SAN-PDX is operated by Alaska (AS 1073) and PDX-KEF is operated by Icelandair (FI 664). The air temperature control nozzle above you is a major hit and miss. How to fly Icelandair using points and miles, my recent JetBlue economy flight to London, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. (FI names all its aircraft after Icelandic volcanoes.) The seats featured soft, winged headrests that you could position how you wish as well. Credit: wp. Next to the restrooms were three dedicated shower rooms. 2A. 5:30 PM - 6:00 PMJune 10, 2021Booked: Boeing 737 Max 8Flown: Boeing 737 Max 8. Always great to be able to go straight from the airport to a hotel where you room is waiting, Catch a few hours sleep , do some exploring of Reykjavik and get an early sleep. Mikhala joined the Thrifty Traveler team in 2018 after living in China and completing graduate school. Managed to get fairly close to front of line for boarding because I am partially disabled, but there was no place to sit and you still have to board the shuttle bus (some of them are standing room only) and climb the stairs onto the plane. Head down a narrow hallway that also serves as the boarding area for some Schengen zone flights departing from Iceland. The food and drink service on Icelandair Saga Premium was fantastic. The airline offers gate-to-gate Wi-Fi on both planes, but with a vastly difference experience. At Thrifty Traveler, we dont accept freebies. Blue Lagoon has been closed for quite some time due to Covid. All passengers in Premium were offered complimentary noise-canceling headphones to use during the flight, too. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. It was very distracting and made the flight go by nicely. They offered to fill up the water bottle rather than using a new glass and save on some waste. Image Credit: SeatGuru. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-109673559', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');airlines you might consider, check the equipment type, and then have a look on Seatguru. In fact, most regular airlines now charge for seat selection anyways. to save on your next trip. Begin your search by selecting one of these departure cities. The middle seat is kept unoccupied in Economy Comfort. There were just two reds, two whites, and two sparkling wines, each selection was very detailed with recommended food pairings. The short ribs were cooked perfectly, too. All rights reserved. I spent a little bit of time laid back in one of these bad boys as well, but they proved a little too comfy for me! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how We are going to Iceland this summer and looking for advice about the "best" seats for overnight (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? There was a glut of seating options, both social and private. The 737 MAX sports ViaSat connectivity the same internet available across JetBlue's fleet. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. It is not the bank advertisers responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. I spent close to three hours there and I wish I had more time. The cruising speed is 851 km/h (530 mph), and their flight range of up to 7,890 km (4,900 mi) makes them the first choice for long-haul routes. The drink menu was not extensive but more than sufficient. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of food included in the Tapas Box: Serrano ham, mini breadsticks, mini fuet cheese, bruschetta dip, and Iberico cheese. Fantastic Wi-Fi. The close attention from the flight attendants, the amenities, the food, and the drinks were closer to what you would find on those lie-flat, long haul business class products, in my experience. Each seat in economy is 19 inches wide, compared to the 17 inches you'll get on most of Icelandair's other planes. As with nearly every airline, the best way to start your search for Icelandair Saga Premium flights is with Google Flights. It's the only lounge at Keflavik, but it packs a punch. I like the window seats so I can lean against the wall and so no one will bother me to get up. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. With the first ordered drink, they brought around these cheese crisps, too. But it seems to be suffering from growth with the loss of Wow and offers for layover. Connectivity is also available on the 767, but it's far slower, when it works at all. . Each Premium seat featured a large entertainment screen, too. Use this seat map to get the most comfortable seats, legroom and recline before booking. And trust me, those extra 2 inches are huge. - By choosing row 6 you are less likely to be transfered backwards. They were relatively spacious and pretty nice. There was nobody serving drinks at the lounge it's a serve-yourself setup for drinks. Thanks for the long review, this really helps to understand the prices. The comprehensive Airline and Airport customer review site for airlines and airports across the world. You'll find the lounge in the middle of the airport concourse. I live in Kansas City so would most likely fly from Chicago or Minneapolis. While both economy class seats are laid out in a 3-3 configuration, meaning they are a similar width, the Play A321neo seats have a staggering 34 inches of legroom for all standard seats. Therefore, if you can fly in an A330 or A340, you might want to look at two seats to yourself. