Icelandair 737 MAX Saga Premium Class: Lovely With The Right Expectations!

Hello from Iceland (brrrr!), as I just flew Icelandair’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 Saga Premium class on the 4hr40min flight from New York (JFK) to Keflavik (KEF). I’m excited to be back in the skies, initially to see Iceland, and then going on wild review trip from there.

I hadn’t flown Icelandair in over a decade, and was looking forward to giving the carrier another shot, especially given the amount of fleet modernization we’ve seen. So, how was the carrier’s premium product? I have to say, I really enjoyed my experience, and I’d gladly fly with the airline again. However, it’s also important to know what to expect.

In this post, I’d like to share my initial impressions, and then I’ll have a full flight review upon returning home, as usual.

Icelandair’s Saga Premium is between business & premium economy

Before talking specifically about my flight, I think context is important. Saga Premium is Icelandair’s premium product. That’s all that Icelandair calls it, and you’ll notice that the airline never refers to it as business class, premium economy, or anything else.

If you go to Google Flights, you’ll see it listed as business class. However, in reality, I’d consider this to be more comparable to premium economy. Icelandair Saga Premium doesn’t have flat beds, which obviously isn’t ideal if you’re looking to get proper sleep, and are expecting business class (then again, given Iceland’s geography, most flights are too short to get any real sleep). But that’s just a function of people not doing their research, rather than anything Icelandair does wrong.

In terms of pricing, Icelandair Saga Premium is much more comparable to premium economy than business class, and you’ll sometimes find roundtrip fares between North America and Europe for around $1,000 (that’s the very low end of pricing, though). Saga Premium fares always include lounge access in Keflavik, though only the most expensive fares include lounge access at outstations.

I think there are two things that make booking Saga Premium very appealing:

• The airline has attractive one-way fares, when so many of the major legacy carriers only have attractive pricing if booking roundtrip
• The airline allows a free stopover in Iceland even if booking one-way, so it’s super fun to be able to stop in Iceland for a day (or a week) when otherwise flying between points in North America and Europe

Icelandair’s Saga Premium seats are comfortable enough

Icelandair’s Boeing 737 MAX Saga Premium seats are most comparable to what you’d find in domestic first class within the United States, though they’re actually a bit better. Icelandair has Aviointeriors Andromeda recliner seats, in a 2-2 configuration. Seats feature 40″ of pitch, 20.5″ of width, and 5″ of recline.

So the seat padding and legroom are a bit better than you’d find on US airlines, which is nice. There’s also a “foot bar” you can place your feet on, which helps with getting cozy. These seats are quite a bit more comfortable than your typical long haul premium economy seats, which often have very narrow arm rests between seats.

Icelandair has 13″ seat back entertainment screens in Saga Premium, plus USB-A and AC power outlets, to keep electronics charged.

Icelandair’s Saga Premium entertainment & Wi-Fi are awesome

If you’re flying in Icelandair’s Saga Premium, it’s not hard to stay entertainment. The seat back entertainment has audio and video on demand, with over 65 movies, over 230 TV shows, and much more.

Of course there’s also the map feature, which is fun to keep an eye on.

Icelandair’s Boeing 737 MAXs have Viasat Wi-Fi, which is among the best connectivity in the sky. While a plan ordinarily costs €24 per flight, Saga Premium passengers receive it for free, by just logging in with their confirmation code and last name. This is valid for up to two devices at a time, and speeds were excellent.

Icelandair’s Saga Premium food and drinks are thoughtful

In Saga Premium, Icelandair serves a three course meal on North America routes, and a two course meal on Europe routes. I was on a very late night redeye from New York to Keflavik, so dinner was served after takeoff.

In terms of soft product, I’d say Saga Premium is closer to business class than premium economy. Icelandair is known for its huge Icelandic gin selection, and it’s something the company take pride in. The menu had six different gins to choose from.

Drinks were offered before dinner, with a cute basket of pretzels (the snacks offered vary by flight).

Dinner consisted of a starter of burrata with green pesto, tomatoes, and crostini. Then there were two main course choices, and I selected the shrimp with couscous, greek salad, and chimichurri, which was the cold option. Then dessert consisted of an apple crumble cake.

Honestly, what a nicely presented and tasty meal. It wasn’t a huge meal, but I though the quality, presentation, and taste, were excellent.

There’s no pre-landing service, though you can of course order drinks any time. So before landing I had a cup of coffee, which was served on a tray with two chocolates.

The crew was pleasant — they were professional and quite friendly, but nothing particularly memorable.

Icelandair’s Saga Premium amenities are great!

Icelandair offers an impressive selection of amenities in Saga Premium. For one, you receive a very well padded pillow and blanket, which help with getting comfortable.

Each passenger is also offered a colorful amenity kit. I loved the design of all the items in there… how visually fun.

Icelandair then provides a solid pair of noise canceling headphones in Saga Premium. Sadly there’s no bluetooth audio.

Bottom line

I’m so happy I had the chance to fly Icelandair Saga Premium again, as it’s quite a bit better than I remembered. I think this is a great product if you come in with the right expectations — think of it as being more like premium economy than business class in terms of comfort and price.

But if you come in with those expectations, you should be happy. The seats are more comfortable than your typical premium economy, and the food, drinks, and amenities, are all good as well. Add in the free Viasat Wi-Fi and good entertainment, and it’s easy to enjoy Saga Premium.

But what’s most appealing about Saga Premium is the ability to book a reasonably priced one-way transatlantic fare and still have a stopover in Iceland. Personally, I’d rather fly Icelandair next time on a daytime flight rather than an overnight flight (since I value a flat bed more on an overnight), but I was still happy with my choice, given the purpose of my trip.

What’s your take on Icelandair’s Saga Premium product?