WOW, Icelandair or Condor?

[barante]

We'll fly BWI to AMS next year. Our choices from BWI are WOW, the new Icelandic airline, or Condor, the German carrier. Or Icelandair from IAD (Dulles).

 

Haven't quite decided yet. Each carrier seems to have pluses and minuses.

 

Those flying out of BWI are preferred because I don't want to be stuck in IAD traffic.

 

Any opinions?

[Extra Kim]

I flew with Condor between Frankfurt and San Juan back in 2012.

I would say that they are like most charter airlines, nothing special, but not as bad as Ryan Air either.

[Shaken_Bake]

We flew Icelandair last summer from Denver to London, then back home from Paris. Flying with them was as pleasant as one can expect in Economy, but the big advantage is the long layover we chose on the way home which gave us about seven hours to enjoy the Blue Lagoon (or whatever one would want to do with a day-long layover.) It was a wonderful way to break up a long trip, and certainly made us want to visit again for at least a few days in the future. Icelandair's fares were also lower than the major carriers from the U.S. I can't compare the other airlines you're looking at, but I wouldn't hesitate to choose them again for our next trip.

[Nitemare]

WOW is the Spirit Airlines of Iceland. If you want to pay a fee for choosing your seat, for carrying on a small bag, for checking a bag, for a soda, for sitting with your friends/family, etc, etc, use them. And no In flight entertainment

 

Icelandair's coach is a premium product with good leg room, all the above included in the price, and the layover deal is incredible

[barante]

I see very mixed reviews for all of these airlines. I guess WOW is like Air Baltic, charging for everything but in the end a totally workable airline. My first Icelandic flight was on a Luftleidir propeller airplane that refueled in Gander. Since then I have often flown Icelandic and would take it now as well, except for two factors: departure from IAD and the eight-hour layover at night at Keflavik.

 

So unless Icelandic comes up with one hell of a special offer, it may be between Condor and WOW. I'd like to learn more about Condor.

[AKman2495]

 

Icelandair's coach is a premium product with good leg room, all the above included in the price, and the layover deal is incredible

 

Glad to hear that. We're flying with them from Anchorage to London next month. Although our layover is only 1 hour or so....

[Northern Aurora]

[quote name=Nitemare;47334999

 

.....

 

Icelandair's coach is a premium product with good leg room' date=' all the above included in the price, and the layover deal is incredible[/quote]

 

Glad to hear that. We're flying with them from Anchorage to London next month. Although our layover is only 1 hour or so....

 

In the spring of 2014 we flew on Icelandair from Amsterdam to Reykjavik, and then a week later from Reykjavik to Anchorage.

 

We booked Economy Comfort. While the photos on the Icelandair website suggested a standard coach aisle of three seats across with the middle seat open, on both flights the Economy Comfort seats were comparable to first class on Alaska Airlines (two wide leather seats with a console in the center).

 

The seats in the standard coach section looked very comparable to coach on Alaska Airlines, so I am unsure if Nitemare's comments reference Economy Comfort or the standard economy. If Nitemare's comments refer to the standard Icelandair economy experience I doubt I would describe it as a premium product.

[barante]

I spent the past few days researching this subject and we decided to go with Condor. This is why:

 

For us, Icelandair departing from IAD was a deal-breaker. Too much hassle to get to that side of D.C., plus an eight-hour layover at Keflavik in the middle of night. There is nothing open at the airport and no seating. It would be a nightmare.

 

So it then was between WOW and Condor.

 

WOW may be wonderful but I simply don't want to weigh everything and pay extra for this and that. Condor sold a comprehensive package: meals and soft drinks free and less strict weight restrictions. Also, even if the flight is delayed, getting to AMS (and then by train to Rotterdam) will be no problem from FRA, whereas I don't want to risk volcanic eruptions messing with Iceland connections.

 

We are on HAL Rotterdam's July 2 18-day cruise from Rotterdam to Bergen to Lerwick to Iceland to Greenland to Boston. The only thing that could keep us from that cruise now is a health emergency. So we have insurance to cover if anything should go wrong.

 

We now have paid for Mainport Hotel in Rotterdam (with an in-room sauna and jacuzzi, with a river view), the flights. The reason for these super early arrangements is we want what we want. We got excellent prices on everything.

 

I have flown on all kinds of airlines, from Laker to Zambia. As long as they get us from point A to point B in one piece, we are willing to try anything. I see all these negative reviews about Condor; yet it is a thriving airline that seems to satisfy tens of thousands every year.

[Nitemare]

 

The seats in the standard coach section looked very comparable to coach on Alaska Airlines, so I am unsure if Nitemare's comments reference Economy Comfort or the standard economy. If Nitemare's comments refer to the standard Icelandair economy experience I doubt I would describe it as a premium product.

 

Their standard economy is more comfortable to me (a tall and large man) than the comparable product on any of the following that I have flown:

 

British Air

Air France

Alitalia

Any US airline

[slidergirl]

"...will be no problem from FRA, whereas I don't want to risk volcanic eruptions messing with Iceland connections."

You do know that the last volcanic eruption over there shut down all of Northern Europe, including FRA??? You had to get yourself to BCN to get back to the US. I was there...

[barante]

Girl, now you telling me!

[MH017]

Condor is a great airline with German quality catering and crews; just don't expect much of a legroom !!! Guess, you'll fly Lufthansa to AMS ? Good choice, although only 40 mins flight !

[Extra Kim]

Isn't Condor, Lufthansa's charter airline?

[barante]

Used to be. It now belongs to the Thomas Cook travel group. Still has operational ties to Lufthansa.

[Extra Kim]

Ok, it's a couple of years since I flew with them.