Wow, What a Shame! WOW Air Ceases Operations March 2019

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WOW air advertises $99 flights to Iceland, so what’s the catch?  I love the idea of cheap flights to Europe but I knew there would be a trade-off.  If you’re curious, WOW air reviews can help you decide if it’s the right option for you.

Read Before Buying a Ticket –> WOW Air Cancels *All* Flights as of March 28

After watching WOW air struggle financially for months and eventually have a few aircraft repossessed, they are ceasing operations as of March 28, 2019 and all flights are cancelled.

If you already have a ticket…I’m sorry, but you will need to find an alternate way home.  If you have travel insurance, keep ALL paperwork around your trip including receipts for the original and new flights, e-tickets and boarding passes, and any other receipts that may be associated with your travel (like unexpected car rentals, meals, etc.)

Don’t have travel insurance?  Think about it next time.  I use RoamRight.

I also recommend you check out my guide to receiving government-mandated EU 261 compensation.  If your flight was cancelled last-minute, you should qualify for 600 euros in compensation (above and beyond insurance reimbursements).

To look for alternate airlines, check out Skyscanner for bargains on Iceland Air and other cheap flights to Europe.

WOW air reviews share why it can be a great choice -- but a few things to look out for on cheap flights to Europe.
Help someone else out – share this on Pinterest so everyone knows what to expect.

Truth: WOW Air fares really are that cheap

When WOW Air advertises a one-way flight for $99, it’s actually $99 including taxes.  It’s possible to find flights to their hub in Reykjavik for $250 round-trip and mainland Europe isn’t much more. expensive

I know what you’re thinking: other WOW air reviews mention all the extra fees, from selecting a seat to a checked bag. The trick is doing your homework ahead of time to price out the options you need and make sure it’s still a deal.

Pack lightly! WOW airlines does not allow free carry-on suitcases.  You may board the plane with one personal item such as a small purse or camera bag.

If you pack smartly, you can squeeze a long weekend into a single bag and avoid baggage fees.  Use my carry-on only printable packing list and my favorite products to travel without going over weight restrictions.

Truth: The Staff and Service Beat Most Other Airlines

What made WOW Air stand out was the service I encountered at all three airports (Baltimore-BWI, Reykjavik Keflavik, and Bristol, England).

wow air reviews crew at bristol airport
The crew on the tarmac at Bristol airport

Their staff was actually helpful, which is a rarity these days.  My flight was delayed because Icelandic Air Traffic Control was on strike, but customer service provided honest information about flight delays — something that is refreshing.  They were upfront about it and reassured me that I’d make my connecting flight (I did).

And did I mention everyone seemed happy to be working?  The plane is full of cheeky little sayings like “Rolling, rolling, rolling…keep those trolleys rolling” on the side of beverage carts or “Honk if you’re hungry” by the call button.  It’s fun, and the personality continues with the flight attendants.  All WOW air reviews agree: it’s a fun plane to be on!

WOW-Honk-Hungry

Truth: Keflavik Airport is a Dream

Have you connected in Europe lately?  Most major airports are a pain in the butt to connect in, with extra security procedures, long walks (or buses) between terminals, and huge crowds.

Tons of WOW air reviews leave out one of the best selling points to the airline: all flights connect in Keflavik International.  Keflavik (the Reykjavik airport) is easy and straightforward.  There’s free Wi-Fi, clean bathrooms, display monitors everywhere, and all Icelanders speak great English.  On the other hand, food at the airport is VERY expensive.

If you have to connect somewhere, you might as well make it easy.

keflavik airport wow air review
Photo by Frank Hebert via Wikipedia

Since all WOW Air flights connect here, you’re assured a relatively smooth experience.

Plan Your Stopover in Reykjavik: Spend one day in downtown Reykjavík and another day on a Golden Circle tour.  But I don’t recommend a Blue Lagoon tour.

Plus, don’t get caught off-guard after buying a cheap flight: Iceland is expensive.

