Budget airlines for international flights to London or Iceland

[marys350]

Does anyone have experience flying with Play Airlines or Norse Airlines, two fairly new budget airlines? Considering them for our cruise next year. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[the mice]

When are you flying and from where?

Look at all the recent flight cancelations and disruptions. If that happens on your flight what will your rebooking options be?  What kind of buffer are you building into your schedule so you don't miss the cruise?  These are some key considerations.

[marys350]

3 minutes ago, the mice said:

When are you flying and from where?

Look at all the recent flight cancelations and disruptions. If that happens on your flight what will your rebooking options be?  What kind of buffer are you building into your schedule so you don't miss the cruise?  These are some key considerations.

Cruise is in June, 2024 and we're planning to fly 2 days before cruise. Will be flying from Boston to London and then Reykjavik to Boston. Just recently started looking at all flight options using Google Flights and researching more about various airlines.

[FlyerTalker]

Remember that EVERYTHING is ala carte.  Your bags, your seats, your soft drinks and more.

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

In addition to what @FlyerTalker said, keep in mind the super discount airlines typically don't have the back up aircraft, interline arrangements or other support that the common large carriers have. So if things go sideways,  it can be a big hole to get out of.

[marys350]

Thank you for all the responses. When flying, we always try to fly non-stop 1-2 days before the cruise and are averse to taking risks that would cause us to miss the ship. After researching all of our options for non-stop flights and each airline's fleet size, schedules, and inter line arrangements, etc., I think we'll stick with Delta or Virgin Atlantic to London. For our non-stop flight home from Reykjavik our choices are Icelandair or Play Airline. 

 

[6rugrats]

Between these two choices, I would pick Iceland Air.

[FlyerTalker]

24 minutes ago, 6rugrats said:

Between these two choices, I would pick Iceland Air.

 

Absolutely.

 

I'd give Play a 50-50 shot at being around next June.

 

And why not just get one ticket on DL?  Rather than a pair of one-ways.

[marys350]

15 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Absolutely.

 

I'd give Play a 50-50 shot at being around next June.

 

And why not just get one ticket on DL?  Rather than a pair of one-ways.

When I looked up "Multi-city"  flights on Delta, I didn't see  any non-stop flights from Reykjavik to Boston.  There was a 1-stop flight with a 4 hr, 45 minute layover in JFK that would work, but we're not keen on a long layover.

[Dolebludger]

For what it may be worth, we flew Iceland Air on the way to a river cruise in Europe. We booked Business/First. One reason was the low price. Another was the nonstop flight from Denver to Iceland. It was not a “lay down seat” accommodation but it was fine. Another plus (or minus) if your destination is not Iceland is the need for a connection in Iceland (possible minus). A possible plus is that you can “lay over” in Iceland for up to seven days, then fly on, for no additional cost. We decided on a two night extension in Iceland, and really enjoyed our time there. As I understand, Iceland Air is government owned, and it offers  the no cost stay in Iceland as a positive way to boost tourism there. Should we ever visit Europe again, we will not hesitate to look into Iceland Air again..

[FlyerTalker]

39 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

As I understand, Iceland Air is government owned, and it offers  the no cost stay in Iceland as a positive way to boost tourism there. Should we ever visit Europe again, we will not hesitate to look into Iceland Air again..

 

The parent company is a publicly traded corporation.

 

However, the parent has a number of subsidiaries, all involved in the tourism industry.  So the interlocking nature makes offering the free stopovers an overall winner.

 

 

[marys350]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

For what it may be worth, we flew Iceland Air on the way to a river cruise in Europe. We booked Business/First. One reason was the low price. Another was the nonstop flight from Denver to Iceland. It was not a “lay down seat” accommodation but it was fine. Another plus (or minus) if your destination is not Iceland is the need for a connection in Iceland (possible minus). A possible plus is that you can “lay over” in Iceland for up to seven days, then fly on, for no additional cost. We decided on a two night extension in Iceland, and really enjoyed our time there. As I understand, Iceland Air is government owned, and it offers  the no cost stay in Iceland as a positive way to boost tourism there. Should we ever visit Europe again, we will not hesitate to look into Iceland Air again..

Thanks for your feedback about Icelandair Dolebludger! Our cruise starts in Southampton, UK and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland. We have decided to fly non-stop on Virgin Atlantic to London and fly home non-stop from Reykjavik on Icelandair. The peace of mind is worth it to us rather than trying to save money using fairly new super budget airlines with small fleets.

[6rugrats]

12 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

As I understand, Iceland Air is government owned, and it offers  the no cost stay in Iceland as a positive way to boost tourism there. 

To clarify, it is not a “no cost” stay, Iceland is very expensive and you pay for your stay.  They offer a free stopover.

[Dolebludger]

True. What I meant is there is no additional AIRLINE charge for the stopover. Iceland, like all tourist destinations, is very expensive regarding hotels and meals.