, and given correct information right away (which I passed along to other passangers). They had to shuttle us to the plane on the tarmac, but as the customer services agent informed me on the phone, we did depart exactly 2 hours late. The plane and seats were very comfortable, the in-flight entertainment was great (despite what others have written), the music selection was the best of any airline I have been on, and staff were very friendly. The food and beer were quite nice too (Icelandic beer tends to be excellent), and the 7 hour trip really did not feel that long. When I got to Reykjavik, the agents did a wonderful job at helping me find alternative flights to get me to my destination as soon as possible. I ended up going through Oslo to Amsterdam via SAS, but it was an acceptable solution and well coordinated. I was satisfied with the outcome. The flight back I upgraded to business class for $120! The seat were comfortable, spacious, and the entertainment set was massive. I particularly enjoyed the programs pertaining to Iceland that were produced specifically for Iceland Air. It may have been a bit of a tough start, but the recovery was fantastic, and I would definitely recommend Icelandair again. Yes, no food or premium drinks are free, but for the amount I saved, I certainly cannot complain. Give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised.

New York to London via Reykjavik. I had a pleasant experience, but I'm glad I did a bit of research here before my flights and had a better idea of what to expect. I would agree that in many respects Icelandair is a budget airline masquerading as something a bit posher. You can't beat an $875 roundtrip fare, but I do think the company should be more explicit about what isn't included with their basic economy seats - namely, no included food or snacks and limited in-flight entertainment options. Neither of these things were that big of a deal to me on my four 3-5 hour flights, but had I been traveling further it would have been cumbersome. I did appreciate functioning USB ports in the backs of each seat for phone charging and on-screen controls for the TVs rather than on the armrests. Check in procedures and personnel at the Keflavik airport take "no frills" to a whole new level. Self check in kiosks are obviously the norm by now for most airlines, but I can't say I've ever had to then also print out and tag, scan, and route my own checked luggage; there was also no boarding announcement for my Reykjavik to New York flight in a cramped, chaotic gate area where three flights were boarding at the same time. Minor quips aside, all flights were on time and attendants efficient and cordial. For the amount of money I saved traveling via IcelandAir as opposed to flying direct to London on another airline (well over a thousand dollars), I would definitely fly with them again.

The Icelandair flight from Keflavik to Manchester was fine: they serve basic drinks for free, and offer snacks like porridge and biscuits for a charge. The menu was OK, but not much for people with dietary restrictions, for a longer flight, you'd want to take your own things. The seat was comfortable enough, and the boarding/disembarkation processes very smooth. Icelandair is a nice characterful airline: the planes are named after volcanoes, the lighting in the cabin is like the Northern Lights, and thing like cups, bags and napkins contain Icelandic words and short text about them. They even have a nice inflight safety video that reflects the airline's Nordic roots.

Icelandair from Birmingham to Keflavik return. Ridiculous additional baggage booking system. Very long delays on way to and from Iceland on account of their baggage payment system not being updated. On arrival at the airport, having purchased an additional stowed bag the day before, with funds proven to have been taken by Iceland Air (online banking, shown to checkin staff), the airport system was showing an extra charge of over £80. After a lot of waiting, calls to offices and shuffling of paperwork they cleared our bags and the (already paid) fee. The reason, that their system had not refreshed with our payment! On the return, after booking the bag a week in advance, the same issue occurred! Unhelpful service staff again scratched their heads at this seemingly simple task. Such a basic feature of airlines should not be so archaic. Aircraft actually clean, with entertainment, so a step up there from other cheap airlines, but small reprieve for the administration issues!

✅ Verified Review | We flew Washington Dulles to Reykjavik and back over the New Year's Eve 2015 holiday on Saga Class. In general, this business class is comparable to domestic US short haul first class: seats are reasonably but not overly spacious and don't recline very far (not optimal for a redeye flight). The food is good, inflight entertainment is satisfactory and service was attentive. Although not up to quality international business class standards, the Saga Class cost is well below that of other airlines flying across the Atlantic, and that is a definite plus.

Zurich to Toronto via Reykjavik with Icelandair. I got stuck in Europe due to Brussels airport being closed, and had to look for last-minute flights back to Canada. Icelandair were, by far, the best value for money. I was very lucky to find a flight with them that cost less than half what other airlines were charging. I had a flight connection in Reykjavik and unfortunately, my first flight was delayed leaving me only 10 minutes to make my connection, and I was certain that I would miss my connection and be stuck in Iceland. However, Icelandair staff were so helpful. There was someone waiting for me as soon as I stepped off the plane, they handed me my boarding card and escorted me to my gate, where I realized that they'd held the next flight for me. Thank you Icelandair for being so considerate and helpful and making my trip home so much less stressful than it would otherwise have been!

✅ Verified Review | Oslo to Keflavik with Icelandair, and flight was on time. In flight entertainment is available, but no headphone is provided, need to bring your own earphone. USB is found next to the screen. Light refreshment like tea, coffee, water, soft drink is served. Alcoholic drink can be purchased. Magazine is informative. Wifi available with charges. Cabin crew isn't polite when request second glass of water.

Icelandair service was great. When checking in at Keflavík, I used a self-check in machine which was very simple and there were staff available to assist. Bag drop was a very quick procedure. The flight was very comfortable, lots of legroom, amazing IFE system and the flight attendants were lovely. On time departure and arrival.