Air Canada Is Adding Flights To Iceland This Summer

I wonder how the Icelandic people about their nation becoming the budget destination of choice for international riffraff.

Seems odd that they'd try to compete head to head on a leisure route with WOW and Icelandair. Doesn't seem like a very profitable venture!

That airport is well over capacity in Summer (or that's what I thought last August).

are there any flat beds from anywhere to KEF?

The tourism explosion in Iceland has made the exchange rate ridiculous.

@anon, it doesn't come cheap. I looked at GF and found that DL flies lie-flats from JFK in the summer for ~3k. For such a short distance, I don't think it's worth it.

$410 CAD fuel surcharge in economy class. Not a good use of miles.

Air Canada Rouge not bare bones? Unless flying premium rouge (like we both have, Lucky), you get no seat selection ($), no bags ($) and no in-flight entertainment ($ or bring your tablet) or probably meals ($ or bring your own).

Even if this is a Europe flight, right now on similar routes in length to Central America (SJO...) they don't offer meals and make you pay for everything mentioned above.

530 US is roughly 690 CAD today, which, to be honest, is comparable to some Air Transat fares to as far as FCO and ATH. Apples to apples, seems like a lot for Rouge, to KEF...

I wonder if U.S. carriers are hesitant to move in, due to the low prices of WOW Air and IcelandAir..

@Carl, you have obviously NOT been to Iceland because your comment 'their nation becoming the budget destination of choice for international riffraff' is far from reality. The country is EXPENSIVE! To put is simply, I stayed in a B&B last summer that had FOUR guest rooms sharing a bathroom at a price point that was the SAME PRICE as staying in Kuala Lumpur's Shangri-La hotel (Club Floor).
Regards.

@Carl - ageee with the previous commenter that Iceland is a very expensive destination and will not appeal to budget travellers at all. Other than seeing the northern lights the climate also makes it very unpleasant for 6+ months every year.
Norwegian Air is exploding in the US but its not making Scandinavia a budget destination because scando remains very expensive

Just adding that Delta not only flew from New York but also from Minneapolis in 2016.

I think the goal here is to simply hurt Wow air a bit as I think they have been doing quite well and this might take away some of their market share - note for example that they will fly both from Toronto and Montreal which would otherwise normally not happen, usually new routes start from one but not both of these cities. Wow air flies to both.

Lucky, better do your homework next time: FYI, Delta flies JFK-KEF year round (in fact double-daily on Saturday in the summer) and operates MSP-KEF seasonally...hardly "not taking much interest"

My comment is about connecting in Iceland to get to Europe. Iceland Air has by far the cheapest business class fares from Canada to Europe if you are willing to take an angled business class seat and connect in Iceland in the middle of the night. It's over CDN $1000.00 cheaper than a direct flight on standard carriers like AC or Lufthansa. I'm thinking of doing it for a vacation trip to Germany, unless AC has a business class sale like they did last year when I went to Paris.

@Charlie McMillan: Icelandair's "Saga Class" is a recliner, not an angled-flat seat. It's more Premium Economy than Business.

If you want a cheap business product from Canada to Europe, try LOT Polish. It runs about C$2,500 to most of their European destinations if you buy at least two weeks in advance. Flat beds, decent food, and you earn Star Alliance miles (if that's something you care about). I'm in Europe on a LOT ticket right now, as it happens.

Fair warning - LOT only flies to Toronto, so you may have to find your way to YYZ if that's not your home city. Some of the OTAs will sell you a ticket with connecting flights on Air Canada, but the price is essentially the same as buying the flights separately. The only advantage is if you misconnect on the Air Canada leg you'd presumably be protected as it's all one ticket.

I flew with Icelandair, from Toronto Iceland, then from Iceland to JFK on my way to Alaska, and I had a free upgrade to first class and use of the lounge, and have no complaints. Next year, I going back with an addition of Norway. And I will be damned if I will fly with Air Canada, as I do not consider them an airline. I compare Air Canada to that of only the TTC, and I don't think one can get worse than that.