WOW Air's Launching New York Service with $99 One-Way Flights
Iceland-based WOW Air stands out among other low-cost carriers for offering some of the cheapest transatlantic fares around. The airline began service from Boston (BOS) and Baltimore (BWI) to Reykjavik (KEF) in 2015, offering one-way fares starting at $99. Starting in November 2016, East Coasters will be able to reach Iceland and other destinations in Europe from an additional airport: Newark (EWR). That's great news, made even better by the fact that one-way tickets to Reykjavik will go for $99 and up.
There are conflicting reports, but flights from Newark will most likely operate on the carrier's all-economy Airbus A321-200 aircraft, with 220 seats. Flights will operate seven days a week.
You can currently book travel from EWR to Wow Air's various European destinations for travel dates beginning on November 25. The first-available $99 one-way fare from Newark to Iceland appears to be on November 30:
Round-trips can be quite cheap, too. This itinerary from EWR-KEF and back in late November to early December prices out at just $198:
For a bit more, you can tack on a European destination like Amsterdam, Berlin, London or Paris to your itinerary, which requires a brief stopover in Iceland. This will start at $149 one-way.
Here's a sampling of one-way fares you can book from the US:
You might also be able to add on a stopover in Iceland, however the WOW Air site hasn't been updated to allow searches for these itineraries departing from Newark, but hopefully that will happen soon.
Is It Worth It?
WOW Air certainly isn't known for offering many frills — you'll have to pay for just about every extra on board, though the in-flight crew are usually very friendly. Bringing along anything more than a very small bag will cost you, too; carry-ons that weight 12 pounds or more start at $29 one-way, and checked bags are $48 each one-way.
That said, if your main goal is to save money, this could be a great option. Flights from the East Coast are just about five hours, so you could save your premium-cabin redemptions for a longer trip.
Bottom Line
This low-cost carrier has been busy expanding its route network, even adding service from LA and San Francisco to Europe on its Airbus A330 late last year. The upcoming addition of flights departing from Newark is welcome news to East Coast travelers looking to reach Iceland and beyond on the cheap. WOW Air doesn't always offer one-way flights for as little as $99, so it's worth exploring the airline's calendar to see if you can lock in this ultra-cheap fare while it's available. And if you are able to take advantage of these fares, make sure to check out this guide to hotels, dining and more in Iceland.
Will you be booking a WOW Air flight from Newark to Europe?
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