Lie: All Seats Are Created Equal

wowair plane1

Ready for my main gripe?

The bottom cushion on my seats between BWI and Keflavik were very thin and could’ve used some extra padding.  The seats felt harder than normal, the way some slimline seats do on other airlines.  In all fairness, I didn’t experience the same issue from Keflavik-Bristol.

I had XL legroom seats for my longer segments between BWI-Keflavik which come with plenty of space — and were reasonably priced.  I’m not particularly tall, but the few extra inches of leg room made a big difference for me.  I’d highly recommend you pay extra for the upgrade if the total price is still a good fare to Europe.

One other seat observations: their seats recline deeply.  That’s great for sleeping and terrible if you need to work on your laptop while the person in front of you is napping.  I’m going to call that one a wash, given that the majority of passengers on my long-haul flights were snoozing.

Related Post: Travel Tips for Long-Haul Flights
Overnight flights suck, so packing the right extras can make or break your in-flight comfort.

WOW air Reviews Depend on One Question: Would I Fly It again?

Yes, absolutely (for the right price).  I love that their fares are so accessible that anyone can afford to go to Europe.

Flying from the east coast to Iceland is surprisingly close — and cheap! — for an amazing opportunity to experience a different culture and natural setting.  And when you’re not spending thousands on airfare, there’s no pressure to plan the “trip of a lifetime”.  That’s great for short city breaks, repeat trips, or saving for the stuff on your trip that matters most: sightDOING.

The downside?  You need to live near one of their hubs in order to take advantage of their flights and you need to budget separately for any extras that are important for you.

wow air reviews route map

But I’ll be honest: although WOW air has a few advantages over other airlines, the low cost is their biggest selling point.  Especially if you can pack light, it’s an amazing deal and a great way to get to Europe.

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I was a guest of WOW air for their inaugural flight to Bristol and received complimentary airfare.  I was not required to write this review, but love saving you money on travel.  All opinions remain my own.

This post contains affiliate links.  By purchasing the recommended products on this page, you are supporting this site and the free information it provides to travelers like you.  Thank you for your support!

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64 thoughts on “Wow, What a Shame! WOW Air Ceases Operations March 2019”

  1. I hope you enjoyed your trip to the West Country. BRS is a great airport, and it’s good to have a North American link (albeit via KEF) back on the map after UA dropped the BRS-EWR route. It’s help to know the experience is good, so I can recommend it to my local friends.

    I’m guessing if this was the inaugural to BRS the crew spent a few seconds wondering where the air bridge was before realising it’s all steps and stairs at BRS. (The look on the UA crew on the first flight was amusing).

    1. @Nick, Thanks for stopping by! It seemed like most of the other passengers on my flight were also satisfied with WOW Air and I loved being able to get right into BRS rather than the hassle of London (I do love that city — but only if it’s my final destination).

    1. @Deborah, It reminded me most of Virgin America from a “vibe” standpoint. I’m hoping all these low-cost airlines keep fares down in general and especially since you’re based in the area (I know, it’s still a drive), BWI is a great option.

  2. Sounds like a great option. I just wish these lower cost international airlines would fly to the middle of the USA. Big hint to WOW if they are reading your blog: they should look at expanding to an underserved city like Cincinnati. During the time that CVG was a major Delta hub, we had direct flights to 5 cities in Europe (CDGx2, LGW, FRA, AMS, and MXP). Now there is only one flight daily to CDG. Delta still considers CVG a tiny hub, but in recent years some domestic LCCs have moved in and done really well. The US customs facility is already in place for the daily DL flight (and for the DHL hub). CVG can draw traffic from the nearby large metro areas of Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Columbus, and Dayton – all within a two hour drive. I would guess that the landing fees and associated infrastructure costs are a lot cheaper than the obvious middle America destination Chicago, which also has more competitive pressures. With 4 runways, CVG is also not congested or affected by weather as much as ORD. Cincinnati’s downtown revitalization has been (rightly) called hip/trendy/hot by Forbes, NY Times, etc. so it’s becoming an emerging destination in itself. OK, I’ll get off my civic soapbox. 🙂

    1. @Erik, I agree that I wish we’d see more parts of the country serviced (in general). CVG would be a solid choice even for connecting from RIC if they had partnerships in place with Delta. I was “lucky” I could drive to BWI in about 3 hours.

