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WOW Airlines - Has anyone had any experience with them?

WOW Airlines - Has anyone had any experience with them?

Old Feb 22nd, 2019, 01:29 PM
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WOW Airlines - Has anyone had any experience with them?

I'm thinking about using them for a trip to Iceland from the east coast of the U.S. I know they're a discount carrier, but that's about it. It looks like they charge more on baggage fees in order to offer a more attractive ticket price. Are there any other unusual charges I should perhaps beware of? And are there any other consequences that go with being a discount carrier that I should weigh?
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Old Feb 23rd, 2019, 05:43 AM
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We took them about 4 or 5 years ago from Milan to Reykjavik (only one with a direct flight). We would fly them again.

- typical madness checking in - opened counter about 2 hours before departure and there was a large crowd amassed.
- we were concerned about the weight of our carryons, but they were never weighed. (we had heard they were strict)
- flight was on-time (or within 30 minutes, which I consider rounding)
- seats were comfortable - since it was a late flight, we paid for extra legroom (or whatever they call it). Was nice to stretch out.
- flight was not full so room to move around.
- flight attendants were pleasant.
- food was a non event since it was late.

The biggest thing is to pay attention to your weight limits and carryon sizes.
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Old Feb 24th, 2019, 07:13 AM
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We traveled with them from Boston to Iceland to Copenhagen in 2015. New planes then, and you can't forget the flight attendants in their colorful throw-back uniforms. Helped make it feel classier than expected. Our particular plane was hours late arriving in Boston, so we were very late getting to Iceland. I recall food was extra and we opted to eat in the great food court at the Iceland airport. At the time, they had 4 or 5 planes arriving early morning in Iceland and then re-direct many of the passengers to various major cities in Europe. The nice thing (except there was one plane from Baltimore that was even later arriving than ours) is that they wait for everyone from the US before dispatching the connecting planes. Always read the small print on such things as baggage requirements, for example, since they weighed our carry-ons. You rarely get the lowest rate you see. Norwegian is a competing carrier that you might also consider if they have service from your area. We would definitely go with them again, if the opportunity arises.
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Old Mar 1st, 2019, 06:25 PM
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Thanks, whitehall and surfmom! Ironically, we'd be flying from Baltimore.

I've since learned that they have four classes of seats. Class 2 is extra leg room; Class 3 is "standard" leg room; and there's also a Class 4 whose circumstances are left rather opaque: hanging onto a strap in the rear of the plane, perhaps?
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Old Mar 1st, 2019, 06:54 PM
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I think the so-called Class 4 are just standard seats in less popular areas (back of plane, excluding most if not all window seats). It really wasn't that bad. If it's half the price of Delta, it would be a no-brainer for me, but if the difference is $100-200, you might opt for the legacy carrier. You need to calculate the real price with the European style discount carrier. Do you want to select a seat, that's extra for most categories? Do you want food? How about baggage? Even carry-ons can cost more.
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Old Mar 28th, 2019, 04:23 AM
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There is unfortunate news about WOW.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47731043
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Old Mar 28th, 2019, 06:08 AM
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Sorry to see. Although they have had recent "on time" issues, we thought they were a good option and the competition has helped keep European fares down. I guess we will have to see what Jet Blue and Southwest do amid speculation they both are looking to Europe.
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