Westfjords

Domestic flights in Iceland. What you need to know

neilh10 — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:02:02 +0000

Many people travel to Iceland and get around the country using Air Iceland, the main domestic airline. Air Iceland fly from Reykjavik to the main towns of Isafjordur in the Westfjords, Akureyri in the north and Egillstadir in the east. They can also fly you via Akureyri to the island of Grimsey and the remote villages of Vopnafjordur and Thorshafn.

Flying on Air Iceland is a great way to get around and not at all like flying anywhere else in the world. It feels a little bit like being on old luxury bus service. The views are magnificent and the service is excellent as well. Basically, I love travelling by plane in Iceland and, unless you are a particularly nervous flyer, I suggest you will as well.

Anyway, the reason I am writing this post is to forewarn you that, unless you plan things out carefully and in advance of your vacation, your decision to fly domestically in Iceland could have very expensive consequences.

The reason is that, in wintertime, the weather can often delay domestic flights. In the most extreme circumstances, these delays can run to days at a time. This is a frequent occurance on the flights in and out of Isafjordur in wintertime (and often reflected in popular culture, see for instance this film, December). The delays can become so bad that many locals will simply give up on the plane, and drive to Reykjavik – hiring a car if necessary. And, given the circumstances and high risk of delay, I suggest that guests to my apartmentin wintertime consider renting a 4×4 and do the same.

Irrespective of what season you are travelling, as a customer, I think you need to be aware of two important points about flying domestically in Iceland. Firstly, in the event that your flight is delayed or cancelled because of the weather, Air Iceland are under no obligation to provide you with any assistance, and this is reflected in their policies. As a traveller, this could have expensive implications: you could lose the accommodation you had planned (and paid) to stay in the following night (s), and you might need to find accommodation in the place you are stranded, and pay for that yourself.

In the most extreme circumstances, it could well be the case that a delay on your domestic flight leads to you missing your onward, connecting international flight out of Iceland. Were this to be the case, Air Iceland are not under any obligation to provide you with any assistance – unless your international flights are on Icelandair, in which case you will be able to take a later flight at no extra charge.

Book with Iceland Express, wow air, or easyJet however, and it will be considered a ‘lost ticket’. Your cheap flight to Iceland might turn out not to be so cheap!

The way around this situation is to check your travel insurance policy very carefully. The part of your insurance you need to check is the sections that deal with travel delay and missed departure. You need to check whether the relevant policies apply to domestic flights undertaken as part of your travel itinerary. In my experience, some insurers do cover this but many do not. You need to be very clear about this with your insurer, before you leave.

I sent a draft of this article to Air Iceland, but they have not commented on the situation. My suggestion to the airline is that they include an option for travellers to purchase ‘delay and flight cancellation’ insurance, along with their domestic flight ticket. This would cover you beyond doubt in the event of flight delay or cancellation.

I think this is an important issue, because it is in everyone’s interest that travellers have the best possible experience while on holiday in Iceland. If you do get stuck in Vopnafjordur or wherever else because of the weather, the last thing you want to add to your woes is a huge bill to enable you return home.

WOWAIR ANNOUNCE SEAT SALE – ICELAND £133 RETURN

neilh10 — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:29:19 +0000

Icelands newest airline, WOW AIR, have a seat sale on right now, which means you could fly from London Stansted to Reykjavik through June to August (when wow air currently fly, they look to be a bit of a part time operation), for 133 pounds return.

Be quick.

In other news on the airline front, easyJet have announced that they will fly to Iceland x3 times per week, from London, year round. According to a press release on their website, Tickets for the winter (post october) season go on sale in mid march.

UPDATE 16/02

Iceland express are getting in on the action as well. They have just added a load of fares on their ICEBREAKER page over the summer, offering trips from copenhagen and london to Reykjavik for £82 each way. It will be interesting to observe how Icelandair react, at present the cheapest Icelandair flight from London to Reykjavik in July is £280.

