U.S. based travelers’ dreams might just be coming true.
That is because, too often traveling to Europe and beyond can come with a hefty price tag, often putting a real dent in anyone’s tourism budget.
This new airline will be rolling out flights in four U.S. markets, with flights to the from, Baltimore-Washington airport in April, Boston Logan in May, Stewart International in New York’s Hudson Valley in June, and Orlando, Fl beginning in October.
Play’s new budget flights are priced at about $100-$130 for one-way tickets that will take you first to Reykjavik, Iceland, and then from there you can take a connecting flight to anywhere else in Europe.
Because the travel provider operates on a “hub” system, meaning all the flights are routed through Rekyavik, the airline can keep their prices relatively low. One of the ideas of the Play team is to offer, “long layover” stays in Iceland, to allow tourists a few days to soak up the culture and experience of being in this island nation of just 360,000 and with a remarkable 266 different museums to visit.
Play CEO Birgir Jónsson says, “Because this is not a direct flight, we are basically making sure that we are always one of the most current, cheapest options available.”
As anyone who has ever flown a budget airline before knows, flying this way often comes with a lot of extra fees and costs for amenities or baggage and Play will be no different.
Flying with Play will mean paying a bit extra to check bags (which starts at $44) and to even have a carry on (this will cost you another $34).
As any world-weary traveler knows, those additional costs often still beat out the “all inclusive” nature of a more expensive airline.
The jet company’s CEO Jónsson is focused on safety and customer service, more so than the freebee amenities, many might come to expect from other carriers, “We’re getting people from A to B in a safe manner, at a good price, at the right time.”
So, if you’re thinking of scratching that travel itch this year, flying with to or through Iceland with Play Airlines might be a good way to cross the pond over to Europe and experience different sights, culture, and people.
Have a look at this beautiful video of wintertime in Iceland, it might just give you reason to better understand the lure of this new airlines, extended stay options.