Play vs Icelandair: Comparing Iceland’s newest and oldest airlines
Europe has a brand new low-cost airline.
Rising from the ashes of the failed WOW Air experiment, Play has commenced operations between Iceland's main Keflavik Airport (KEF) and Europe, with plans to eventually connect North America and Europe via Iceland just as WOW Air attempted to do before the pandemic.
I recently flew Play on its very first route from London's Stansted Airport (STN) to Iceland and was very pleasantly surprised by the experience — for a low-cost carrier, it was excellent.
Related: 7 reasons flying Iceland's newest airline was a great experience
For my return flight home from Iceland, I decided to choose flag carrier Icelandair, founded 84 years ago, to see how Iceland's newest and oldest airlines compared between the two cities.
Fares
Here's how the two airlines structured their economy fares for my one-way flights between London and Iceland:
| Play Standard fare | Icelandair Economy Light fare | |
|---|---|---|
Fare including taxes | £62 ($86) | £112 ($155) |
Carry-on baggage | £20 extra ($28) | Included |
Checked baggage | £25 extra ($35) | £29 extra ($40) |
Seat selection | £3 – £19 extra ($4-26) | £6.80 – £21.40 extra ($9-30) |
The beauty of the low-cost model is that you only pay for what you actually use. As I was not checking in a bag I saved money on both airlines this way.
Play charges different amounts for different seats depending on where you wish to sit — even in the same row of the aircraft. If you want a window seat, you'll need to pay slightly more than a middle seat.
As you'll see below, Icelandair sits somewhere between a low-cost and full-service airline. It charges extra for lots of things while some things are provided complimentary.
Play only accepts payment by Visa or Mastercard to pay for fares and onboard purchases, while Icelandair accepts all major credit cards including American Express.
Related: 9 reasons you should visit Iceland this summer
Airport experience
Both airlines use the same terminal at Keflavik Airport in Iceland (KEF). They fly to different London airports: Play operates to the low-cost Stansted Airport (STN), and Icelandair flies to the more premium Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) airports.
Landing at Heathrow on Icelandair definitely felt more premium than departing from Stansted Airport.
While I was able to check-in online for both flights, I was required to undergo manual document checks at either check-in or the boarding gates for COVID-19-related health declarations and vaccination certificates/test results on both airlines.
Being an outstation on a fairly quiet flight, there were hardly any queues at check-in for my Play flight at Stansted.
I was greeted with an enormous line for Icelandair at its Keflavik hub, though these passengers were checking-in for a bank of flights all departing for the United States, and I was directed to a separate European flights queue and helped immediately.
aircraft
Both airlines operate several different aircraft types and I lucked out on both.
I flew Play's Airbus A321neo, which as I would consider being its best aircraft as you'll see in the seat description below.
This aircraft has a giant single cabin of 192 economy seats, with 34 rows of economy seats laid out in a 3-3 configuration.
On my Icelandair flight, I flew one of its newest aircraft — a Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Related: The Boeing 737 MAX returns to commercial service today
This bird is fitted in a two-class configuration, with 16 business class seats in a 2-2 configuration and 144 economy seats in a 3-3 configuration.
Seat
This was one of the biggest surprises between the two airlines. While both economy class seats are laid out in a 3-3 configuration, meaning they are a similar width, the Play A321neo seats have a staggering 34 inches of legroom for all standard seats.
I would be very pleased with this sort of legroom in economy on the likes of premium airlines such as Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines, but remember I was flying a low-cost carrier on a short-haul flight.
Icelandair's 737 MAX 8 seat had a much tighter — and more industry-standard — 31 inches of pitch, as you would expect to find on other full-service European airlines.
If legroom is important to you, the Play A321neo aircraft has possibly the most generous legroom of any European low-cost carrier.
Play's seats were fairly comfortable for a relatively short flight.
What Icelandair's seats lacked in legroom they made up for in padding — they were noticeably cushier and plusher than Play's.
Both seats reclined and had similar adjustable headrests, tray tables and seatback pockets.
I was pleased to see individual air nozzles on both airlines.
Wifi and IFE
Play did not offer Wi-Fi on my flight, nor did it have any inflight entertainment whatsoever.
It was a very different experience flying on Icelandair. The new aircraft had large crisp seatback screens with plenty of entertainment options at every seat.
Wi-Fi was also offered free of charge to all passengers on Icelandair and I registered a respectable 13.16 Mbps download during an onboard speed test.
Related: Why does inflight Wi-Fi cut out or slow down?
Food and Beverage
As expected, Play's low-cost model meant all food and beverages needed to be paid for, including water. I was really quite impressed with the quality of the food on offer and loved the Icelandic touches.
Over on Icelandair, tea, coffee, water and soft drinks were complimentary, but unfortunately, all other food and drinks must be purchased.
The quality of the food I purchased was noticeably lower on Icelandair than Play. The doughy, carb-filled pizza filled me up but that was about it.
Prices for onboard food and drink on both airlines were similar.
Service
Both airlines had friendly and professional crew on the ground and in the air. As you might expect from a brand-new low-cost airline, the Play staff were dressed more casually, were all quite young and less formal.
Icelandair staff are dressed in more corporate-like attire and provide the sort of service you would find on an older, experienced airline.
Both flights departed and arrived on time.
Points and Miles
You cannot earn any points and miles flying Play, while Icelandair has its own loyalty program called Saga Club. You can alternatively choose to credit the flights to its partner airlines Alaska Airlines or JetBlue.
Related: Iceland trip-planning from A to Z: Glaciers, geothermal spas and lava caves
Bottom line
I enjoyed my two flights on two very different airlines between London and Iceland.
If you can score Play's Airbus A321neo, the legroom is outstanding, and I would choose this plane over anything Icelandair operates for an economy flight. You are unlikely to ever see legroom like this at every seat in a standard economy cabin on any airline, much less a low-cost carrier.
Icelandair's plus seats on its new 737 MAX were comfortable in terms of padding but legroom was a tight fit and reminded me this was very much economy. It was nice to have a seatback screen and Wi-Fi, though this isn't solely enough to sway me to choose an airline with so many portable personal entertainment options I can take on board with me.
It is disappointing to see Icelandair charge for all food and many beverages, especially when the quality was fairly poor. I ended up paying almost twice as much for my Icelandair flight as the Play flight and did not feel it was twice as good — they were fairly even overall.
I was spoilt flying the best aircraft from both airlines, and I'd be happy to fly either again to or from the spectacular destination of Iceland.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.