Who is Wow Airlines? They are an upstart airline from Iceland. They quickly made their name selling dirt cheap transatlantic fares from the East coast to Europe. Think of Wow Airlines as the European Southwest Airlines, no frills with an accent. How can they sell $99 flights to Europe? A couple ways, a small fleet with refueling midpoint in Iceland & charging passengers for all the extras. Are they worth it? Depends on how cheaply and comfortably you want to fly. In any event, if you are looking into a $300 summer flight to Europe, here are some tips on flying Wow Airlines.
Wow Airlines charges for all the extras. There is no free entertainment or food on Wow flights. No TV console in the seat in front of you either. Please remember to pack your own food from home and download any movies on an iPad or phone for entertainment viewing. Wow rents out iPads for watching movies, the cost is round $20. Tip: Freeze your favorite drink, it will get through airport security and you’ll have your favorite beverage handy. Also consider bringing an empty water bottle to hydrate as needed.
Wow Airlines is often late which means departures/arrivals are delayed. when booking on Wow with a separate connecting flight (you have to check back through security for flight #2), allow at least 3 hours to make the connection. I have flown Wow 8 times and seven times the plane took off & arrived late. Tip: TSA Precheck is best way to quickly turnaround through security especially if your flight was late.
Wow allows you to upgrade a seat for more legroom. You can upgrade your seat to 32 or 35 glorious inches for $41 & $51 respectively, a great idea for taller travelers.
Luggage weight is very important. Carry-on luggage is free up to 22 pounds for the 1st item. All additional items cost money.This was not the case in early in 2016 when Wow charged for any weight over 11 pounds on your 1st bag. If you can’t manage carry-on status, anything you check incurs a fee of $55 for 44 pounds. Go above 44 pounds and pay another $20. Outbound US flights will weigh all luggage, so it’s very important your have the low weights on the way there. I have not had my bags weighed coming back, which I find strange. Tip: Take heavier items out of bag at check-in and repack them after you get your boarding pass. Ninja Tip: Pay for your bags online instead of at the airport where they cost more.
Flights to Iceland are fast. East coast flights takes less than 5 hrs. Do not expect to get much or any sleep. Wow flights arrive in Reykjavik earlier than other airlines, some as early as 430am. Considering you can;t check-in to most hotels until after 2pm, your 1st day in Iceland will be a tiring one. Tip: There is a Joe and the Juice coffee shop you can hit upon arrival. They happily accept bank cards, in fact most of Iceland prefers credit over cash. Ninja Tip: Reserve your hotel for an extra night and go straight to your hotel room that morning and sleep. Trust me, your body will love you and the extra $100+ you paid was money well worth it..
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