    2. They’ve added Chicago- yay for me! Pretty sure they draw a bigger crowd being in an easy place to FLY to, versus an easy place to DRIVE to. If you drive to an airport, you have to “connect” at that same airport both coming and going. Someone in Louisville (or Cincinatti) might find a better route fit going SDF-ORD-KEF, then returning KEF-BWI-SDF.

  3. Thanks for the review Becky. I am also travelling to Bristol on WOW in Early September. Not sure if I should be scared or happy based on reviews. A lot of the reviews mention delays and no communication between WOW and the customer. I am not on a schedule as this is just a visit to family and friends so if we are delayed, I guess we will just cope with it.
    One question for you is, when do they weigh your carry-on bag? My plan was to get some water and snacks in BWI for both legs and in Bristol for the return. Will they weigh again in Iceland prior to boarding?

    Thanks again and by the way, I also live in Richmond VA.

    1. @John, They never weighed my bag in BWI but they did in Bristol for my flight home. No one at the gate in Iceland was weighing anything — just when you check in at the airport. Essentially, I think once you’re past security, you’re good to go.

  4. Pray nothing happens and you have to cancel. My friend’s father is terminally ill, and she cannot get a refund. Terrible service!

    1. It may be too late, but I wanted to mentions this for your friend. Often credit cards offer a perk that will act as a travel insurance. Your friend should check with the credit card company she booked her flight with. My Chase credit card will cover me for cancelation due to accident/ illness of myself or a close family member.

      1. @Fran, I’ve successfully used that benefit as well with Chase. It’s often a perk of credit cards that have an annual fee as long as you paid for the flight using that card; most free credit cards don’t offer a similar benefit but you can always buy travel insurance separately. I use RoamRight.

  5. I am incredibly disappointed with WOW Air. I decided to give this airline a chance, despite their poor ratings online, and I lost out BIG TIME!! I had experienced the most rude manager I’ve ever met at WOW. So rude, that she did not let us board my international flight, even though the flight was there, the tarmac connected. She rudely gave us a number to call, only when we called, her own company rep said to board the plane. Their own manager ignored the request AND ignored the request to speak with her own company!! Her rudeness and personal ignorance caused us to miss our flight, and cost us to purchase a 1-way flight to our destination for #WYD #WorldYouthDay which ended up costing $2,800+ for each passenger. #WOWair also never refunded our original flight. Never looked into trying to help us book another flight because of our situation, and to top it all off, the manager sarcastically asked, “How can I help you” after she purposefully ignored us for 15min+ only to tell us to leave the area because there’s another flight setting up for Heathrow. WHAT A JOKE!! This airline does NOT care for it’s customers, and their “cheaper” cost, ended up costing me more than a 1st class flight to anywhere in the world!!!! It’s hard not to complain, but their lack of resolving this issue in any format really is what drew me to let others know. NO HELP from anyone in the company. #neverflywithwow #wowairnothanks #travel #iceland #reykjavik #transavia

      1. Becky, I leave Tuesday from BWI so will let you know my experience.

        The Eric post confuses me as she never says why she was not allowed to board? Also states that there is another flight setting up for Heathrow? WOW does not fly to Heathrow so does she mean another airline?

        Will let you know.

        John

      2. @John, My best guess from the explanation is that the plane had already completed boarding and they arrived too late (after the doors were closed, even though the plane was still there). All aircraft have to complete manifests and other paperwork, which is why there’s a cut-off time. Just a guess.

        Also, since WOW only has 1 flight per day from Baltimore, they have to share the gate with another airline(s) who have scheduled flights at other times. Sounds like British Airways was setting up afterwards. Makes sense since WOW is about 7pm and BA is about 10pm.

