Iceland is a well-liked trip vacation spot for these in search of chilly temperatures and journey journey. Whereas lots of airways fly there seasonally for summer time, service for the remainder of the yr is extra restricted, with Icelandair in fact being the dominant service.
Whereas Icelandair isn’t probably the most thrilling service on earth, the airline has a big community in North America and Europe, and infrequently has affordable fares. The airline additionally has an excellent stopover program for Iceland, which lets vacationers go to Iceland as half of a bigger itinerary.
On condition that I’m planning a visit on Icelandair, I wished to speak a bit concerning the (unhappy) state of attempting to redeem miles on the airline which is lower than very best. The way in which I view it, there are three (kind) of the way to redeem miles on Icelandair, so I wished to cowl these, and ask OMAAT readers if there’s something I’m lacking.
Icelandair’s Saga Membership program is of restricted worth
Icelandair has its personal Saga Membership loyalty program, although I’d say that for 99.99% of OMAAT readers, there’s not an entire lot there that’s price trying into. For one, there aren’t some ways to truly earn Saga Membership factors, on condition that this system doesn’t companion with any main transferable factors currencies.
Past that, Saga Membership simply doesn’t supply nice redemption values. This system has dynamic award pricing, and usually every level will get you someplace round 0.5 cents towards the price of a ticket. So until you’re from Iceland and solely fly Icelandair, this program isn’t price bothering with (and even for those who steadily fly with the airline, you’re nonetheless higher off crediting to Alaska Mileage Plan, for my part).
Alaska Mileage Plan permits redemptions on Icelandair
I’m an enormous fan of the Alaska Mileage Plan program, and one of many issues that I actually like about it’s how Alaska has distinctive airline companions. Alaska Mileage Plan is the one companion airline frequent flyer program that permits you to redeem on Icelandair.
Redemptions on Icelandair comply with the usual Mileage Plan award chart for Europe, the Center East, and Africa, no matter whether or not you’re flying Icelandair to North America or Europe. Yow will discover that chart under.
Be aware that Icelandair Saga Class (which is Icelandair’s most premium cabin) is theoretically priced as premium financial system quite than enterprise class, for the needs of this award chart. Which means one-way awards would price the next quantities, based mostly on the cumulative distance flown:
- An itinerary of as much as 1,500 miles would begin at 7,500 miles in financial system, or 10,000 miles in premium financial system
- An itinerary of 1,501-3,500 miles would begin at 22,500 miles one-way, or 30,000 miles in premium financial system
- An itinerary of three,501-5,000 miles would begin at 27,500 miles one-way, or 35,000 miles in premium financial system
In concept that each one sounds prefer it may very well be a good deal, particularly on condition that free stopovers are allowed on Mileage Plan awards, that means you might fly between some extent in Europe and some extent in the USA with a stopover in Iceland.
Sadly that is the place the problems come into play, which make this chance a lot much less attractive:
- Alaska Mileage Plan provides service imposed surcharges to Icelandair awards; they’re round $100-150 one-way, which isn’t horrible, however when you think about the service’s affordable income fares, it cuts into the worth
- So far as I can inform, there’s by no means Saga Class (premium financial system) award availability, however quite solely financial system award availability
- Even the financial system award availability is just the “beginning at” value, and also you’ll typically discover that pricing is way more costly than the listed costs; for instance, for a one-way flight between the USA and Iceland, pricing is usually 40,000 miles quite than 22,500 miles
Is there one thing I’m lacking relating to redeeming Alaska miles for Saga Class journey on Icelandair? Perhaps I’m simply not looking out the appropriate routes, however I haven’t been capable of finding any availability up to now yr.
It appears to me like Icelandair simply isn’t prepared to work with companions on respectable redemption values, and like Alaska is mainly on the hook for income fares, or one thing.
Redeeming bank card factors is price contemplating
The final choice to redeem factors for journey on Icelandair is the obvious, and that’s to only redeem bank card factors as money towards the price of a ticket. I wouldn’t even often point out this as an possibility, because it’s probably not a “hack.” However on condition that there aren’t any different good choices on Icelandair, I do suppose it’s price citing.
For instance, when you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (evaluate), you may redeem factors on the fee of 1.5 cents every towards the price of an airline ticket. In the meantime when you have the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card (evaluate), you may redeem factors on the fee of 1.0 cents every towards the price of an airline ticket.
Since every level is price a certain quantity towards the price of a ticket, you’d simply need to discover the Icelandair ticket that’s the very best worth. As a worth maximizer, I additionally actually battle with really committing to an Icelandair itinerary.
For instance, Icelandair fairly generally fees round $2,000 roundtrip for nonstop flights between the USA and Iceland.
The factor is, fares are sometimes nearly precisely the identical for those who proceed to a different vacation spot in Europe, and simply do a stopover (of nonetheless lengthy you’d like) in Iceland in a single course. Like, how can I say no to a number of additional hours of flying for “free?” However on the similar time, I don’t really need to go wherever past Iceland!
Icelandair typically additionally has affordable one-way money fares originating in Europe to the USA, which permit a stopover. For instance, you might fly from Copenhagen to New York in Saga Class for round $900, with a stopover for so long as you’d like in Iceland.
At that time do you fly one other airline throughout the Atlantic, go to Copenhagen, after which originate there?
Icelandair does typically have fare specials, so I assume it’s price protecting a watch out for these. If anybody sees any fares originating within the US on to Iceland and again which can be materially higher than the above, please let me know.
So anyway, that’s the fixed battle in my head with justifying an Icelandair itinerary on a income ticket.
Backside line
Icelandair has the biggest route community to and from Iceland, so there are many conditions the place flying the airline is worth it. Nonetheless, for these trying to redeem miles for premium cabin journey, it’s a battle. Icelandair’s personal loyalty program is income based mostly and has dangerous redemption values, by no means thoughts that the factors are onerous to come back by. In the meantime Alaska Mileage Plan doesn’t appear to have entry to premium cabin awards on Icelandair, until I’m lacking one thing.
That leaves paying money — or redeeming bank card factors as money towards the price of a ticket — as the best choice. That’s nonetheless not very best, however I can’t consider some other higher choices.
Let me additionally acknowledge that some individuals are in all probability saying “it’s not a protracted flight, simply fly financial system.” I completely hear you, and that’s truthful. Nonetheless, with all my journey, a part of the aim is to evaluate premium cabin airline experiences, and I do need to evaluate Icelandair Saga Class once more, because it has been round a decade since I’ve flown it.
Are there some other good choices I’m lacking? Is there one thing I’m overlooking with Icelandair Saga Class award availability by way of Mileage Plan?
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