Is Icelandair Business Class Good? 2 Things We Hate and 6 Things We Love

Icelandair frequently has business class deals from the U.S. to Europe for less than $1300 round trip, and direct flights to Reykjavik can cost less than $900. So what’s the catch when other airlines charge $3k-5k? We’ll tell you everything you need to know after chasing and finding deals on Icelandair over the last few years.

Here’s the Downside First: 2 Things We Hate About Icelandair

1. All flights include layovers in Reykjavik, so there may be much faster options available, depending on your itinerary. But it you want a premium experience for less money, and you have to have a layover anyway, this opinion is definitely worth it for the right price.

2. Icelandair doesn’t offer lie-flat seats, which means the seats are more like US domestic first class or international premium economy on other airlines. However they are a bit more premium.

The Value: 6 Things We Love

So, is Icelandair business class worth it? Absolutely! But only if you book one of the frequent fare sales they offer. We compare it to premium economy on other airlines, which can sometimes cost $2.5k or more. But it’s easy to find Icelandair for less than half that price.

Here are 6 reasons it’s better than international premium economy on other airlines:

1. Priority Experience: This is Icelandair’s most-premium cabin available, so you get priority boarding and all the other perks of flying business class. In many European airports you’ll even get a fast pass lane through security (and occasionally immigration).
2. Premium Seat for Connections: If you have an intra-Europe connection, you still get an experience similar to US domestic first class, whereas other European airlines usually just block the middle seat in the first few rows of an all-economy cabin and call that business class.
3. Lounge Access: You get lounge access, whereas you usually don’t with premium economy. In DC, that means Taittinger champagne is included at the Air France lounge. In Reykjavik, you get access to the enormous yet cozy Saga lounge (where you can even get a shower on a long layover). We also had access to various other partner lounges—even in places like Oslo that don’t have Priority Pass access.
4. Catering: We had the best airplane meals we’ve probably ever had in business class. Cold salmon with soba noodles, artisan bread, slow-roasted beef, delicious chocolate mousse.
5. Luxe for Less: More champagne is offered in flight, including Nicholas Feuillatte, served with the best cheddar crisps.
6. Comfort: The seats are large and super comfortable with a great recline and a foot rest, which makes all the difference for comfort when you’re barely 5’2”. You also get an amenity kit with an eye mask and can cuddle up in the comfy blanket, so sleeping is no problem.

Extra Bonus Tip

Want to save $500-$600 more per couple? Fly business class to Reykjavik for $900 for the overseas journey, then hop on a budget airline from there for $50-$100 each. Just note that “budget” fares are bit pricier from Reykjavik than other European cities and still might be 3+ hours. For our Oslo trip, it cost less to book all the way through on Icelandair business class. So, make sure you do some planning and comparing before booking.

Have you flown Icelandair business class? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

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