WOW air

✅ Verified Review | Reykjavik to Los Angeles. The only "wow" about this airline is how it seems to avoid just about everything that might be enjoyable about flying. It's supposedly a budget airline and you'll definitely be treated to a budget experience. For US readers you might want to be aware that Spirit Airlines (yes, that loved airline of quality) is represented in the corporate board of Wow Air. It will prepare you well for what to expect. So maybe the "wow" is meant to represent "wow" that actually wasn't as horrible as I expected. Like others have mentioned there are frequent delays. Of several hours. I can confirm that. Actually the staff is lovely and the best part about this airline. They even gave us free coffee and tea since we had a severe delay. In terms of price vs. value this is not really a rock bottom budget airline. Unless you travel with no luggage and tiny hand luggage. For most, it's no more than average and I'd pick a competitor over wow any day. The plane interior isn't awful, but there won't be any free food, the stuff they sell is expensive and I'm giving them an average rating on the quality of what's on offer. There's no wifi and definitely it's bring your own entertainment. On the plus side there's an electrical plug in the A330 so hopefully whoever you are seated next to, won't hog it the whole flight. And the seat can still lean back and legroom is not bad. When embarking in Iceland you will have to go up steps to the plane and in LAX they park as far away from the actual terminal as possible. So another climb out and into a bus. It's fine as long as you are healthy and frisky. So set your expectations low and you'll be able to feel the wow.

✅ Verified Review | Paris to Toronto via Reykjavik. Okay the price was right, the planes are new and flight attendants were gracious. But be ready for flight delays - up to 6 hours in our worst case. The lost baggage customer service at WOW is totally ineffective! Our bags were lost for 13 days. The friendly-enough baggage customer service people basically just said what we wanted to hear but no real idea where the bags actually were - we were being lied to. 13 days of multiple phone calls waiting from 40 min to 2 hours to get through to customer service. First the bags were found still in Toronto, then Iceland, then Paris then being still held up in Toronto Customs? There is no reason or desire for Customs to hold outbound bags as confirmed by a phone call to Customs. Throughout the whole time we were told our bags would be delivered to our home, so after an additional 3 days of our bags at the Paris airport the bags were delivered only as far as the Brussels airport when we were told to go pick them up - a €30 train ride away. Upon pick-up it was a last straw that one of the main handles was completely ripped off the bag - grossly mishandled to be in this condition in WOW air's care. Putting in a claim they very quickly came back with a response and a lecture about it being only minor damage and wouldn't affect the usage of the bag? What? You mean the main handle you use to put it in the trunk of your car, up/down stairs at airports, onto trains etc. The fact that it was unsafe to use because of the shards was totally lost on them. It wasn't the retractable handle, or a wheel, or a heavy bag that they used as justification to deny the claim. They completely ignored the fact that I had a real out-of-pocket expense for the train ticket. Continued correspondence with them is just completely ignored except for an immediate auto response that the email was 'noted'. Even the auto responses are irregular; they simply ignore. We're out a suitcase and train ticket money. With WOW you're on your own if they lose and damage your bag.

✅ Verified Review | Baltimore Washington to Keflavik return. If you follow the baggage rules, you will be fine. Yes, you have to pay for everything (including water $3 a bottle) but the airline tells you up front. I paid for a large carry one each way ($80 rt) and had no issues. Both flights were seamless with minimal delays (10 minutes each way). And the seats were satisfactory. I paid $525 for two round trip tickets to Iceland including baggage. You won't find anything less expensive. The pilots and cabin crews were great, and I had no issues with the gate agents either. It's a low cost carrier that will get you from A to B with no frills. With that being said, understand that all of their flights go through KEF. It would be smart to check statistics on your incoming and connections flight if Iceland isn't your final destination.

✅ Verified Review | Paris to Reykjavik. Had a really good experience with WOW Air, this was our first time flying with this airline. The seats were spacious and had a lot of legroom. The only downside was that my boyfriend and I could not sit together, but the check-in lady did her best for us and we didn't sit too far, it was fine. All the food and drink on board costs but the flight was short enough that it wasn't an issue and we didn't go hungry. Slightly confusing as they had us boarding through two different gates, but overall it was an enjoyable flight!

