Iceland is a remote island — except for Greenland, the closest other country happens to be the U.K. This has always meant a limited selection for flights to the island nation, especially during the slower winter months. British Airways is changing all of that as the first global carrier to operate direct service three times a week from London Heathrow to Reykjavik beginning October 25. This is potentially huge news for frequent fliers.
Currently, there are only a couple of air travel options. National carrier Icelandair services many destinations from the island. However, as Icelandair has limited partnerships with other global airlines, there are few other airlines to choose from as far as booking — especially if you are using miles.
The start-up carrier Wow Air is also running flights to Iceland, although its limited service carrier model means that you have to pay for any perks, including seat reservations and all bags (even carry-ons). United partners with Lufthansa’s Germanwings to service Iceland, while American links up with Air Berlin for any connections — making it a costly multi-connection trip when booking a major carrier.
One of the primary advantages of this announcement is the affordability of redeeming Avios. Iceland falls within Zone 3 from London with roughly a $40 fee, which means flights will cost 8,500 or 10,000 points in economy each way depending on what time of year you fly, or 17,000 or 20,000 for business. That makes for a nice, easy side trip if you’re already in Europe.
Frequent fliers can also redeem American Advantage points on the partnering BA flights as a standard European award flight (though this would make for a rather long, indirect trip to Iceland). The routing through Heathrow also gives far greater connecting options for travelers flying across from the U.S.
Until October 25, there really just isn’t a way to get to Iceland on miles for those with accounts at the major carriers. This is an exciting development for a country that consistently awes with its scale, scope and beauty.