As a customer, these kind of fare wars are great news. However, as the bookings roll in, it is likely that the fares will rise dramatically. The airlines have to make money somehow! So in my view, now is clearly a good time to book your summer flight to Iceland.

Finding your dream home in Iceland: Check out Raufarhofn

neilh10 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:51:15 +0000

One question people often ask me is whether or not my project in Iceland is repeatable. People have contacted me from all over the world asking about how they might go about buying their own house in Iceland. I have had requests from journalists, wanting to write features on me and my apartment in Iceland.

I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable answering these questions. The truth is that my outlook on property ownership is different to other peoples, particularly when it comes to Iceland.

But if you are looking for a bargain bolt-hole in Iceland, I would urge you to look no further than Raufarhofn, where the Reykjavik Grapevine, via RUV are reporting that the government sold one house recently for as little as nothing:

Bergur Elías Ágústsson, the county councilperson of North Iceland, told reporters that even in selling the house for nothing, the municipality gains by having it renovated and restored, adding to a sprucing up of the village in general.

Other houses are also available in Raufarhöfn. A group of artists recently bought an old herring facility with the same intention of renovating it, and giving it a new life with a different purpose.

When asked if the county intends to sell every house on the block for as good a price as the Old Cooperative, Bergur declined to say definitively. He said that every deal will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Given the media attention recieved, it looks like this deal won’t last for long. So if you are looking to pick up a PROPERTY BARGAIN IN ICELAND, get to Raufarhofn as quickly as you can, and tell Bergur of your good intentions.

Raufarhofn, where you might possibly find your dream home (from Flickr)

Iceland express: always there with the low fares… Iceland £138 return

neilh10 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:34:02 +0000

Iceland express are running another special offer on flights to Iceland, from London Gatwick (and possibly their other destinations as well). It is precisely £0 on the way out, and £7 on the way back which, when you add up the taxes and other charges, comes to £138 return.

The prices are good for January and February.

I really need to think about something else to write about, other than AIRLINES FLYING TO ICELAND.

Happy new year, etc.

(Inspiring image of of Gatwick Airport, from Flickr)

UPDATE 06/01

The fares are now gone, and prices gone back up to regular levels, eg £250 return.

As a side note, further to my earlier post on Iceland express, it seems that the airline have survived, which is good news. Following the collapse of Asrtraeus airlines, they are now using a Czech charter airline to run their flights, and it seems to be working out ok so far.

Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland

neilh10 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:49:07 +0000

Over the past few weeks I have been recieving a large number of enquiries from people hoping to travel to Iceland this winter, to see the northern lights.

Flateyri, the town in the Westfjords where I rent out my apartment, is as good as anywhere in Iceland to spot the lights. There is close to zero light pollution, and it is much further north than Reykjavik. The location is convenient for a northern lights hunt as it lies within 30 minutes driving distance of five different fjords with different weather systems, so if one fjord is covered in cloud, you could just drive to the next one. I can only speak from my own experience, but I’ve seen the northern lights on every trip I’ve made in wintertime, as have all my winter guests so far. I’m hoping my luck continues in to 2012!

(some guests of mine, just outside Flateyri in October 2010. Not about to win any national geographic awards)

Talking to my guests I have compiled a list of top tips for seeing the northern lights. This applies to my apartment in Flateyri, but the advice is also relevant for anyone going on holiday to Iceland in wintertime and hoping to catch a display of the northern lights.

1) The first tip is quite unusual but I think it is important that it is made. Lots of people go to Iceland with the sole intention of seeing the northern lights, but then end up disappointed if it doesn’t happen for them. The thing to remember is that Iceland is an awesome country with a lot of other things to do than just seeing the northern lights. For instance the Westfjords has great skiing and kayaking. Isafjordur (20 mins from Flateyri) has a range of restaurants, bars and cultural activities. And all of this is totally unspoiled by mass tourism, and would be well worth visiting even if the northern lights didn’t exist. So, my tip is to plan lots of other activities on your trip, other than hunting for the northern lights.