✅ Verified Review | Baltimore to Paris via Keflavik. Where to begin? This was an abysmal experience. At first glance, WOW air seems ideal because of the low prices, but don't be fooled. They charge you for everything possible, and eventually you wish you had just flown the more expensive airline without all these fees, that just add up to be the same cost as any other airline. The baggage fees are ridiculous, and one kilo overweight costs USD20 in addition to the lofty fee you're already paying to check a bag. This was a transatlantic flight, so I was less than excited to see the zero leg room and the lack of televisions anywhere on this 6 hour flight. The man across the aisle from me had his knees in the aisle because the leg space was so obscenely small. Despite the flight being so long, there were no free snacks provided. Even a glass of water was beyond expensive. I had a connecting flight in Iceland, and because the first flight was delayed, they lost my bag in the transition. I got to Paris and filled out a lost baggage form and was told it would be mailed to me in 24-48 hours. I did not receive my bag for 6 days. That is an absurd amount of time to be in another country with only a toothbrush to your name. I expected a refund for paying such a high baggage price with the expectation of the bag arriving when I did. I requested a refund and got a meaningless email saying they were only responsible to reimburse me only for "essentials" that I had to buy since I didn't have my bag. Completely obnoxious, so they're getting this review in response. Only positive part of the whole experience was that all the flight attendants were very nice. Never flying WOW air again. Not worth the deceptively cheap price.

✅ Verified Review | Edinburgh to Toronto via Keflavik. Was hesitant to fly WOW air after I booked a one-way, low-cost fare. I paid for the checked-in bag, around $90 CAD since I needed more luggage. Check-in was easy, and I (unlike many reviewers) ensured that I was under the 20kg max. I weighed in at 19.4kg. I didn't prebook a seat but staff easily accommodated my request for aisle seats on both sectors. In terms of carry-on, I had under the 10kg however, I think it depends on the ground staff in terms of what they allow and under what conditions. The Edinburgh staff were extremely easy-going and one passenger even had a guitar and case (which he didn't pay for) and the staff at the gate warned him next time but allowed him since it wasn't full. Both flights were on-time, staff onboard were nice without being overly gracious, aircraft was clean, and the transit was uneventful and landed in Toronto on time. Fares are great on this airline, provided you follow the rules and prepare in advance. Weigh your bags before, bring lots of snacks (Keflavik is expensive and few options) and a book or iPad (No IFE), and get insurance (just in case the flight is delayed). Overall, I would recommend them and fly again.

✅ Verified Review | Reykjavik to San Francisco. WOW air is awesome until they have a delay, or flight issue, which apparently happens often. We flew with them a few times previously. Everything was all well and good, until our flight back to the US from Reykjavik. Not only was the flight several hours late, which caused many of us to miss our connecting flights, but WOW did nothing to assist those of us stuck at the airport. No vouchers, no offers for hotel, nothing. The staff had attitudes when we went to talk to them. They hung up the phone on people. They also messed up our luggage. I know that these things can happen. However, every single other airline I have flown with that had a large delay, has assisted with making a situation that we didn't cause, an easier one. It was a nightmare: we were stuck in San Francisco for 2 days, and ended up flying back home on Southwest (all on our own dime). The customer service reps kept saying that the managers were gone for the day and they couldn't give us flight vouchers because they needed approval. They also refused to give us their names. What airline do you know has management that does not come to the office for 2 days straight, especially one of those days being a business day? We noticed that we kept getting the same customer service representative when we called. When we asked was she the same person, she lied and then gave us the same no managers around speech. So we called corporate, who were actually nice and helpful. They suggested we file a claim. We did that back in June, do you think we have been reimbursed for anything since then? I have also read other reviews, and I see a lot of other people saying the same thing.

