Today details have been revealed about Iceland’s newest airline, PLAY!
Continue reading: PLAY: Iceland’s Questionable New Low Cost Carrier
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
What I can't understand is that are still suckers out there to invest millions on an over and over again proven unsustainable model.
I guess it explains trump voters...
Play, Wow, Zipair, Level
Are airlines into a competition to see which livery is the ugliest?
Matt Levine has semi jokingly said that when venture capitalists subsidize our purchases (food delivery, taxi rides, air travel to Iceland) we're seeing the American version of socialism.
This is great news and there are two angles -- (1) book unsustainably cheap travel and enjoy it, (2) book unsustainably cheap travel really far into the future and hope you beat their burn rate, then use travel insurance or rescue fares to earn sweet miles for a fun trip on a legacy carrier.
This honestly looks like a parody of WOW - also a random word, fully neon-painted/solid color livery, etc. I do like Michael’s idea of buying tickets to then get whatever compensation issued when they eventually fail...
Wondering when the obsession with Iceland will eventually end. The country can barely sustain 1 carrier.
Looks like they're making a play for the Reykjavík market. Unfortunately the airline business is all work and no play.
So starting an airline during the beginning of the winter season? I get that ramp up take time, but surely waiting until a bit closer to summer would be wise.
"Many say that WOW Air’s fatal mistake was the pace at which they tried to grow, and their ultimate decision to acquire A330s, which just don’t fit into the business model.
Based on everything we know, it sure sounds like PLAY will basically replicate WOW’s business model in the early stages."
So basically, they are insane...
In response to a couple of a comments. The start of winter is a very popular time to visit Iceland, because of the one thing you can get there during this time. The lights!
Iceland remains to be popular because it is an amazing place, lights or not. It captures people. Icelandair is an amazing airline but the prices fluctuate a lot and it's difficult to get something that is cheap. When you then account for accommodation and food, the thought of a cheap flight does make the whole thing easier. Personally, I would never fly with anyone else. Icelandair does it all better.
I want in on this with another short interesting word! Maybe it'll be flights to Europe via Greenland!
I could call it Funk Air! Or Chill Air! I am so down! Let's make Greenland the next Iceland!
Seriously, I think it'll make a killing!
Just a thought to add... part of Wow's failure was not just speed of expansion, but how they expanded. Connecting traffic requires banking all the flights, but this led to horrible aircraft utilization with a number of the cities they tried to expand to.
This "Play" could work, just as long as they don't make the idiotic decisions that doomed their last model. I'm sure it all comes down to having a Michelin-starred chef doing the meals 😉
What's the over / under on bankruptcy for both of these carriers? 5 years? Budget carrier model isn't sustainable on transatlantic routes.
If they offer connecting passengers free access and transport to/from Blue Lagoon, I am down!
Strictly speaking, they can't offer Michelin star food for purchase, as the star is awarded to the restaurant, not the chef. Iceland's only starred restaurant lost its star in the last round of awards too, so it's not like they were getting into the food prep business,,,
Where are they getting the planes? As far as I was aware there's a huge backlog of 321 orders. Maybe they are leasing? Part of Primera's failure was selling tickets and launching service on its new 321neos which it only ever received one or two and had to wet lease ancient 757s which kept going out of service, result lots of cancels, delayed flights and compensation.
And what makes you such a fucking expert? This blog and its author are a joke. By flying many miles he's an airline expert? Well I drink lots of beer in the bar, so that must make me a master brewer?
Blogs and posts like this are damaging to airlines, peoples livelihoods are affected by what people read and believe with sites like this. There is very little factual content in this article, yet opinion is given as fact. Can see why you are not a real journalist
Play? Seems more like they pressed Repeat. Maybe someone can hit the Pause button, or Stop, before it all gets even more out of hand...
@Stephen barrow: he never said that he's an expert in fucking. He knows a lot about the aviation industry though and makes his money in it.
This company does have the respect of being called an airline?
What we see it's an opportunity to try to banalize everything. So what we do? - Low salaries, - a uniform that looks like what I buy in a carnival shop, from head to feet, and - a name that makes you think how serious they take the company. I will not buy a ticket for this 'Groundline'. 'Airlines' deserve respect and that groundlines doesn't deserve to take an airway in the sky. They aren't for the aviation team, but for the opportunist team. They are going to PLAY with their dicks, and don't play with people.