AS YOU MAY have heard, we’ll all soon be able to trot off to Boston for rock bottom prices, thanks to a little-known Icelandic airline.
Wow Air announced its new Dublin – North America routes this morning.
The no-frills airline is offering one-way fares for as little as €149.
The flights — from Dublin to Boston and Washington — will include a stopover in Reykjavik, and will operate only three days a week.
So what can we expect from this ‘Icelandic Ryanair’ when the new service starts, later this year?
How long is the stop-over?
And will we have to pay for a cup of coffee?
Here’s a no-frills guide…
Boston and Washington you say? To main airports, or will I be landing on some godforsaken airstrip in the next state?
It’s to proper airports — Logan International Airport, and Baltimore Washington International, which is only marginally further from the city compared to Dulles (but very close to Baltimore, if you happen to be on a The Wire-inspired trip to the city).
And this €149 business? Does that include taxes and everything?
Yes. Yes it does. Although ‘restrictions and baggage fees may apply’. So if you’re happy to head to Boston with a small backpack — yes, looks like it could just cost you around 300 quid.
How long will that be offered? Not forever, I imagine?
You’re right.
“It is definitely an introductory offer,” CEO Skúli Mogensen told us earlier.
However, I can also say that we continuously try to offer and lower our fares for the benefit of our customers. So yes, I think you can see very aggressive pricing coming into the transatlantic markets going forward.
Right. So this Icelandic stopover… What’s the deal with that?
The Reykjavik stop-off is the airline’s secret weapon, as far as Wow Air is concerned. The fact that it’s two short-haul hops rather than one longer journey means they can use smaller, more fuel efficient planes (hence the low fares).
Stop-overs will generally be for two hours outbound, and about 2 hours 20 minutes on the way back, we’re told.
And it’s definitely ‘no frills’ is it?
It is. If you’re planning to splurge at the Cheesecake Factory (or where-ever) when you get to Boston, you won’t need to put your hand in your pocket. But if you happen to get slightly peckish before Newfoundland hoves into view, here’s a quick price guide:
Ham & cheese baguette: €4.60
Can of soft drink: €1.66
Grasshopper porridge (don’t worry, it’s a brand name): €3.93
Tea or coffee: €2.33
Beer: €4.33
And while we’re here — who the hell are ‘Wow Air’ anyway?
Good question. It’s a relatively small, relatively new company, founded in 2011 by Icelandic entrepreneur Skúli Mogensen. The 46-year-old (below) describes himself as an “accidental airline owner” and previously headed-up a mobile software company ‘OZ’ which he sold to Nokia in 2008.
When do flights start? How can I find out more?
All we know so far is that the flights get under way in October. And here’s the airline’s website.
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