Questions and Answers

Hello All! This past May, I booked a trip in late November on Icelandair. The itinerary was to take me from PDX to LHR (with a stop in KEF, of course), and back.

About a week ago, Icelandair notified me that it was canceling its flight from PDX to KEF. The airline rebooked me on a flight originating in SEA, and returning there at the end of my trip.

I wrote to Icelandair and explained that SEA is over 175 miles from my home. Their response was that I could either obtain a refund or take public transportation and they’d reimburse me up to $50 USD each way. Neither option is great. At this point, given how much fares on other airlines have increased, a refund won’t enable me to buy another ticket. And, public transportation from my home will take upwards of 4.5 hours each way.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Is anyone able to shed light on my rights? I’ve reviewed the applicable EU regulations, and believe that I may be entitled to “rerouting under similar conditions.” I’d argue that “under similar conditions” means that Icelandair should, at least, reimburse me for air travel from PDX to SEA and back.

Thanks for any thoughts!