2) My second tip is to get a car if you can. To see the northern lights you need to move away from artificial light, if you are on foot you will be restricted to just one area. Having a car means that you can drive around and cover more ground. It also means that you can stay warm and stay out for longer.

3) My third tip is be persistent. Many Icelanders see the Northern lights so often that they are only really attracted to very dramatic displays. They also tend to go to work and sleep for much of the night. But this isn’t true for you as you have more time on your hands on holiday. Personally the times I have seen the lights are between 10pm and 2am – I don’t know if this is scientifically proven but for me at least that has always been the time the lights are the most active.

4) Know what you are looking for. The northern lights in reality are often rather different to what people were expecting. The first point is that they are not as green as you think, but mysteriously they tend to end up green whenever you take a picture of them. Feint displays of the northern lights are often indistinguishable from cloud. At the other end of the scale, the lights can be frightening – like the multicoloured beams of an alien spaceship. Given this, it is a good idea to read up on the lights before you go, so you know what it is you are actually looking for. You could start by looking at the web pages of the University of Alaska, that deal with this subject.

Iceland express on the verge of collapse?

neilh10 — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:35:09 +0000

Looks like Iceland express might be in a bit of difficulty.

Earlier on today, the Icelandic media (h/t Iceland Weather report) reported that it has pulled its Keflavik – New York route, with immediate effect. This is a rather unusual and drastic step, even for an airline with a reputation for extreme unpredictability, like Iceland express.

And within the last few hours, the UK media have reported that the airlines sister company, Astraeus Airlines has filed for bankruptcy. As far as I understand it, all the operations of Iceland express were outsourced to Astraeus. They are owned by the same Reykjavik based parent company, Eignarhaldsfélagið Fengur HF.

I am hopeful that there will be some kind of rescue for Iceland express, who have been highly instrumental in making Iceland accessible for tourists. Many of their detractors forget this. They also employ about 60 people on the Island- far more than I suspect easy jet ever will. The airline plays an important part in Icelandic cultural life – like their rivals Icelandair, they sponsor sport tournaments and music events.

(from flickr)

However, given the circumstances, I think it would be rather unwise to book flights on Iceland express, until a clearer picture emerges of the situation.

Update (6.57pm)

It seems that Iceland express have released a press release, indicating that they will continue flying and have signed a deal with CSA Czech Airlines to lease a 180 seat Airbus A320 with immediate effect. There is no sign of the press release on the Iceland express website (nor is there any coverage of their decision to pull the new york flights, which is rather unhelpful). Indeed, the most recent press release on the Iceland express website dates back to 2008. I read about this development on RUV.

Easy jet formally announce flights to Iceland in 2012.

neilh10 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:35:47 +0000

It’s now confirmed, according to the Daily Mail. Easy Jet will be flying to Iceland, x3 times per week in 2012, starting March 27th. Quoting the article:

Low-fare airline easyJet has announced plans to begin flights to Reykjavik.

The no-frills carrier is set to launch a three-times-a-week service to the Icelandic capital from Luton. Flights will begin on March 27 next year.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (November 10), with fares beginning at a wallet-friendly £32.99 for a single journey and £58.81 return.

Paul Simmons, easyJet’s UK director, comments: ‘It is hugely exciting to be able to offer easyJet flights to Iceland for the very first time.

‘Our new route will not only be attractive for business travellers, but also for those looking for culture-rich city breaks or adventurous travellers looking for unrivalled scenery and activities.’

There you go. A new era in low cost travel to Iceland has arrived. Hopefully it will be a good thing.

h/t to the grapevine for the link.

Wow. Details emerge of Iceland’s new budget Airline.

neilh10 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:21:23 +0000

Iceland Review are reporting today that the new Icelandic airline, speedily assembled over the past few weeks by Matthías Imsland, former CEO of Iceland Express is to commence operations to a number of unspecified european destinations in Spring 2012 under the name ‘Wow’.

