PLAY Airlines started flying between the U.S. and Iceland way back in 2022. We took the inaugural flight. 

Since then, PLAY has adjusted its schedule and tweaked its network, flying far less across the Atlantic Ocean than it did before. But what hasn't changed is that the ultra-low-cost carrier continues to offer some of the cheapest fares to Europe in the business. 

More than two years ago, we jumped on one of those cheap fares for the very-first flight from the U.S. to Iceland on PLAY Airlines to see what the airline was all about. The end goal was clear: Is PLAY worth it for the bare bones price? 

The experience was more positive than we expected. But if you're looking for a full-service airline like flying American or Delta, you'll want to look elsewhere. 

 

In this post

 

Introducing PLAY Airlines: Iceland's Newest Budget Airline

PLAY has taken the place of another famous (or infamous) Icelandic budget carrier that fizzled out.

It's the successor to WOW Air, another low-cost airline that collapsed in 2019. But it's got much the same business model: Sell dirt-cheap tickets between the U.S. and Iceland (or onward throughout Europe) while charging high fees for … well, pretty much everything else. 

In a matter of months, PLAY Airlines was flying its big red planes to Reykjavik (KEF) from Baltimore (BWI), New York-Stewart (SWF), Boston (BOS), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), and, briefly, even Orlando (MCO). The carrier now also serves Hamilton, Ontario (YHM), just outside of Toronto. 

But lately, PLAY has been scaling back its flights to and from North America as it faces money trouble. It's dropping several cities during the winter months while cutting how often it flights from several others.

I took the inaugural flight and the PLAY experience mirrored what we've come to expect from these budget airlines: A budget-friendly ride between the U.S. to Europe with zero frills. But what I didn't expect after getting through the gate was a comfier-than-expected seat with ample legroom and a nice headrest.

Here's what the PLAY Airlines experience was like on its very first long-haul flight from the U.S. to Iceland.

 

A Few Surprises, Including Legroom

An inaugural flight is never ordinary.

The Baltimore Airport and PLAY spent months drumming up excitement for this first trip across the pond with some special touches like a water cannon salute as PLAY's first plane pulled up to the gate. And it's clear PLAY made some special moves to make a good first impression.

The airline's Airbus A321neo plane and its seats were comparable to any domestic economy class seat you'd find on an American, Delta, or United flight in the U.S. There was plenty of space onboard.

But there was even more legroom than you'd get on most domestic airlines on this PLAY flight: 34 inches! For reference, 34 inches of legroom is what you'll get in most Delta Comfort Plus seats. Extra legroom at every seat on a budget carrier? That's unheard of.

 

airplane seat with generous legroom

 

But this is where PLAY's special touch for this first-ever flight may have come in. Seats on many of its other planes crossing the Atlantic may have as little as 28 inches of legroom – more in the neighborhood of what you can expect flying Spirit Airlines. Just how cramped you'll be is a mixed bag and will depend on the aircraft you fly. 

Make sure you know what you're getting when you book by searching via Google Flights and using the handy Legrooms extension – and keep in mind that it could change from the time you book. The experience could be that much worse without that wiggle room.

But I got lucky with this roomy configuration. My window seat, 21F, was a perfectly fine economy seat with a little bit of recline and plenty of legroom for my 6-foot frame.

 

legroom on a plane
 

The extra room made putting the tray table in place easy. There was plenty of room to operate with it down.

 

airplane seat with the tray table extended

 

One of the most surprising parts were the headrests on this A321neo. They were the extra padded headrests with the adjustable wings, which made finding a comfortable sleeping position slightly easier.

 

adjustable headrests on a play airlines economy seat

 

Each seat included its own dedicated air vents and lights.

Finally, the lavatories were about as standard as an airplane lavatory gets. No special frills here, either: Toilet, sink, soap, towels, tissues, door. Pretty basic.

 

airplane lavatory

 

A Happy & Helpful Crew

The flight crew onboard this PLAY flight were wonderful. Interactions with crew can make or break a flight and all of the crew were excited to be a part of the inaugural flight. 

It's important to consider that this was an inaugural flight and the airline's CEO was onboard, so I'd expect all staff to be on top of their game. 

Still, whether it was helping some passengers with their luggage, to snappy service, to waking us up for a glimpse of the Northern Lights in the middle of the night, it was a memorable flight.

 

One Bad Surprise: No Power

What was noticeably absent from the seats was any power at all. The spots where U.S. airlines and other transatlantic carriers normally put their plug-ins were empty on this PLAY ride.

 

underseat of airplane with no power available

 

But overall, the seat exceeded my expectations for what a budget ride to Iceland would be like. At just five-and-a-half hours, I never got too uncomfortable on the plane. Plus, the inaugural flight was only about a quarter full, which meant everyone got to stretch out once we were up in the air.

 

All the Extras: Food & Snacks (or Lack Thereof)

PLAY airlines offers cheap one-way flights as low as $174 to cross the Atlantic. To keep fares that low, something's gotta give.

