Icelandair

JFK to Reykjavik to Stockholm. I never made it to Stockholm and after I was told I would not get there for two more days I decided to return to JFK. Customer service is nearly non-existent. If you don't mind how long it takes to get to your destination (could be days) this airlines may be a good choice. The fleet is quite cramped forget in flight entertainment (3 of 4 seats did not work on last flight) and don't expect to feel you got what you paid for.

Returned from Iceland to Ireland via London Heathrow last Thursday June 19th on Flight FI454 from KEF at 16.10 At 4.30 informed that the flight was now confirmed to take off at 17.00. No announcement was made no explanations given and no one from Icelandair appeared to answer the passengers questions and concerns. Flight eventually took off at 17.20 and was further delayed at London Heathrow due to a time slot to land. The pilot on welcoming us on board explained that the delay was due to a member of the cabin crew becoming ill and a replacement crew member having to be got. He also apologised for the delay. I was to originally have 2 and a half hours between landing in Heathrow and taking off again on a connecting flight to Ireland. I barely had an hour to get off go through passport control rush to baggage reclaim check in for connecting flight go through customs and get to the boarding gate. As it worked out I just got to the boarding gate in time and this was due to two factors. One was that there was no queue both at the check-in desk and at customs and secondly the cabin crew on flight FI454 allowed me to move from my allotted seat in the 2nd last row to a seat in row 6 near the exit door for the last 20 minutes of the flight and so allowed me to get off quickly. My sincerest thanks to the cabin crew. This was my 5th return trip to Iceland on holidays since 1991 and using Icelandair each time. This particular experience has left me wary of using Icelandair again and of considering using alternative airlines in travelling to Iceland on future trips.

I will never fly Icelandair again. We were scheduled to depart for Stockholm via Reykjavik on an evening flight on June 16th. When we got to the airport we read on the departures board that our flight had been canceled! We were never told about the cancellation and we had been home all day. In addition I had tried to print my boarding passes the night before our departure and when I couldn't I tried calling the customer service number to try to find out why. I was put on hold for over an hour and finally gave up. It was no better the morning of our departure. I could not reach a customer representative and was once again put on hold. When we returned home on the 23rd we had a voice message on our phone that was sent 3 hours before our departure telling us about the cancellation. Three hours before an international flight is not nearly enough time to tell someone about a cancelled flight. We had already left for the airport when we were called. I will not recommend Icelandair to anyone. The customer service is terrible if not non-existent.

YEG-MAN. Initial flight was delayed 40 min due to mechanical issues thus boarding was prompt. Seat width and leg room were impressive important point is that all seat arms including aisle and window raised something I wish all carriers would implement. To get more leg room they have shortened the seat depth which can be a problem for those with longer legs (I started to lose the feeling in mine after 4 hours) and the material used (leather) was very uncomfortable. Tons of storage (first full flight I've been on where storing luggage was not an issue) IFE was limited but suited the purpose and crew were helpful and friendly. Customs at KEF was annoying to go through if transferring to another flight but the speed at which they do it testifies to why they have such short connection times. If you have more than an hour connecting you will make your flight if delayed. Do dress in layers. the first flight was blasting cold air the second blasted warm.

KEF-LGW. The only thing I found odd is when we arrived at the airport from Edmonton landed on time but had to go through security. Flight wise it was fine arrived a few minutes late but what can you expect landing in London? Overall great flight.

LHR-BOS via KEF 31 May 2014. Plane was delayed and it was comforting that we were told that we would be found a different flight to Boston that night if there was a chance we would not make our connection. The Star Alliance lounge in Terminal 1 was good with excellent catering and plenty of seats. We eventually boarded significantly delayed. Having done the research on Icelandair's website I was aware that Saga Class seating was effectively "US Domestic" 2x2 with limited recline. Definitely not the flat beds you can find on other Airlines. But then again the price you are paying is significantly below these other carriers. IFE was OK if slightly limited. The meals on all flights were disappointing. Two smallish courses is not my idea of Business Class catering even on the 3 hour flight to Reykjavik - however the quality was good. There were 3 courses on the KEF-BOS leg plus a welcome drink and a travel kit. When we eventually reached KEF we were 1 hour 45 minutes late for a 2 hour connection. With 15 minutes to go we were disembarked onto a bus which deposited us close to the next gate and we boarded immediately. Our bags also made the connection which was a relief and impressive. BOS-KEF 9 June 2014. Again efficient check in. The Virgin Atlantic Lounge in BOS was surprisingly poor. A subterranean dungeon it obviously does the minimum amount of catering it feels it can get away with for the Icelandair customers. Flight was very similar to the outbound except we were back down to 2 course small meals and no travel kit. All flight crews did a reasonable job given what they have to work with. KEF-LHR 14 June 2014. Saga Class Check in at KEF is at the furthest point of the terminal. Indeed Keflavik does not recognise premium travellers. I did not find a fast track and the boarding was a chaotic scrum. However the Saga lounge by gate 6 is stylish even if again the catering is limited.

We were booked to fly London Gatwick to Toronto in May 2014 but the airline had a pilots strike as we were boarding the aircraft. Passengers were taken off and complete confusion reigned made worse by the airline having none of its own staff at Gatwick. We asked to be transferred to another carrier but were told this was not possible. Eventually we were told that they had booked us onto a BA flight from Heathrow the next day and that we would have to make our own arrangements to get from one airport to another and book into a hotel. On returning from Toronto there was no fast track lane for business class and once on board the seat comfort was barely above economy. The seat would not recline to a sleeping position because there was insufficient space between the seat rows. Dinner was excellent but breakfast on the Reykjavik to London leg the next morning was no better than adequate.

KEF-SEA. Late arrival of plane from MAN made for a few worried passengers with tight connections. Small airport was chaotic and SEA boarding was unannounced and uncontrolled making for a late departure. Gate staff weren't concerned. On board seemed to be an almost standard product on what was my 4th flight with FI in 6 days. However benefited in the new IFE system which is good. Again food good but serving size is small. FA's attentive and friendly again and serviced the cabin frequently. A bit annoying lights were never dimmed and many people left shades open whole journey. Liked the little touches of explaining facts about the country on the food wrappings food service upon request small bottle of water given when boarding and the collection of rubbish in a nicely designed carrier bag to hide the white plastic rubbish bag. Overall a pleasant enough and cost effective way to Europe from the US.

KEF-MAN. Very efficient transfer in the small airport after flight from SEA. Older plane and no IFE but not a big issue for a 2.5hr flight. Service attentive and friendly.

SEA-KEF. First time to use this airline to reach UK. Offered much cheaper fare than BA and overall much better value. Offered exit row at gate and with no one next to me which effectively matched FI prem econ (which looks poor value). FA's attentive and friendly. Food for purchase - I ordered chicken curry which was very tasty but a little small. Seats as some reviewers have mentioned are hard but not too uncomfortable. Good quality blanket offered. IFE was one of the older versions and a bit limited but acceptable. Overall good value and an efficient way back to UK albeit a bit more of a red-eye than comparable route with BA.