✅ Verified Review | Montreal to Berlin via Keflavik. I've flown Wow Air twice now. My first trip in Oct to Iceland overall was quite good. The check-in agent in Montreal was not friendly but overall, my husband and I were satisfied with the service. As I am getting older, I'm finding overnight flights harder to deal with even when purchasing a seat with extra leg room. The arms do not lift up in the first row seating. Keflavik airport is open and busy 24/7 and you can buy duty free on arrival or in transit - a nice surprise. No issues on our return flight. We were impressed by Wow Air model of having lots of flight choices/prices to and from N America to Europe. Agree with other passengers to be aware that while initial fare is low, everything costs extra and food/beverages are expensive on the flight - so highly recommend to buy/bring your own food and drinks, even from the airport is cheaper. Because of our acceptable experience on our first flight, we chose Wow Air for our flight from Montreal to Berlin for Xmas. We got the same unfriendly check-in staff, even though I had contacted Wow Air to change my carry on bag to checked in and had receipt in hand, the manager had to assist where the check-in staff person wasn't inclined to believe I had prepaid and wanted to charge a lot more. Be aware that its definitely better to prepay for luggage than incur significantly extra charges at check-in or at the gate if the staff deem your bag too big or too many bags than allowance. Our flight out of Montreal was delayed. We were impressed we got texts about the delays. Unfortunately, our connecting flight in Keflavik was also delayed and further delayed - for other delayed flights to ensure those passengers got onto connecting flights. Wow Air could have and should have given people a free drink or snack to make up for it. Small gestures go a long way. We landed in Berlin 4 hours late and our car rental company considered us a "no show" and cancelled our reservation. Already suggested to Wow Air and Enterprise Rent-A-Car that Wow Air be added to Enterprise Rent-A-Car website pull down menu so that the Enterprise knows your flight is delayed. We were pretty exhausted and not in the best of spirits after 25 hours of travel. On our way home, Berlin SXF airport is not the easiest to navigate or find Wow Air (Terminal A) and our flight was delayed - without any explanation. People appreciate knowing "why" - even if there is nothing that can be done. We had to hustle in Keflavik to make our connecting flight to Montreal - which meant we couldn't buy food or drink at the airport as intended. Also learned buy enough food and drink for both flights! Since we were starving and thirsty, we decided to cave in and pay approx. $50 for sandwich, slice of pizza, coffee, soda pop, water, small Pringles. When we arrived in Montreal, we waited between ~45 mins at the carousel until we realized that our luggage hadn't made it. Only then, did we know that all the people from Berlin's flight had not gotten their bags. We spent another 2+ hours waiting in line to get the right form, then go to customs with the form, go back to the same line to drop off form. Luggage arrived in Iqaluit three days later. Making a claim for incurred expenses due to delayed bags but had to figure out how myself - seems Wow doesn't provide info or facilitate reimbursement or provide a stated allowance.

✅ Verified Review | Los Angeles to Keflavik. Worst flight experience ever. Took over 1.5 hours to get checked in and was told that the flight is closed but I might be able to get on. No help with expediting through security. There were appx 40-50 other passengers in the same situation. Made it to the gate which was a shuttle by bus to the plane. Sat on the bus another 20 minutes before it took off. Flight was delayed anyways and on arrival there was a lot of passsengers that didn't get their luggage. Furthermore, we were told that they don't scan the luggage and therefore have no idea where it is but might show up on the next flight which is 2 days later but not guaranteed. Have all my meds for heart problems in check in which is my fault, should have never done it but the staff was terrible to work with regarding the situation. I am in Iceland in January with no sweaters, jacket or other cold weather clothing and more importantly my medication. Never ever again on WOW.

✅ Verified Review | Bristol to Boston return via Reykjavik. I booked with WOW air expecting a very basic service which was originally proven with a £50 charge for a main bag each way, although overall this was still cheaper than competitors. The real issues began when I got to Bristol airport at 9:00 for my 10:45 flight, being told around 10:00 that there was a delay and that more information would be provided at 11:00. When 11:00 came we were told that the flight would be delayed until 23:00 that evening. Not being best pleased, I contacted their customer service in India to rearrange another flight as I needed to be in Boston that evening, although I was told I would need to speak to the claims department who conveniently didn't have a phone number and only operated by email. As I was only being given prewritten answers by the phone operator I asked to speak to a supervisor which never answered (in total I was on hold for 3.5 hours throughout the day). On a later phone call I was told the delay was for weather reasons which obviously wasn't true, only being told when I boarded the flight after delays to 23:55, 00:20 (and not taking off until 01:45 because a printer wasn't working), that there was a family emergency for a member of the crew and someone else had to be flown in from Iceland, but due to regulations on shift times, all staff members had to take a long break. Upon arrival in Iceland at around 5:00, I was forced to wait for another 40 minutes before any representatives from wow air turned up to tell us to get on a coach before we were shipped off to a hostel, at which point we were told by the hostel staff that we had to be out the rooms by 11, and a bus should be coming later that day but they knew just as much as we did because wow air hadn't told them anything either. After 4 hours of sleep I was up at 11, to be told the bus would leave at 12 and my flight to Boston would be at 3pm. Eventually the bus didn't turn up until 2 and my flight was delayed until 6, so I didn't arrive in Boston for a full 30 hours after I should've been there, as a result missing a family event that I was supposed to be for that day. I strongly considered cancelling the return flight in and flying with a different airline in order to avoid ever having to deal with WOW air again although eventually decided that surely it couldn't get any worse. In fairness I wasn't delayed 30 hours this time, only 2 hours on each flight, but when that seems like a positive result one really must question the standards of the airline. Any advice to people considering travelling with WOW air would be 1) don't, and 2) if you really have to, leave yourself a few days either side and be prepared to be treated like an animal in transit for the duration of your journey, however many days that is. Obviously I've had a very bad experience which most probably won't, but all four of my flights with wow air have been delayed which says it all really. One last thing, if you decide to travel with them and have to claim compensation, claims aren't processed for 'between 8-10 weeks'.