Deal alert: Spend summer in Iceland from $250 round-trip
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional airlines on March 28. It was originally published on March 27.
We're starting to see the prices drop on airfare to Europe this summer. A number of sales have already popped up with discounted flights. Now, Icelandair is getting in on the action.
The official airline of the Nordic nation just announced a sale on flights to Reykjavik from multiple U.S. cities, including Baltimore, Boston, Detroit and Washington, D.C. If you live in Seattle or Portland, Oregon, you're in luck, too, as the sale includes several options out of those cities.
The discounted fares apply to nonstop flights now through Oct. 6. That's a fairly generous travel window that encompasses some of the best times to visit Iceland. With the Iceland Summer Sale, as Icelandair is calling it, you can take advantage of the country's warmer temperatures and more hours of daylight for activities such as hiking and whale watching.
Keep in mind that these prices are for Icelandair's Economy Light tickets. No changes are allowed with these tickets, but you get a free carry-on bag.
Deal basics
Airline: Icelandair
Routes: From Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Minneapolis, Seattle and other cities to Reykjavik
Travel dates: The sale applies to flights between now and Oct. 6
How to book: Visit the Icelandair website, browse the sale fares and book directly with the airline
Book by: Tuesday, April 2
Sample flights
There are several departure airports for this sale, including:
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD)
When you click on the link above to access the sale fares, you'll see that once you pick your departure city and your destination (in this case, Reykjavik), you'll land on a page with flight prices in calendar format. This is a handy way to pinpoint the month with the best overall deals. For example, the screenshot below shows the sale prices for flights out of Boston to Iceland.
There is a lot of availability for $418 round-trip fares from BOS to Keflavik Airport (KEF) in April.
If you live in Baltimore, the best available fares we found were for travel in September and October. This itinerary out of BWI to KEF costs just $467 round-trip.
If you live in the Washington, D.C., area, your best bet for getting the lowest prices will be in September and October. Most of the fares we saw during the summer were at least $50 higher for this route.
In terms of pure savings, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the round-trip tickets in this deal out of the Pacific Northwest. You can book tickets from PDX to KEF in August for less than $600 round-trip. According to Google Flights, that's about half of what this fare usually costs in summer. We saw lots of availability at this price in July and August.
The best prices we saw out of Detroit were in August and September. We saw wide availability for round-trip itineraries from DTW to KEF for less than $500, which is an excellent price.
Additionally, low-cost airline Play is offering flights from some of the aforementioned routes, including BOS—KEF, for less than half the price of the Icelandair flights. For example, you could book a roundtrip flight from BOS to KEF throughout August starting at $230.
Like the Icelandair fares, the discounted Play fares are for the carrier's basic fare type, which only includes one personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you.
Because Play routinely offers discounted flights to KEF, there's no end date to this sale, but be sure to keep checking their website for the latest routes and pricing.
Maximize your purchase
When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel
Bottom line
Once you get to Reykjavik, make sure to set aside time to visit the impossibly beautiful Hallgrimskirkja. One of the true landmarks in Iceland, the church is not only visible from almost anywhere in the city, but it has a platform atop the 244-foot structure that offers breathtaking views.
Related reading:
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.