  6. Yea I was figuring the same. Hey I did see today that WOW has eased restrictions on carry-on baggage. You can now take an item up to 22lbs free, along with one personal item and a duty free bag. That’s is great news. Makes the trip cost even more appealing.

  7. HI I am looking to use WOW airlines next spring to fl from SFO to Paris. A few questions, Is there inflight entertainment on the plane? How is the food?

    1. @Kendal, Inflight entertainment is on a portable device (like an iPad) and is additional cost. You might want to pack your own entertainment. Food is typical of packaged convenience foods. I heard mixed reviews on the sandwiches.

  8. So I had my flight from BWI to Bristol and Bristol to BWI. So what did I think?Lets get the negatives out of the way first. I had no negatives!

    My experience with WOW was positive from booking to making online changes to actual flying. They have eased the restrictions with carry-on and you are now able to take up to 22lbs in a small carry-on along with a small personal item.
    They did weigh our carry-on at BWI but never measured it to make sure it was within size. After you pass through security, you can buy your food and drinks and throw them in your bag so you don’t have to purchase things on the plane.

    The planes are newish, I believe they were once owned by another airline (Russian?) and so our outbound had a faint smell of smoke.
    Boarding was relatively simple. They call for family’s and people needing asstince and then its general boarding. Both flights were completely booked but lots of room for hand luggage.

    The layover in Iceland was hassle free and very simple to navigate through for plane changes. We did not experience any type of delay anywhere in our journey.

    Bristol is a great airport to arrive at. There were maybe 25 of us in line for passport control. In and out in maybe 15 minutes, not the Hour plus experienced last time at Heathrow.

    Homeward bound, I did add a suitcase so had to call WOW and was propmptly helped with no isssues. I also called a day later and upgraded our seats to XL XXl legroom as my wife got claustrophobic going over. Again, no complaints with service.

    Again, what a fantastic airport Bristol is. Very friendly people at the security area and so up to date. USA Airports should take a look at convince for the traveler.

    It was a great flight all around and I will definitely use WOW Airliners again.

    1. @John, Your experience sounds very much like mine. Glad it was a great trip and hope Bristol was just as enjoyable as the flight itself. Thanks for sharing!

  9. Becky you seem to be totally biased in your review maybe are you getting freebies out of it, because for what it seems Yelp and the Internet is plastered with people unsatisfied with this airline so I’m not going to risk it….

    1. @Marc, I was hosted by WOW air as mentioned in my review. However, I believe that online review sites are inherently skewed because usually the only people who bother to write about their experience are during irregular operations when things don’t go as planned. 9 times out of 10, flights go right — but then people have no reason to take the time to write a review. It’s your call, but I personally believe in not judging anything until I’ve tried it firsthand.

  10. Becky, As i stated, and I was not paid or did I receive anything for free from WOW, I had a great flight with them. No delays and nothing to complain about. Yes it is a low cost airline so you do pay for things. Would i fly with them again, 100% yes.
    And I agree that generally it is only people who have had negative experiences that post a comment.

    1. Do they combine the weight of your personal item and carryon? Do they measure the dimensions of your personal item? When they weigh your carry-on, is it before going through TSA or after TSA?
      I will be flying out of BWI-KEF in March and am worried that my personal item(an 10lbs camera bag 16x8x7)will be weighed in addition to my carry-on(18lbs).

      1. @Jane, Measuring/weighing is done at airport check-in, before TSA.
        – Your personal item must be able to fit under the seat in front of you (a camera bag or purse is usually fine, but having both is not). You get ONE personal item and I didn’t see anyone weighing the personal item as long as it looked reasonably sized.
        – The FREE carry-on has a maximum set of dimensions of 17″x13″x10″ and weight of 22 pounds, which is smaller than a standard rolling suitcase by several inches. Double check your measurements before getting to the airport!
        – Anything above and beyond those two items will need to be PAID baggage.
        – They will do “spot checks” after TSA when boarding but that’s very informal. They’ll let you on with a duty-free bag or small takeaway meal in addition to your carry-on luggage.