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. With the Economy Light and Economy Standard fares, food is not included free. Will it fit normal size underseat luggages? Basically, if you're into window views, you want to be facing north during your flight. On my return back to Seattle, I changed seats to exit row, and this was the best choice I couldve made. Just what I was looking for before booking our flight to Helsinki, From what you are telling us, the extra money is well worth it! The opportunity to bid on an upgrade opens ten days before your flight departure. Inside the leather kits was a hand lotion, socks, a face mask, earplugs, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some hand sanitizer, and stickers to indicate if you want to be woken up for meals or not. The 1st flight was a Boeing 757-200. We were offered a coffee after the meal before we settled into a few hours of food-free flying. The breakfast spread was made up of typical European fare like yogurts, oatmeals, meats and cheeses, pancakes, and much more. We were all comfortable, even my . Just last year, we found this fantastic deal on roundtrip Saga Premium fares from a number of U.S. gateways to all over Europe! Use seatguru.com to try to pick seats that don't have restricted leg room. Based on Boeing 737 NG, the best-selling aircraft of all time, Boeing 737 MAX is a twin-engine airliner that brings together impressive performance parameters and comfortable flying experience. 1. Saga Class has 22 seats and extends from rows 1-6. The Icelandair Saga Lounge in Reykjavik (KEF) might just be the best part of the whole Saga Premium experience. Behind the buffet were refrigerators full of beers (including Iceland's own Gull), sodas, sparkling wines and other drinks. We landed and knew that we had to wait 6 hours till our next flight which would take us to Iceland. He finds flight deals for our Thrifty Traveler Premium and Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members and writes about flight deal trends and the travel industry. On the evening flight to Reykjavik it was actually a newer version -757-256 with new and large screens for the entertainment. With standard recliners instead of the far more common lie-flat pods, Icelandair's Saga Class is arguably the least comfortable business-class option for flights across the Atlantic. My nightmare realized. As the Airbus series aircraft get older and closer to retirement, Air Canada elected to enter into the Boeing 737 Max aircraft product. Full booking flexibility, including changes and cancellations. It included a ton of great fares, all below $1,000 roundtrip! Trip Verified | Zurich to Keflavk in Saga Class. The IcelandAir Boeing 757-200 has 120 seats in Economy, Economy Comfort has 41 seats, and Saga has 22 seats. The rest of the service sounds great and that is something Lufthansa is lacking these days. I flew both planes and found the 737 MAX to outshine the larger 767 in five specific areas, at the very least. Airlines Icelandair Boeing 767-300ER Seat Map Icelandair Boeing 767-300ER Airplane Boeing 767-300ER Icelandair with 2 classes and 259 seats on board. However, neither of us were ever notified of any cancellation, and when we called them for help they never answered the phone. imperial metric Amenities Economy 184 Seats airline_seat_recline_normal Despite the long list of people who can get into the lounge, the lounge was not too crowded during my visit last month even during the morning rush. Each seat has a separate monitor in the back that can be used to watch video. According to a recent study by Expedia, the cheapest day to book flights is Sunday. It's the first to feature United's newly unveiled "signature interior," with seat-back screens, larger overhead bins, power outlets and other passenger-friendly amenities from nose to tail. There are two classes on this Icelandair 757-300: Saga Class is Iceland Air's Business Class cabin. Also, I can't imagine there's a lot of airlines that have direct flights on your route so you probably won't have a lot of choices, either. Signage is pretty limited, but there are a few dedicated lanes for Premium check-in. If Icelandair accepts your bid, that value will be multiplied by the number of passengers on your itinerary. I was wondering why Iceland air prices were half the price I would pay for a Lufthansa Business Class seat but seeing the seats this is what Lufthansa has now as Premium Eco and needs of course a lot less space in the plane so this is the main reason for these cheaper prices. I flew both planes and found the 737 MAX to outshine the larger 767 in five specific areas, at the very least. Check in, clear security, then walk through the duty free area and into the main terminal hall. The entertainment system had a decent list of offerings for the flight. The carrier's fleet is configured with Saga . Back inside the cabin, the outer armrest stored the tray table for each Premium seat. Having a vent you can control yourself can significantly improve the experience, especially on warmer flights. No special amenities here for Saga Premium Class passengers. There were a total of 49 movies, 168 TV episodes, 330 songs, nine Iceland tourism videos, and 74 different movies, TV episodes, and songs for kids as well. Based in London . My April flight from Reykjavik to Boston clocked in at roughly five hours on one of Icelandair's newest planes, a Boeing 737 MAX8. There are two classes on this Icelandair 757-200: Saga Class is Icelandair's Business Class cabin. I managed better. It's more legroom than you'll get on Norwegian Air and most major international airlines flying to Europe, where 32 inches is the norm. How does the underseat storage compare to spirit airline? Each bid is per passenger. An Icelandair Saga Premium ticket will grant you access to the Icelandair Saga Lounge, and that's the easiest way to get inside. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. My opinion on trans atlantic (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Members can earn from 1,500 to 11,700 Tier Points . Below the seat-back pocket were two pedal-style footrests, which were a nice touch to take advantage of the additional legroom. My dad & I had been preparing for months for our trip to Iceland to visit our only family. Upon boarding, while the economy passengers were filing in, the flight attendants offered each Premium passenger a pre-flight Prosecco. Use airplane seat map to find which ones are more comfortable and which should be avoided. It was nice to have a seatback screen and Wi-Fi, though this isn't solely enough to sway me to choose an airline with so many portable personal entertainment options I can take on board with me. Icelandair's plus seats on its new 737 MAX were comfortable in terms of padding but legroom was a tight fit and reminded me this was very much economy. It can be both a very private lounge, or a great place to share a meal or a drink with some travel companions. IS it better to book directly through Iceland air or a broker for customer service? The Boeing 757 is a mid-size narrow-body twinjet aircraft, ideal for short to medium-haul routes. Ive never seen life vests stored above the seats before. Get alerts like this one sent to your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium! After spending a few hours in the Saga Lounge, I exited, went through border control, and headed to my gate. Each passenger also got a bottle of water. The blankets were nice and thick, and big enough to actually cover your feet and arms at the same time. Copenhagen-Kastrup (CPH) To. Icelandair offers seat-back entertainment, but the selection can be a bit lacking. With some of Icelandair's 767s approaching their 25th birthdays, walking into the cabin feels a bit like a step back in time. Economy Comfort is 2 - 3 - 2, three rows, # 6, 7 and 8, 33" pitch. Even during the busiest part of the morning, there was no line to get in and plenty of seats to pick from. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Use this seat map to get the most comfortable seats, legroom and recline before booking. I typically pack my own food but decided to try out one of the Icelandair offerings from the four-page menu. IcelandAir Economy Comfort uses the same configuration of three seats across, but with the middle seat left empty. I selected an Economy Light fare, but be sure to view the comparison chart and choose a fare class that's best for you based on checked baggage, whether meals are included, and more. I found Icelandair economy seats to be wider than usual anyway. . Not sure how that would work in managing jet lag! My flight in late April cost $797 one-way from Reykjavik (KEF) to Boston (BOS). Every Saga seat on this Boeing 737 Max measured in at 20 inches wide, with 40-plus inches of legroom. Before the lie-flat revolution over the last decade or two, recliners were the norm in business class aside from the addition of seat-back displays, the Icelandair 767 cabins resemble those of decades past. It unfolded into a half-tray first, which was nice for my pre-departure drink. This was a near-flawless flight. Learn more. Find business class flights to Amsterdam on Icelandair, JetBlue and more. The meal was delicious. It was a slideshow of flight data and map views that weren't controllable by the user. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. personally I try not to have a big bag under my seat so I have room to stretch my legs. Related: How to fly Icelandair using points and miles. French Bee's premium economy. There was no wait when I entered the lounge around 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning a lounge attendant quickly scanned my boarding pass, and the lounge was mine. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. Check out our guide to booking the best airplane seat. The space contained these riding ponies and a cute Icelandic mural on the back wall, along with another chest of toys for the kiddos. Find the best seat wiht our Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX (7M8) seating chart. Code share airlines for Icelandair are: Air Iceland Connect, Aeroflot, Alaska Airlines, Finnair, JetBlue Airways, SAS Scandinavian Airlines . Icelandair and Expedia have teamed up to provide you with great discount airfares and flexible departure and arrival times to make your trip a truly comfortable, affordable, and memorable experience. You'll have one tired day but then a good nights sleep and you'll adjust to the new time zone a lot faster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how Each of them is 17 inches wide and offers 31 to 32 inches of pitch. Passengers of Icelandair often say that the seats on the flights are narrow and they found difficult to sit comfortably. Delta Air Lines. Seat size depends on the class of travel: Economy: 32in; Economy Comfort: 33in; Saga Class: 40in; Frequent Flyers. Keep those factors in mind, and you can hitch a cheap ride to Iceland or elsewhere in Europe without sacrificing comfort. The food and drink selection at the Icelandair Saga Lounge was pretty good, too. Enrollment required. There were no fellow travelers waiting in line when I arrived and I was helped right away. Icelandair's Saga Premium class is a more-than-comfortable way to travel across the Atlantic. Tons of lava-style rocks were strewn about the space. While the seats are virtually identical on the 737 MAX, the cabin itself feels far more fresh it even has that "new plane smell.". One of the most remarkable airplanes in its arsenal is Boeing. Icelandair began flights in 1937 and is based in Keflavik. And that is luck. After that, two flight attendants dedicated to the Premium cabin offered us pre-departure Prosecco more on that later. I went with the short ribs, having exhausted my seafood appetite in Iceland over the previous few days. Amenities The chocolate mousse was also a treat and a delectable way to polish off the meal with the brownie crumble mixed in. Bagging an exit row seat may provide the most comfort for you, but then maybe you won't like the arm rest that cannot be moved. Icelandair cancelled over half their flights in 2021 many with no warning. Beware if you have long legs - I did appreciate that there was enough width that we didn't have to sit half on top of each other. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Boeing 737 MAX 9 Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX 9 Seat Maps Icelandair Icelandair includes many planes with an easy to comprehend and simple Boeing 737 MAX 9 seatmap. Also consider splurging on a hotel for the night before you arrive. I recently flew Icelandair from Seattle to LHR. Now that was budget travel, that included a deluxe meal and checked bag. These fares are valid for travel between November 1 and December 13 . Icelandair Legroom. Click here to search for a specific flight, set aircraft change alerts, schedule change alerts, and more. What is best for you? The flight tracker tool was fairly standard on the Icelandair 737 MAX8. Icelandair has offered various flight sales throughout the pandemic many times, Saga Class has been available for around $1,000 round-trip. Icelandair's great business class fares. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. I had more to explore and couldn't afford to take a nap that morning. Search for Amsterdam flights on KAYAK now to find the best deal. And while the more comfortable seat and lounge access were tempting, it wasn't worth nearly $300. Key. Just a few minutes later, we were offered a top-off, too. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Even though my seat was far forward (xtra leg room), I had to put my carryon far behind me and the flight attendants didnt help me retrieve it (even tho they said they would), so nearly missed my transfer bus in Seattle. Every airline has certain perks and some drawbacks as per the experiences of the passengers. A stink of kerosene in the cabin or any din are not present. The 737's windows feel larger than those on the 767, and since the plane is far newer, you don't have to worry about scratches on the glass obstructing the view. It became well-known in the industry and currently boasts decent profit. The seats also were not reclinable, though the ones in front were. Icelandair's 757-300 seats 225 passengers. Icelandair offers dedicated vents on the 737, but not on the 767 reason enough to choose the newer plane, in my book. The lavatory was also as standard as they come. Passengers flying Saga Class enjoy good working space and Icelandair lounge access in Iceland and other countries. When business class is three times the price and there aren't saver awards available on other airlines, I'll consider booking Saga. The airline also flies to Iceland from Vancouver (YVR) and Toronto (YYZ). You shouldn't do it. In some cases, you might even have a choice between the two aircraft New Yorkers can choose between the 737 MAX from Newark and the 767 from JFK, for example. Premium fares on Icelandair also come with complimentary Viasat Wi-Fi: Just put in your name and your confirmation number. Icelandair (Photo by Ben Smithson/The Points Guy) Seat. Im 64 and booked an extra leg room seat. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Credit card showdown: Alaska Airlines Visa vs. Alaska Airlines Business Visa, Disney Cruise Lines Castaway Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know, 21 new Hyatt hotels where you can get 500 extra points per night. That left us penned in as the folks in front asserted their reclining privileges . Icelandair is a national regular airline that was founded in 1937 in Iceland. 67 reviews Rajan Parrikar (Iceland) 20th December 2022. To find Saga Premium fares instead of Icelandair's economy product, select Business in your fare type drop-down menu. Info. Upon boarding the aircraft, we were greeted by a stewardess and given a bottle of water straight away a very nice touch. Even with an Economy Light fare, you can bring one personal item, one carry-on bag (up to 22 pounds) and select your seat. Depending on what aircraft you fly, the seats are more spacious than what you'll find on most top-dollar airlines in economy. We werent aware of this until check in (Icelandair didnt alert us to the change), at which time there was no movement possible. Read more. If you look at the seat map for your particular flight . Aviation enthusiasts recall that some air nozzles in the overhead of the Boeing 757-200 series aircraft were individual. The gin list was the most extensive menu on the flight, including five Icelandic gins as well as Tanqueray. :/ Not only did my dad lose his saved up money and only vacation time, but we lost all of our excitement. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-109679078', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights in economy is they're all about the same in terms of on board comfort. I paid around $1,150 for a round-trip between New York and Iceland in Saga Class. Soft drinks and access to the new in-flight Entertainment System are complimentary. Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Compare Seat Review scores based on aggregate ratings from Customer Reviews. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.