From the article:

A new Icelandic airline which will offer flights to “fine destinations at a reasonable price” as of spring 2012 will be called WOW Air and will be open for bookings “in the coming days,” as its website, which is under construction, promises.

“But first we have to hire people, choose the uniforms, organize the seat pockets and polish the airplanes,” the website continues.

At the airline’s Facebook site, applications are called for, and, according to Morgunbladid, almost 600 people have applied for work at WOW Air.
Several tens of positions, both in management and as part of the cabin crew, are available and other positions will be advertised shortly. Preparations for the airline’s operations are going at full speed.

WOW Air is owned by investor Skúli Mogensen, former CEO of Iceland Express Matthías Imsland and others. Part of a dispute which arose between Imsland and Iceland Express has now been resolved.”

You can check out their website here and their facebook page here (all in Icelandic). The main observation I would make at this stage is that they are, in their initial promotional spiel, emphasising that they can be trusted and that ‘you don’t want to pay for the savings’, perhaps a reference to the poor reputation of rivals Iceland express in the field of customer service. This indicates to me that they won’t be competing on price with their two rivals. The other interesting thing is that they are looking for staff who can speak French and German, which suggests they might be looking at other markets than London and Copenhagen.

And, in the meantime, as reported yesterday, I heard back from the easyjet press office confirming that it hasn’t made any announcement about a new route to Iceland in 2012, yet. The press officer commented that “easyJet is always assessing new opportunities to develop its network and better serve the local demand. Should there be, any new route announcement will be done in due course”.

UPDATE

A swiss travel agent is marketing the first Wow air flights, a 2x weekly service from Zurich and a 1x weekly service from Basel. Summer (1st June to 30th September) only. Price 690 Swiss francs return, including taxes. LINK

UPDATE 23/11

Wow Air are now in action. Looks like a summer only charter type operation, flying to a similar range of destinations as Iceland express, including London Stansted.

Picture from Wow air facebook page

Future of Hope? A British filmmakers take on post-crash Iceland

neilh10 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:56:27 +0000

About 18 months ago I responded to a call for donations on Kickstarter from a couple of british filmmakers, who were driving around Iceland in a campervan making a film about Iceland. The project promised to focus on the positive and inspirational things to come out of Iceland since the economic crash, and set out its main objective as improving the reputation and image of Iceland on a global scale, and also give hope to many individuals throughout the world that are faced with an uncertain economic future.

Along with 181 others, I pledged about £20 and signed myself up. And, today, I finally recieved a copy of the film, entitled: Future of Hope, on DVD. And, sure enough, I appeared (probably for the first and last time in my life) in the end credits of a film. And, having finally watched the film, i’m really glad I supported the project and helped make the film happen. Given its tiny budget of $10000, the film looks (and sounds) incredibly accomplished, with some awesome and inspirational shots of Iceland and its people.

For those who didn’t know, Iceland has a lot of renewable energy, clever, resourceful (and occasionally eccentric) people, and a lot of crazy ideas that somehow actually end up working. Like the idea of building a pub and concert hall in Flateyri (population 170), or a school on top of a thermal spring 150 miles from the nearest town, with no road connections. ‘Future of Hope’ focusses in on the entrepeneurs who see the potential for a sustainable future in Iceland: an organic farmer, a greenhouse farmer, a social entrepeneur in Reykjavik and a guy who has built a thai restaurant in the middle of nowhere, along with a turf hut, where he lives with his Thai wife – all financed by a foreign currency denominated loan which has since gone bad.

One observation I would make is that the people profiled in the film are not that typical of the Icelandic population at large. It doesn’t show regular Icelanders making unnccessary trips around the suburbs of Reykjavik in oversized jeeps, flying to London and Copenhagen to go on shopping trips, and eating lots of hot dogs and Ice cream. Iceland really isn’t that different to anywhere else in the world, when it comes down to it.