  11. Hello Becky,
    I really enjoyed reading your reviews on Wow Air. I will be traveling to Amsterdam from LAX with my mother next week Oct 2016. I’m super curious how my flight will be. Reading all these negative reviews has gotten me just a tad bit concerned. But I’m packing light and bringing my own food and beverages. I do have a question about bringing food on board. Will the food and beverages be considered a small carry on if it’s in a separate bag from my purse? In other words can I bring both on board or are they strict about that?
    Thank You

    Thank You

    1. @Elisa, Based on my observations, they will be strict and require it to fit in your purse/carry-on but it’s always dependent on airport staff mood! Have a great flight.

  12. Thanks for this review. I will be traveling to northern France next summer and have been looking at flight options. Flights out of my home city of Cleveland are $1200-$1700 to Brussels, Amsterdam or Paris. I found out WOW flys out of Pittsburgh, a 2 hour drive away, for $700 or $800 to those cities. Best of all there is just a short layover in Iceland versus multiple long layovers on the other flights I’ve been looking at. This sounds like a great option and I’m so glad to know that international travel is affordable in the rust belt again.

    I’ve flown Spirit and Frontier domestically a couple times so the reviews seem in line to what I have experienced on those discount carriers. Pack light, bring your own snacks, buy extra leg room if its a long flight – all seems reasonable to me given the cost of the flight.

    1. @Monica, Just make sure you add up the costs of the extra legroom and driving/parking costs to make sure it still makes sense, but often it’s still a great deal!

  13. hello I’ve been trying to find a bag that fits their qualifications so I can avoid the extra fees… is the bag you have a link of small enough or did you have to pay extra?

    1. @Anna, The FREE carry-on has a maximum set of dimensions of 42 centimeters x 32 cm x 25 cm and 10 kilograms. That’s about 16″x12″x9″ and 22 pounds. Basically, picture what can fit under the seat in front of you to get a rough image of what you can bring on for free. That’s a laptop bag or tote, small backpack, etc.

      The Delsey suitcase I use and recommend is bigger than that size and qualifies as the paid carry-on (for overhead bins) or as checked luggage.

      1. Are you sure your information is correct about the free carry-on having to go under the seat in front of you? According to their website, the personal item goes under the seat, but makes no mention of where the carry-on must go. My guess is that you’re going by old policies from the time of your flight. Since then they’ve allowed personal items. I don’t see how both a small carry on and personal item could both fit under the seat.

        That said, I flew with them last month and they made me pay to upgrade to the “large” carry-on size at the gate, which was very expensive. The attendant at the gate was apparently going by the “old” rules, when there was no personal item allowance. For anyone traveling with WOW, it would be a very good idea to keep a copy of their baggage rules handy. The rules are strictly (to the point of being ridiculous) and arbitrarily enforced, which is a really bad combination.

  14. Thank you for sharing this review. I checked the website for airfare between SFO and London Gatwick, packing completely light with no Add-Ons shows airfare for $419 including taxes for travel in the middle of March 2017. That’s a wow. I’m impressed that the staff and service was good. Def will look into them.

  15. I stumbled upon your website while researching for upcoming solo trip to Iceland. Precise and honest reviews all around — who doesn’t want to travel like a queen while being smart with money? I don’t mind splurging where desired or necessary, but paying more for less is not my ethos.

    Do you have any recommendations for the public thermal pools used by the locals in the capital city?

    Thanks again for your informative blog and I look forward to perusing your site for other travel destinations! Happy holidays.

    1. @Anne, Most of the public thermal pools look like regular swimming pools — definitely give it a shot as a local experience, but keep in mind it won’t have the same ambiance. Enjoy and have fun!

  16. Becky,

    For the personal item, is a small backpack allowed? On other airlines, I use like a normal school backpack to put under the seat. Just wondering if that would work as personal item or if they would consider that the carry-on. I want to bring both.

