These Airlines Are Offering Rescue Fares to Stranded WOW air Passengers
Delta, American and United are among a growing list of airlines now offering "rescue" fares to stranded WOW passengers. A number of other airlines also are doing so, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Icelandair, Norwegian, Virgin Atlantic and more.
Depending on the airline, some policies allow travel at rescue fares into April, giving flexibility to WOW passengers whose upcoming flights have been canceled on short notice.
[Find more of our ongoing coverage of WOW air's collapse, and what affected passengers can do about it, here.]
Here is what is currently being offered:
Delta Air Lines
Delta is now offering rescue fares to WOW passengers. Those seeking assistance can call Delta must call Delta at (800) 221-1212 and ask to speak to a reservations specialist for assistance. The carrier says inquires will be "handled on a case-by-case basis."
United Airlines (Star Alliance)
United Airlines is offering WOW air customers special discounted fares from March 28 to April 12 for travel through April 30. In order to qualify, stranded passengers must provide proof of their WOW trip via their booking reference and flight number. The discounted rates apply on some flights operate by United's Star Alliance partners Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Air Canada and are available on routes from the following cities:
- Newark/New York
- Boston
- Washington DC
- Detroit
- Montreal
- Toronto
- Paris
- Milan
- Brussels
- Stockholm
- Berlin
- Frankfurt
- Warsaw
- Dublin
- Amsterdam
- Lyon
- Copenhagen
- Barcelona
- Tenerife
- London
- Edinburgh
- Tel Aviv
Book through United reservations agents: 1 (800) 864-8331. Prices vary by route, but customers can expect an average fare of $250 to $350 for one-way flights.
American Airlines
American is offering deeply discounted fares to WOW customers stranded in a foreign country. American says customers will have to show proof of travel on WOW to be eligible for its rescue fares. American's rescue fares will be offered only to WOW customers currently stranded outside their home countries.
American's rescue fares are available on flights through April 25 to or from London Heathrow. Some connecting itineraries are eligible. North American markets eligible for the rescue fares include Boston, New York LaGuardia, Montreal, Newark Liberty, Toronto, Washington Reagan National and Washington Dulles.
For other European destinations, American's rescue fares are available for travel through April 12. European cities eligible for rescue fares include Alicante, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Gran Canaria, Paris and Tenerife. North American markets eligible include Boston, Montreal, New York LaGuardia, Newark, Toronto, Washington Dulles and Washington Reagan National.
Flights can only be booked by calling American Airlines Reservations (1 (800) 433-7300) directly.
Icelandair
Icelandair is offering WOW passengers discounted fares for flights between March 28 and April 11. Prices vary by route; a flight between Iceland and Europe is $60 while a flight between Iceland and North America is $100. A flight to/from North American-Europe is $160.
These are the routes we've seen so far for Europe/US/Canada from Iceland:
- London
- Copenhagen
- Frankfurt
- Amsterdam
- Berlin
- Brussels
- Dublin
- Paris
- Hamburg
- Glasgow
- Helsinki
- Oslo
- New York
- Washington DC
- Boston
- Toronto
- Edmonton
If you're a stranded passenger looking to book these discounted fares on Icelandair, you can either call their hotline:
Iceland or Europe, call +354 50 50 200
North America, call + 1(800) 223 5500
Travelers also can contact the airline on social media through Facebook or Twitter or via the airline's website.
EasyJet
While EasyJet hasn't listed any rescue fares on its website, the Independent reported the airline is offering flights for £110 (about $145) including baggage for one-way flights from Iceland to London Luton or London Gatwick for travel until April 14. Passengers must have a ticket from before April 7 in order to qualify for a rescue fare.
To book, call: +44 (0) 330 365 5030.
Wizz Air
Former WOW passengers can also book a rescue fare via Wizz Air. The budget airline is offering one-way flights from Reykjavík to Warsaw and London-Luton from £74.99 ($98) to £79.99 ($105), valid for travel up to May 10, 2019. In order to qualify, you must contact the airline by April 7 and provide evidence of your canceled WOW air flight. Book on the Wizz Air website.
Norwegian Air
The European low-cost giant will be offering a 25% discount on economy fares from March 29 to April 8. These routes include:
- London Gatwick-Boston
- London Gatwick-New York JFK
- Paris CDG – Boston
- Paris CDG – New York JFK
- Copenhagen – New York JFK
- Amsterdam – New York JFK
- Stockholm – New York JFK
- Barcelona – Newark
Passengers must book through Norwegian's call center at 1-800-357-4159 and provide a valid WOW ticket for the same route pair.
XL Airways
French airline XL Airways is offering fares of $130 per flight to travel standby on its New York JFK-Paris CDG route. To be eligible, passengers must have tickets for WOW air travel for March 28 or after.
XL is also offering up to 30% off for flights from May 1 to June 28.
Book your rescue fare through the airline's call centers:
- From the US: +1 877 496 9889 (toll free)
- From France: 0 892 692 123 (0,35 €/min + cost of call)
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic tweeted it is offering rescue fares to passengers stranded in the US, UK or Canada. Stranded WOW passengers looking to fly on Virgin Atlantic's rescue fares must book by April 6 and complete travel by April 30. Proof of a canceled WOW flight is required. Virgin Atlantic did not specify exactly what its rescue fares would be.
Call 1 (800) 862-8621 if you're in the US and 03 448747747 if you're in the UK.
Aer Lingus
Irish carrier Aer Lingus joined the lineup of airlines offering rescue fares. The company tweeted on Thursday that "special fares are available to anyone affected by the news from #WOWair today. If you booked with WOW and you need an alternative flight, please call. We'll do our best to help."
British Airways
British Airways is also (quietly) offering WOW air customers rescue fares to travel home from Iceland throughout April. Flights can only be booked via a British Airways call center and are not available on their website or through travel agents. Keep in mind that flights are also subject to "conditions and availability," and the price of the rescue fares are not specified.
Be prepared to quote your WOW air booking reference when booking. For reservations in the US call 1-800-AIRWAYS or 1-800-247-9297. For reservations in the UK, dial 0344 493 0787 option 1.
Hopper
Hopper is reimbursing all customers who booked a WOW air flight on their website in full as well as covering the cost of rebooking new transit home for stranded passengers. Currently, the travel booking site is sending customers SMS texts or in-app push notifications for more information on their refund and how to book a new flight.
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