Checking for May, 2016 from NJ. Lufthansa price currently, non stop each way, is $3,300 for 2 adults. Icelander, with 1 stop, is $1,800 for the 2 adults. Similar time frame for departure from NJ and departure from back home.
Question. Is the 1 hour layover, which is a change of planes, enough time? Has anyone flown Iclandair with such a quick stopover?
Thank you.
Paul
Yes, a few times, it is a bit of a scrum at the Keflavik Airport but all the planes are exchanging at the same 1 hour time frame more or less (about 6:30-7:30 am local time) so it's not a problem, they make sure everyone connects. Same process repeats itself about 2-3 pm in the afternoon.
It is a wonderful place to enter/leave the Schengen area because you do the passport control in Iceland both ways. So when you get to Germany it's just collect baggage and you're off.
Icelandair proves snacks and soft drinks but no real meals. In seat video is unlimited but movies tend to be old.
Thanks Tom. I never even thought about passport control. Sounds easier there.
Paul: Icelandair is recommend, a great way to save money. It's a reliable airline. Food is available at the airport in Keflavik but it is expensive and you may need a chip credit card (which is pretty much required for Germany, anyway). You will also be pressed for time. The airport is divided into Shengen flights (up the escalator) on the upper floor, and the USA/Canada/UK flights on the lower floor. Passport control is at the top of the escalator.
Make sure to use the toilets in the airport basement as they are space age.
And it's the only European airline I know that competes with Asian airlines for having knockout flight attendants.
Thanks again. That last part will really help sell Icelandair with the wife LOL.
Just FYI, you don't need chip-and-pin cards to buy food at Keflavik (sp?). The lines are a bit alarming, but in several trips through there we have never had any trouble getting something to eat reasonably quickly.
I most recently went through Keflavik twice in October going from Seattle to London and returning home from Paris. The 1 hour layover I found to be quite enough time to grab a quick snack and a restroom break. It was definitely easier on the arrival from the US, as that flight arrived at Keflavik at about 5:30 am, and there were relatively few people around. It was basically a sit around and wait while re-charging my iPhone situation.
The departure took a little longer because of having to clear immigration for departure from Iceland to return to the US, but again, the 1 hr 10 minute or so layover allowed ample time to shop a little at the duty free, get a snack and visit the restroom.
I only thing I find a bit annoying at Keflavik (and this is SMALL complaint because the cheaper fare from IcelandAir means I'll put up with quite a bit), but sometimes the planes can't taxi up to the jetway and you have to deplane the old-fashioned way: by a flight of stairs rolled up to the plane's door, then walking across the tarmac to a bus. I don't know how they would handle such a situation with a passenger who had mobility difficulties, but fortunately that was not an issue on any flight I've been on.
I flew Icelandair many years ago, and will be flying them again to France next spring. From what I recall, they make sure that connections can be made; in our case, the return flight from Europe was several hours late, but they held the US-bound flights so people could make their connections.