    1. @Lyndsey, Included in your airfare is one small carry-on bag up to a maximum of 42x32x25cm (10kg) including handles and wheels. That’s about 16″x12″x9″ and 22 pounds. In addition to this, you may board the plane with one personal item (same size restrictions) such as a laptop, a small purse or camera bag.

      1. WOW apparently just changed their carry on baggage. You are allowed one small personal item for free. You may also bring one carry on bag ( 22lbs) for a fee.

      2. When I flew in Feb 2017(out of BWI), they had just implemented a new carryon policy where you are only allowed a personal sized item for free. The carryon item would cost extra. There was a slight hiccup when I checked in. They wanted to charge me extra for my carryon but since i had purchased my airline ticket before the carryon policy change i just had to tell them and show the policy on their website that states that tickets purchased before (certain date) are still allowed carryon item free of charge. The attendants seemed to know nothing about it so i had to talk to a manager/supervisor. It all worked out with just some hassle.

        At the check in counter, the attendants pretty much asked everyone to size their personal and carryon items. There were some people that seemed ignorant to the strictness of personal item/carryon policy. They did not seem happy about that but for the most part people were aware.

        As for the flight itself. I think I may have been upgraded to a bigger seat even though I did not pay for upgraded/selected seat. Maybe it had something to do with when I checked(early) or that i had purchased checked in luggage. My flight was overnight. I slept through most of it. Though one complaint i have is that they kept the lights on the entire flight and they seemed to carry their trays through more often. A ploy to keep you awake and make you buy their stuff? So definitely, bring an eye mask and earplugs or noise cancelling headphones.

        Would i fly WOW again? It depends on the trip. For a short Iceland only/cold weather Europe only trip, yes i would definitely fly WOW again. This means only personal luggage, and possibly a carryon. I would not check in luggage. At KEF, the wait for checked luggage was a bit long for me(1hr). It may have been a fluke that it was so long, i don’t know. For a longer trip or a trip that requires checked in lugagge, i would choose iceland air. The fact that their checked in lugagge was free was a definite perk but getting the lugagge was what i expected, about 20-30mins.

        Tips for people going to Iceland, try to go up to Akureyri or away from Reykjavik. Less congested than Reykjavik and feels more like iceland, for me anyway. The fjord is beautiful with hills? lining the fjord. More expensive tours in Akureyri but i felt it was well worth it, though renting a car is an option, just be careful with weather and road conditions.

  17. Hi Becky,

    I can appreciate that you enjoyed your flight, but you may need to consider that a flight offered to you as an incentive may lead to an atypical experience.

    The flight attendants are certainly a pleasure to fly with. But you need to know that you will have to have to pay a small fortune for every glass of water. That water is not provided FOC should be outlawed by the EU as cruel and unusual punishment, but I’m even willing to accept that as it’s a no-frills ticket. The seats were OK on some of the flights, and worn down to the springs with insufficient height to put your head back on others, but again it’s no-frills and that’s fine as well. Landing in Iceland also makes the trip much longer, but again cheap is king.

    What I wasn’t pleased about is their approach to luggage. I had purchased extra carry-on luggage which allowed me to carry on 12kg with specific luggage dimensions.

    Airport 1: The staff told me I hadn’t purchased any such luggage upgrade, even when I showed then the ticket printout verifying that. Only yelling at the handling agent at the counter brought the manger who admitted that their system showed the purchase and I was able to proceed.

    Airport 2: When placing the luggage into their rigid sizing tray 1/3 of one wheel (that’s about 1/2cm) poked out of the sizer as there was a hole in the side of the tray. The staff told me that this made it impossible for the luggage to fit on-board and that I would need to pay an exorbitant fee (flights >4 hours). Again more yelling solved the problem.

