So, out of the thousands of people flying to the US from a certain destination, you were one of 10 that got hit that day? Yikes!
This is not unique to the US. I got pulled aside after landing in Canada (flying from the US) and a Canadian Border Services Agency official put on gloves and went through my luggage. Turns out they didn’t find the droids they were looking for and about 45 minutes later, they gave me back my passport, reminded me that it was their job to protect Canada, thanked me for my cooperation, and told me I was free to proceed. They were very nice given the circumstances.
I just got off an Icelandair flight less than 48 hours ago.
We flew Boston to Reykjavik to Heathrow in late September then the reverse trip on Monday.
They’re no-frills, but the planes were clean, seemed well maintained, the flight attendants were nice and helpful and spoke fluent English.
There is no free food on board, but they hand out water and other non-alcoholic beverages free of charge.
Seats all have individual screens with free on-demand TV and movies. The music selection is very limited and primarily Icelandic. They make some odd music, those Icelanders.
Our longest leg was BOS-KEF at 5 hours. The seats aren’t very cushy, and my butt fell asleep several times.
In short, Icelandair seems to be a perfectly good airline. Not luxurious, not sucky.
ETA - for some reason they wouldn’t allow people to board with hot beverages at Heathrow. I’d never known an airline to make that type of restriction, but it might be common for all I know.
It’s fairly common these days. The thinking is that on boarding people are jostling around looking for their seats and stowing their baggage etc, so there’s a greater danger of someone being scalded.
That makes sense, I guess. Thanks!
Location, and they don’t depend on their home market. Here’s a fuller explanationof their business plan, if you’re really interested. Short version: Unlike anyone else, they can get roughly twice the Atlantic crossings per day per airplane than their competitors, by leveraging the hell out of the Iceland stopover. Plus, they can do it with narrowbodies with lower capital and operating costs.
So what’s the general definition of no-frills? I flew United from Chicago to London (and back) in May. My friend and I had the aisle/window combo. There was no room between my seat and the seat in front of me. I had the aisle and to get out, I had to climb OVER the armrest. Headphones were free but there was minimal choice of what to watch or listen to. Food was meh–I wouldn’t have minded bringing my own. Pop, water, oj, etc. were free. We paid close to $1800 round-trip which I don’t consider cheap. This was barely above no-frills. Oh, and the overhead light had a mind of its own and turned on and off sporadically (on the night flight of course). Nobody could fix it so we got no sleep.
Simple airline company, nothing too fancy but nothing really bad also, everything depends on taste but in one or another way flying is flying and it is never as comfortable as sleeping in your bed. Another question is how much you love your money.
Several of you have mentioned that you can use your own headphones - why kind? You mean the type you use with an iPod?
Good airline-new Boeing planes, excellent pilots. Inflight food OK-the stopover weekend in Rejkjavik is a bargain. Get used to the insane prices in Iceland-they import almost everything. the Icelandic people are very friendly, and almost all speak English.
On my next trip, I’ll try hakarl.
Yes, iPod type headphones.
J.
It really was not that big a deal, 5 minutes and a dvd:p
Their fleet isn’t especially new. The average age is about 18 years.
I’m posting this from Reykjavik. Cite.
IcelandAir is fine. Yes, you have to pay for meals and alcoholic beverages, but soft drinks and water are free. The seats aren’t any more crowded than a domestic flight on one of the major US carriers, but seem a bit smaller than JetBlue.
I’m an American who lives in Massachusetts with my German husband. We visit the Rhineland and Berlin two or three times a year. Over the last three decades we’ve taken all the major airlines that fly from Boston. In the last dozen years we’ve chosen Icelandair. The service is very reliable and is cheaper than other carriers. The service is friendly and the personnel speak perfect English. We’ve never had a lost bag while using Icelandair.
We usually take sandwiches on board with us and buy a drink in flight on Icelandair. If food is an important consideration for you, use SwissAir - they have the best catering in the skies. But they’re expensive.
Another good thing about Icelandair is that airline will arrange a weekend stay for you in Reykjavik. These stays are excellent value and include guided bus tours. Iceland has the most eerie, fascinating landscape you will ever see. Bring your swim togs - the Blue Lagoon is not to be missed. If you choose a weekend stay, I recommend the Gasthaus Sunna. Comfortable rooms, pristinely clean and offering a superb breakfast.
Have fun! 