Cheap Flights from the US to Iceland

Oct 7, 2016

Flying over the landscape of Iceland on Icelandair. Photo: Craig Nelson

Note: This article is part of our budget travel guide to Iceland.

Searching around for cheap fights from the US to Iceland? You have several choices:

Icelandair

Icelandair flies directly to Reykjavik from New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Orlando, Seattle, and several other cities in North America. It can be a challenge to score a cheap seat, but we were able to find a round-trip ticket from JFK to Reykjavik this past June for $550.

The flight is only five hours from the East Coast, so you don’t lose a lot of time on either end of your trip. Service is usually very friendly on Icelandair, and the in-flight entertainment system includes information on Iceland, so you can watch videos about the country before you land. Another big benefit of flying Icelandair? The airline doesn’t mess around with a lot of hidden fees. Your ticket includes two checked bags (yes, two!) per person.

Related: Airline baggage fees for US to Europe carriers

Wow Air

Wow Air offers discount fares for as low as $99 each way from destinations like Baltimore, Boston and several other East Coast points of departures. It also recently launched flights from Newark which has excited budget travel fans in New York. Just note, unlike Icelandair, Wow Air tacks on lots of extra charges for baggage, meals, seats and other fees that can creep up on you. Check out our guide to flying Wow Air for more details.

Other carriers

Delta also has nonstop flights from New York JFK and several airlines offer connecting flights from Europe, including budget-friendly Wizz Air, Norwegian, Scandinavian (SAS), and Air Berlin.

Getting into Reykjavik from the airport

Going from the airport to the city is an easy transition. Skip the taxi and head straight for the FlyBus. It leaves 35-40 minutes after your flight arrival, so you don’t have to stress about missing the last bus. They run even if your flight is delayed or arrives in late at night.

You can choose an option that takes you to the main bus terminal for about $22 located on the edge of Downtown, or for just $5 more, you can get dropped off right at one of the hotels in the central city.

Our guide to budget travel in Iceland

Read more in our guide to saving in Iceland:

About the author

Craig is a New York-based writer and tour guide who has worked with many travel publishers including Not For Tourists, Frommer's, and Google. Now he is an editor for EuroCheapo and manager of Bowery Boys Walks. When he's not out exploring the five boroughs for his blog, he's dreaming up plans for his next trip across the pond.