Indeed, one of the challenges that the film provoked in my mind is whilst Iceland could have a sustainable future, there are few signs that this potential is going to be harnessed in the near future. The greenhouse farmers are complaining that the electricity company would rather sell the energy to the aluminium plant for cheaper. Politics intervenes: there are more jobs to be had in an alimunium plant. Everyone in Iceland seems to value the wonderful inheritance they have in the land and its energy, albeit in different ways, and people differ endlessly and squabble over on how best to take things forward. Unfortunately this is a rather depressing feature of Icelandic life that isn’t given much coverage in the film, and in consequence the complete picture (as I see it) doesn’t really emerge.

However, we we’re promised a positive film that shows Iceland as a role model for the rest of the world. And it does exactly that. I wouldn’t be at all suprised if the film becomes a bit of a hit, particularly as the Icelandic ‘revolution’ that took place in 2008 has (perhaps inadvertently) become a role model for political activists across Europe. And, this kind of attention is really positive, because it acts as a very powerful counterweight to the totally innaccurate perception of Iceland as a nation of crooked bankers and thieves, as a consequence of the Icesave fiasco.

Overall, ‘Future of Hope’ does a great job at promoting Iceland from a kind of centre-left, environmentalist point of view. There are lots of great people in Iceland with wonderful ideas and visions, and they are making these happen right now, and ‘Future of Hope’ manages to really capture them. It’s the kind of film that I can imagine lending to friends and aquaintances when they ask for more information about Iceland. At the end of the day, if you are attracted to the vision set out in Future of Hope, you would probably really enjoy going on holiday to Iceland.

Easy Jet to fly to Iceland in 2012

neilh10 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:07:57 +0000

DV.is are reporting today that easy jet will begin flying from London to Reykjavik, in Summer 2012.

The story is tied to a complex and ongoing (and not very interesting) saga regarding a former Iceland express CEO, who has announced his intention to start ‘Iceland Jet’, a new low cost airline. But details of both operations are sketchy to say the least. Easy Jet have not commented on the story in DV, so it might of course all be speculation and wild rumour.

With that caveat in mind, it would make a lot of sense for easy jet to start flying to Iceland. One of the incentives for easyjet or ryanair to start up in Iceland is that there are no restrictions on night time flying at Keflavik: they could service the route through the night when their planes would otherwise be sat on the tarmac somewhere, departing London at ca 10pm, arriving at Reykjavik at midnight, departing at 1 and arriving back at around 5am. Whether people would actually want to fly at such unsociable hours, is another matter. Probably yes, if the flights are cheap enough. There is a precedent for this: Germanwings, Air Berlin and Lufthansa follow this timetable over the summer, serving regional destinations in Germany.

An alternative would be to compete with the established operators on the London – Keflavik route: Icelandair and Iceland express, both on price (there appears to be a bit of a cartel in operation, the prices never seem to fall below £180 return: EFTA take note), and by putting on flights at different times. For instance, there is currently no morning flight from London to Reykjavik – the earliest you can get to Iceland currently is mid afternoon. If easyjet could figure out a way of putting on a flight that arrives in to Iceland at 9 – 10am, I’m sure this would appeal to business travellers and people who want to travel to onward destinations, after they have arrived in Iceland. British airways tried this for a few years but gave up in 2008 (the flightleft Gatwick at 7.30, arriving Keflavik 9.45, departing at 10.30 and arriving back at gatwick at 14.35, x5 times per week), presumably because the economic problems in Iceland reduced demand from business travellers on this route.

But overall, competition on the route is probably good news for customers like you and me. I’ll follow this story closely and report back as it evolves.

Update 01/11

Ok, I’ve heard back from easy jet who have offered the following comments on the DV.IS report.

easyJet is always assessing new opportunities to develop its network and better serve the local demand. Should there be, any new route announcement will be done in due course.

No formal announcement then. Not yet, anyway.

photo from flickr. h/t to the Iceland weather report for the link.