    Now, I can appreciate an airline wanting to enforce inflight luggage rules. My luggage however was well within the size and weight restrictions, even when one considers that it is virtually impossible to have 4 hours. Print out the ticket and highlight the baggage fee entry. Print out the WOW baggage rules for your country. Measure the luggage carefully to make sure it doesn’t exceed the limits even if measured in the most belligerent way possible. Check the weight at multiple scales at empty check-in desks before you check-in at WOW and take pictures of the results. Carry a measuring tape to the airport. I’m not sure if that will present the handlers with insurmountable hurdles, what would worry me is that they’ve had a lot more time to thing about how to implement their policy than you or I will be able to take in order to avoid that.

    Overall not a great “calling card” for Iceland.

  18. That was a nicely detailed description of the problems with WOW (and other budget carriers.) After reading many guidebooks and online reviews about the high costs of accommodations, tours, meals in Iceland, I’ve decided to hold off on doing a 2-3 week vacation there.

    Although the non-stop flights from SFO to Iceland is certainly convenient, it is a long haul 8+ hour flight. If WOW was more like Jetblue on the SFO to NYC route with amenities and the option of paying more for Mint Class or the Expanded Room sections, it might be worthwhile. I rather travel elsewhere in the world to get better bang for my buck.

    But being overly cheap with service and amenities to bring travelers to an already expensive country to visit and spend more money is not ideal for business. WOW should simply charge more for its basic services, instead of engaging in a race to the bottom. If you lose a few passengers, so be it. Still better than to kill your brand. I’ll wait a few years before traveling to Iceland. It’s a shame because their initial idea was a good one but execution was bad.

    1. I somewhat disagree with WOW increasing their rate to add amenities. You can pay extra for those amenities if you want or need them. I will be travelling with WOW in a couple of weeks, so I will be able to experience it and report back. It is true that this route of travel is not for everyone. I am the type of person to completely pass out once on any moving vehicle, so all those amenities, such as additional leg room, food, fluff my pillow kind of stuff, doesn’t matter to me. Although, I have had to struggle with the luggage policy as it is not like other european budget airlines(WOW’s free carryon is smaller than others). I will most likely pay extra to check my bag in since that is more logical than paying almost the same amount to carry it on.

      I was able to get my one way ticket for less than $80 each way from BWI. I am happy to pay that to be able to go to Iceland. Yes, Iceland is that expensive to stay in but with my savings in airplane tickets, I am able to put that towards more activities. To be able to check off one item off my bucket list is a great opportunity. If you are looking for more amenities, then I would consider Iceland Air. They also offer travel packages that seemed reasonable. I will be using them to fly from London to Reykjavik. They include, at no extra cost, one checked bag.

      Travelling during the off season is an option too if you want to save some money, this is why the tickets are so cheap. Most of the sales are for travel during the winter months. If you travel during the summer everything is much more expensive. There are advantages for travelling in either season since there certain things you can only do in wither season. For example: ice caves in winter or safely being able to drive the entire ring road in the summer. I will likely return if prices continue to remain low like this.

    2. @Anne, There are already other airlines that offer more amenities built into the price, so I like that WOW air offers an alternative. Everyone can pick the airline/flight/price that fits their needs best.

  19. Hi Becky,
    I am thinking of purchasing a ticket home early from Paris to LAX. I am here on work and my luggage may be over in weight. Any idea what problems may arise from that?? Also is there meals on the long flight home and is there any free entertainment? Thank you!

    1. @Marisol, Nothing is free on WOW…your ticket entitles you to transportation only, so if you have overweight luggage, meals, or entertainment, you will need to budget for that. All prices are shown online ahead of time so you can plan and compare to see if it’s still a good deal (often it is, just be prepared!).

    2. For overweight checked in luggage, you will most likely need to pay or redistribute the weight to your carryon/personal item. For overweight carryon, you can try putting the small heavy items into your pockets or carrying it on your body when you check in. Then put it back into your carryon after checkin. I did this for my battery packs and lenses.

  20. Any idea if WoW will be flighing out of Indianapolis anytime soon? Those of us who are ealderly and live in the mid-West would fly more often to Europe if we could avoid Chicago.

