Welcome to this flight report featuring Icelandair in Economy Class from Dublin to Keflavik.
Booking
I am no stranger to flying with Icelandair, having tried out the Saga Premium business class product once or twice in the past. I needed to get to Boston just before Christmas 2022 and every reasonable option got booked up quickly. Icelandair was offering a deal out of Dublin, Ireland via Keflavik (the airport for Reykjavik city) to Boston and, with Icelandair, you can choose to stopover for up to 7 days en route to North America, in either direction. That’s quite the perk, meaning no additional taxes.
Check-in
Usually, I travel with only hand luggage and that was the case for this flight. Icelandair departs from Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport. As it was just before Christmas, security was absolutely rammed, but moved quickly. Dublin Airport now shows the live duration of waits at security at the very top of their home page. Check that out here.
Boarding
There were quite serious delays in December at Dublin Airport due to a problem with de-icing machines. This flight was delayed by about an hour and had a gate change. What was infuriating for people around the gate, was that they were waiting for a flight to Alicante in Spain and hadn’t been told that they would also be delayed, meaning Icelandair was departing ahead of them. People were not happy. Icelandair staff were very gracious at dealing with enquiries, despite not working for Ryanair (the Alicante airline).
Apart from that, boarding was straightforward, via steps and walking outside. But happily the weather was perfect.
Cabin & Seat
This Boeing 757 (Krafla) had some age to it, but the cabin was crisp and superbly clean. Cabin crew were extremely friendly and welcoming.
There was adequate leg room for my 6-foot frame and I didn’t feel pinched or uncomfortable in my window seat.
I carry lots of stuff that I like to put in the storage cubby like an extra camera battery, a snack and a notebook. This was perfectly set up for even demanding people like me!
IFE – In-flight Entertainment
The IFE was a pretty good size for an economy class seat, with a USB-type charger and standard headphone jack. There was an okay selection of movies. A Marvel release from earlier in the year was on there and that kept me entertained for this relatively short <3 hour flight.
Overall Impression
Icelandair used to struggle with a reputation for delay and for the quality of its food and drink service. Coffee and tea or soft drinks were free of charge, but the paid-for food selection is otherwise quite limited in Economy. However, few other short-haul European airlines are offering much in the way of snacks to economy passengers and most of us have learned to either pay up or bring your own!
Despite the delays beyond their control with the de-icing machines at Dublin Airport, all of the staff members were jolly and friendly and I can’t fault the service to Keflavik. My only criticism is that the bathroom needed to be refreshed during the flight, but otherwise this is a solid product that will only grow in popularity if transatlantic pricing is kept competitive in the coming years.
