Iceland has exploded over the past decade with more tourists than ever heading north to the wonderful wintery island that is Iceland. Within the space of a few years, and a great PR campaign behind it, Iceland went from being a tiny, unknown island in the Arctic that only adventurous travellers would visit, to an extremely popular tourist destination that’s on everyone’s bucket lists today. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have seen pictures of Iceland all over social media and travel blogs inspiring you to check out this winter wonderland once and for all. Read all my posts from Iceland here.
Always one to be skeptical, I was sure there was a catch, that the flights couldn’t be as inexpensive as they advertised or, if they were, surely they wouldn’t be at all comfortable. But I was wrong… from booking to check-in, to gate departures to in-flight service, the whole experience was brilliant. And much better in fact than a lot of airlines I have flown on in the past year!
I decided it was time for me to head on over to Iceland for a few days of exploring and of course chose to fly there with Icelandic airline WOW Air. Founded in 2011 WOW Air is a low-cost carrier based in Reykjavík, Iceland and flies to more than 38 destinations in Europe, North America and Asia. WOW Air is Iceland’s hip new airline and everything from its branding to the service and booking system is designed to be unique. All the slogans, in-flight magazines and all-purple interior design bring out a different character to other more formal airlines, and they’re proud of it too!
We booked our flights through Skyscanner, where it took us over the the WOW Air site, where booking was super easy, with a range of ‘levels’ including Basic, Plus and Business. We opted for Plus, giving us super cheap flights, but with the added extra of luggage allowance up to 20kg. Our flights to Iceland were £150 return per person. Fairly cheap when compared to the other airlines that fly from Gatwick to Iceland… WOW Air prides itself for offering the cheapest flights to and from Iceland and across the Atlantic — and it definitely lives up to its promise.
I don’t have a huge amount to write, but that’s a good thing. I had no problems with WOW air, no inconveniences or surprises and both flights to and from Reykjavik were painless (minus a slight bit of turbulence on the way over but not the airlines fault). The flight to Keflavik is not a long one, about 4 hours from Gatwick and once on the other side the airport is around 1 hour from the capital city.
Some of those extra services include:
- Carry-on luggage – Each guest is permitted one piece of carry-on luggage up to 22 pounds with dimensions of 42x35x25cm. In addition, each WOW air guest is also allowed one personal item such as a small bag or purse. If you want to bring something larger onboard, then extra fees apply.
- Checked bags – Checked bags are NOT included in the base fare, so be sure you plan for that if you want to check in something larger. When I checked the prices, the fees started at GBP 29.99 per bag.
- Seat selection – WOW air features a variety of different seat options, with accompanying fees.
I’m thrilled that even more people now have the opportunity to make the easy trip to the country and see for themselves what makes it so very special. This was my first trip and I already can’t wait to return to Iceland. Iceland is a wonderful country, surrounded with stunning natural discoveries, amazing road trips and a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure.
Heading out to the states? Why not have a stopover in Iceland on the way there! WOW Air offers the ‘WOW Stopover’ which is available for free only on return flights between North America and Europe via Iceland in either direction. There is no additional charge for creating a WOW Stopover in Iceland. However, when booking two separate flight legs instead of a connecting flight with a short layover, each leg can be higher (or lower) priced. It depends on supply and demand for each flight.
All in all, WOW Air has proven itself to me. It provides millions each year a way to access this incredible country for cheap, meaning you can spend more money within the country on tours, eating out and souvenirs. Iceland is a spectacular country that’s worth visiting time and time again. The next time I visit Iceland, I know who I’ll be flying with.
If you’re planning your own trip to Iceland, feel free to ask me any questions by tweeting me @sophiessuitcse or use the Google Map I created for our trip here.
