Looking to fly to Iceland? On a tight budget? Wow Air might have a deal for you. The discount air carrier announced last week that as of March 2015 it will offer flights between the U.S. and Europe for as little as $99.
If a $99 flight from Boston to Reykjavik sounds too good to be true, that’s probably because it is. Already, most of those offerings appear to be sold out, with remaining one-way flight tickets closer to $150 or $200. Then there are additional fees. Since Wow is so bare bones, it follows the EasyJet model of charging extra for just about everything. The only free baggage is a small carry-on weighing less than 11 pounds. A carry-on larger than that (up to 26 pounds) costs $29 when booked online and $48 at check-in. Each piece of checked luggage costs $48 if booked online and $67 at check-in.
Extra legroom, of course, is also extra money—$24 online and $38 at check-in for flights over four hours. Prebooking seats carries additional fees as well. Point being that once you add in all the fees on top of the base fare and tax, that super-cheap flight to Europe is left looking less cheap than it once did.
It’s also unclear how tightly packed passengers will be on these low-cost flights (Wow did not respond immediately to a request for comment). USA Today reports that Wow will use the Airbus A321 Extended Range jet, a 200-seater, for its flights from Boston and Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Iceland. The aircraft is “configured in an all-coach-class layout,” according to USA Today, “though customers can pay more for economy seats with extra room.” So no promises that these flights will provide top-notch comfort. But if you’re looking for a cheap escape to Iceland or another part of Europe, it might be worth considering.
