American joins rush of airlines offering flights from DFW to Iceland
American Airlines said Tuesday it will enter the scrum of airlines launching service from North Texas to Iceland, joining two Icelandic carriers that announced service to DFW Airport earlier this year.
American said it will offer seasonal service between DFW and Reykjavik’s Keflavík International Airport, following announcements from Icelandair and the ultra-low-cost discounter WOW Air. The carriers plan to begin nonstop flights next year.
The competition should help keep fares to the Nordic island in check, giving travelers a chance at an exotic getaway that’s typically cheaper than a European-bound vacation.
“Reykjavik is Iceland’s capital city and has become a very popular leisure destination for summer travel,” American spokeswoman Lakesha Brown said in a statement. “We’re always looking at ways to take customers where they want to go and when there’s an opportunity to add a new destination to the world’s largest network, we take it.”
Iceland has seen a boom in tourism in recent years, as affordable fares and unforgettable volcanic landscapes have drawn waves of new visitors.
The country had about 1.8 million visitors in 2016, nearly double the figure from 2014, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.
American’s flights from DFW to Iceland will begin June 7, 2018 and run through Oct. 26. Tickets go on sale Monday.
The carrier plans to operate the flight on a 176 seat Boeing 757-200 with lie-flat business class seats.
American will be competing with Icelandair, the country’s largest airline, which offers a similar full-service offering including free checked bags and business class seating.
There’s also WOW Air, which has brought the ultra-low-cost model found at U.S. carriers like Spirit and Frontier to the international space. It announced in September that it will offer $99 one-way introductory fares on its route from DFW to Iceland, though it charges for nearly everything else, from seat assignments to bags.
WOW Air’s service is scheduled to begin May 24, while Icelandair’s will start May 30.
This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 4:59 PM with the headline "American joins rush of airlines offering flights from DFW to Iceland."