It seems everyone, or at least every airline, wants to be in Iceland. American Airlines, which will start flying to Reykjavik in June, is the last of the U.S. Big 3 to join the rush, with an in-season daily 757 flight from Dallas/Fort Worth.
Iceland flights from the U.S. used to be mainly by Icelandair, flying from the U.S. to Iceland, and then on to the rest of Europe. U.S. airlines added occasional summer service. But in recent years, Iceland’s popularity as a destination has drawn a Delta flight from New York and United service from Newark.
But the biggestt change for Iceland hasn’t been as a destination; it’s been the growth of Iceland as a doorstep for the rest of Europe. Icelandair has always been in that business, offering a service to Europe that’s been less expensive than most direct flights.
With the entry of WOW, an Iceland-based ultra low-cost carrier, into the market, the picture has changed. Icleandair and WOW have rushed to expand their U.S. routes, sometimes going head-to-head in the same cities, as has happened with DFW. While the U.S. carriers aren’t selling Iceland as a stopover, the increased market has drawn them to the route.
