Iceland remains a hugely popular international tourism destination in spite of it's relatively high cost, its recent uptick in volcanic activity and the risk of seeing me topless at the Blue Lagoon right off a redeye. American Express and Icelandair have rolled out a targeted AMEX Offer to help a bit with the first issue:
The Deal:
Get a one-time $225 statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $1,500 in one or more purchases online at icelandair.com
Some fairly typical terms and conditions apply, the key ones to keep in mind are, in short, you must:
Add the offer to your card before buying. Purchase direct for Icelandair, not thrid-parties. Pay in USD and originate you itinerary from the USA. Not combine this with other discounts.
Keep in mind, Icelandair doesn't only fly between JFK and Reykjavik they serve over 40 destinations; across the North Atlantic region, including a baker's dozen in the US. Even if you aren't interested in vacationing in Iceland, or just don't want to do so exclusively for your next trip, you'll likely find a useful route to Scandanvia or Western Europe involving one stop in Reykjav Keflavik International Airport (KEF). That connection can be a quick gate switch or up to a weeklong free stopover,;you can plan here.
The Airline
Icelandair are a safe and reliable carrier, but they're not particularly luxurious. The hard product is similar to a US domestic two-cabin configuration, with big, recliner chairs marketed as Saga Premium and a fairly standard Economy cabin. Saga Premium has typical international business class amenities on the ground, and includes bags, meal and wifi on-board. Economy is sold unbundled with options like Light, Standard and Flexible, none of which include complimentary food or wifi onboard, even on their longest flights from the West Coast. That may not be a deal breaker for a relatively short, red-eye on the outbound, where most of you should be desperately trying to sleep from takeoff til landing.
Tad's Take
Iceland's great. If you haven't been, go. If you have been, go again. But if you weren't already planning to go somewhere Icelandair flies, this AMEX Offer might not be quite enough excuse.
15% off is a decent deal, but not great. And the $1500 hurdle is awkward, given their typical fares. That amount is much more than a typical US-Europe roundtrip in Iceland Economy class, but much less than a Saga ticket. Perhaps someone booking for a small group in Economy Light or solo traveler booking a split-cabin ticket that's Saga Class going there and Economy coming back could land this right around $1500??