    1. @John, Wow just launched 4 new airports (St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland) so I think it will be at least a year for them to announce any new midwestern destinations.

    1. @C, Any remaining flights on your itinerary will be cancelled and not refunded (i.e. if you miss your flight from Chicago – Iceland, if you also had a flight Iceland-Chicago on the same reservation, it will be cancelled.

  21. We just flew WOW r/t from BWI to Paris. I would do it again for three reasons – the price, the convenience, the price. We live in Baltimore and the only European carrier is BA to London – so when we travel to Europe we are forced to go to either Dulles or Philadelphia. This adds 3 hours to the trip in both directions as well as parking costs. So the stop-over in Iceland is shorter than the travel time to other airports for us. In addition stopping in Iceland actually made the trip easier – we got up and walked around and slept better on the shorter legs. But..be prepared for paying for everything extra then you won’t be surprised. Also know that the staff in the airports (check-in etc.) are NOT WOW employees and couldn’t care less about you. And know that the bag restrictions are much stricter than what it says on the website. A normal US roller bag is too big. Also be prepared for them to cancel and or change your seat assignments even when you have paid for them and have them be VERY rude about giving you new seats or your money back. But I would, and plan to, do it again.

  22. HI Becky! My family traveled upon WOW Air from Boston-Reykjavik (Keflavik airport) 3 night Icelandic layover-Reykjavik -Dublin & Cork-Boston (via Keflavik. in July 2017. My opinion of WOW, & overall satisfaction was fantastic!! Obviously personal sentiments towards an experience are subjective. Yet, 4 flights that were 5 star in terms of meting/exceeding expectations is fairly consistent! In fact, we had to come home a two days early, hence the flight from Cork opposed to our scheduled Dublin departure flight (They’ve since stopped flying into Cork) & the cost was nominal for the change ($400). BUT (yes, you knew that was forthcoming)…We booked our family to fly this Summer (2018) & again we’re pointed toward Europe & were booked upon a different Ultra-Low-Cost-Carrier. My trepidation started when I took a deeper dive into those whom occupy the 2 seats, behind a locked door, on the pointy end of an A320/321/330. WOW doesn’t hire their Pilots—check it out, that’s the truth—instead a Pilot is kinda like their own LLC & is actually contracted by a 3rd party who works on behalf of WOW & other low cost carriers. Thus, the Pilot is actually under contract to the “middle man” & since Pilots need one thing—a flying job to build hours—they sacrifice much in order to get those coveted hours in an A320/321/330. WOW does provide Pilots lodging in Keflavik (an old, kinda renovated US Air Force base) & I believe they have access to a car while in Keflavik—-the majority actually live elsewhere in Europe, etc. Furthermore—one of the most critical “things” to a pilot is PAY…and the pilot is subjected to taxation in their home country, not where the 3rd party hiring entity is or Iceland. MY POINT? If anybody were to do a bit of due diligence, they would find that Pilots @ these very inexpensive cross he pond carriers, aren’t the happiest & they’re using the likes of WOW solely as a career springboard. Indeed questioning the competency of pilot’s is not anything that anybody wan’t to hear—we all assume that the difference in pilots is simply the colors of the planes they fly. That is not the case with these low cost carriers. Ultimately, I was able to cancel my families flights for this Summer & surfed onto British Airways for the trip we’re taking—and fare was @$200 more—$75×2 for Adults & $25x 2 for kids & it includes a checked bag, a carry on, and a meal. Indeed it’s an afterthought to many, and an assumption that all is equal, but from what I read, that simply isn’t the case. I adored WOW….but I’m not certain that I would fly them again.

    -David

  23. THE WORST!
    Such a bad experience! Paid for upgraded seats and they changed our seats at airport and NEVER got refunded over $100 for upgrades. Person at Toronto airport that was checking us in was the rudest person that I’ve EVER dealt with (really started our trip off poorly). Seats were VERY small & uncomfortable. Just don’t use them…EVER!

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