If you want to save a few bucks and book with PLAY, there are some flight expectations you will need to shed and one you'll need to accept: Everything will cost you.

For starters, there is zero free water or food service on the flight at all. Food and drink service were offered three different times during the flight, twice at the outset and once again early in the morning before landing. But everything on the menu will cost you, including water at 1 euro for a small water bottle.

 

PLAY Airlines menu

 

They have a decent selection, as you can see. But anything you want will require a swipe of your Visa or Mastercard (PLAY does not currently accept American Express for its inflight purchases or booking airfare, either). The alcoholic drink menu had more options, too.

 

PLAY Airlines alcohol menu

 

I was traveling with my sister, and we were hoping for a nightcap on our journey, so we opted for a couple of whiskeys and a bottled water, you know, for journalism…

 

Whiskey and water on an airplane tray

 

The whole order cost us 19 euro, or about $20 with the exchange rate the way it was in 2022. We opted against ordering food as we arrived for the 7 p.m. flight after a big dinner. If you need a meal, I could see how eating onboard PLAY could add up quickly.

 

In-Flight Entertainment (or Lack Thereof)

There was no Wi-Fi, entertainment options, or any way to access messaging at all on the PLAY Airlines flight. This, among other things, is where the airline cuts corners to keep fares as low as they are.

Don't expect a screen at your seat to watch anything. Instead, TV screens positioned every four or five rows lowered from the ceiling of the plane. The screens featured the flight tracker, but no entertainment.

 

Prepare to Pay Extra for Seats, Legroom & Baggage

Like any low-cost carrier, you'll have to pay separately for seat assignments and baggage too.

PLAY is a 100% economy operation – you won't find anything like Spirit's Big Front Seat or Icelandair Saga business class onboard. There are some extra legroom seats at the front of the plane as well as in exit rows, however – and as you might expect, those will cost you more.

The prices vary from flight to flight, but you can generally expect to pay more for a seat at the front of the plane than something in the back. Prices on flights typically range from as low $5 USD for a seat at the back to about $30 for something closer to the front. Extra legroom seats will run you $30 to $40.
 

PLAY Airlines seat map showing prices

 

You'll get the lowest prices on seats by paying during the booking process. Don't want to pay? You'll get automatically assigned a seat during check-in.

Baggage will cost you, too – all you get for free flying PLAY is a personal item like a backpack that goes under your seat. Once again, the fees vary from flight to flight – and your best bet to get a better deal is by adding a bag during the check-in process.

On flights from the U.S. to Europe, a bundle with a carry-on bag and priority boarding costs $26 to $37 USD, while checking a bag (of up to 44 pounds) costs $32 to $46 USD.

 

a chart of PLAY Airlines baggage fees

 

 

How to Book PLAY Airlines

If you want to fly to Iceland or on to Europe for the cheapest price possible, PLAY Airlines is a solid option.

The site's flashy, silly (you could say playful…) design puts a sheen on its barebones fares you can find with the airline. But like any flight, the best place to start your search for a good deal is by searching with Google Flights.

 

flight prices on google flights from baltimore to iceland

 

At Thrifty Traveler, we don’t accept freebies. We use points & miles or our own cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one.

Google Flights and its calendar tool allow you to zero in on the dates with the very lowest rates for your travels on the airline to Iceland or onward to Europe.

At FlyPlay.com, the airline asks you to put in your origin airport and desired destination on the home page, and then asks how many travelers will be with you. For our example, we'll use a similar BWI-KEF search.

Then, you select your dates of travel using the airline's flight calendar, similar to Google Flights.

 

calendar of airfare by day with prices

 

After selecting the dates, you choose your flights. If you're flying to or from the U.S., there's usually only one daily option, so this part is relatively easy. Then come all the add-ons and fees we've come to expect from ultra-low-cost-carriers.

 

Baggage fees on the PLAY Airlines website

 

The airline is pretty good about being up front about its fees, listing them right out in the open on this page. Every passenger gets a personal item, but carry-ons and checked bags will cost you more. Then, you move on to seat assignment. After choosing your seats on both legs of your flight, you will be sent to the checkout page where you can review your booking info and pay.

Notably, PLAY Airlines does not accept American Express cards, so make sure you have a Visa or Mastercard you can use to make the transaction.

Read more: Why You Should Always Book Flights with A Credit Card

After booking, you'll get an email confirmation with a PDF containing all of your booking information. You can manage your booking at any time at PLAY's website.

But are PLAY Airlines tickets refundable? The answer is usually no. The lowest, most attractive fares can be changeable for a fee, but most are not refundable, unless you upgrade to the highest PLAY fares.

 

Bottom Line

With PLAY Airlines, you get what you pay for. And whether that's a good thing or not, you're not going to be paying very much. 

You'll have to pay fees for everything from seat assignment and bags to water onboard, but you might only pay as little as $200 each way to make the trip.