Iceland is simply otherworldly. Volcanoes that rise up from the sea, lava floes running beneath screensaver-like waterfall landscapes, wild horses, and impossibly blue natural hot springs all dot the country in the North Atlantic.
It's wild and stunning … and not all that cheap once you're there, as food and drinks are notoriously expensive in Iceland. There's the world-famous Blue Lagoon and its (possibly better?) competitor Sky Lagoon to relax in while the rest of your time on the island nation can be spent on black sand beaches, exploring waterfalls, taking Game of Thrones filming location tours, and making impossibly scenic drives through a country you won't believe exists.
Despite all that, getting to Iceland doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, cheap flights to Iceland are abundant for trips this summer.
I'm not saying flights were cheap to Iceland for this summer. I'm saying, right now, just a few days removed from the unofficial start of summer, flights to Iceland are still cheap! We've found nonstop flights from just $343 roundtrip from Canada, connecting flights under $580 roundtrip from all over the U.S. flying Delta, and even Icelandair Saga Premium business class fares under $999 roundtrip, too.
Plus, many of the best fares are during June, July, and August – the three best months of the year to visit the scenic island nation, which gets nearly 24 hours of sunlight during that time!
For all these reasons, 2024 might be the best year to visit Iceland ever. Here's how to pull it off.
The Basics of Reykjavík-Keflavík Airport (KEF)
If you’re planning a trip to Iceland from North America, you’ll be flying into Reykjavík (KEF). It's the only option.
The international airport is actually located about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavík, in a small town on the southwest shore of the island called Keflavik. Any trip to Iceland is best with your own set of wheels, so scoring a cheap rental car is key.
There are some affordable public transport options, though the development of rail service from KEF to downtown Reykjavík is still in the works after being postponed during the pandemic. And getting a taxi all the way into Reykjavik will cost a small fortune.
When it comes to flying into Iceland, there are a handful of airlines across the globe with service to Reykjavik – but Icelandair is by far the biggest carrier. Icelandair is a hybrid between a budget airline and a full-service carrier, with decent planes, good service, and typically cheap fares to Iceland!
Read our review of what it's like to fly Icelandair!
While there is more competition between European carriers on routes through Iceland, North American carriers still have a relatively small footprint in and out of the country. Only a few airlines have nonstop service between the U.S. and Iceland, including Icelandair, Delta, United, and newcomer PLAY Airlines which launched service to Iceland in 2022 (with me onboard the inaugural flight!)
In 2024, you can fly nonstop to Iceland from the following 19 North American airports.
- Baltimore (BWI) – Icelandair, PLAY
- Boston (BOS) – Delta, Icelandair, PLAY
- Calgary (YYC) – WestJet
- Chicago (ORD) – Icelandair, United
- Denver (DEN) – Icelandair
- Detroit (DTW) – Delta, Icelandair
- Minneapolis (MSP) – Delta, Icelandair
- Montréal (YUL) – Air Canada
- New York (JFK) – Delta, Icelandair
- New York-Stewart (SWF) – PLAY
- Newark (EWR) – Icelandair, United
- Orlando (MCO) – Icelandair
- Pittsburgh (PIT) – Icelandair
- Portland (PDX) – Icelandair
- Raleigh (RDU) – Icelandair
- Seattle (SEA) – Icelandair
- Toronto (YYZ) – Air Canada, Icelandair
- Vancouver (YVR) – Icelandair
- Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Icelandair, PLAY
How to Book Cheap Flights to Iceland
Iceland might bankrupt you when it comes to paying for food and drinks, but finding a cheap flight to the Nordic country is not as hard as you think. It stands out as one of the cheapest places to travel with a steady stream of discounted airfare deals.
It's all about knowing when and where to look for cheap fares. Or you can let us do the work for you with Thrifty Traveler Premium.
Over the last few weeks, we've found several Iceland flight deals with peak summer dates to Reykjavik (KEF). This is not a drill! Peak summer Europe flights are never cheap, especially during June, July, and August. Something has changed…
Get flight deal alerts like this one sent to your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
This flight deal was unprecedented. You could find these cheap fares for nearly every date these flights operate from many of these cities flying Air Canada, Delta, Icelandair, United, and WestJet.
This brand new Calgary (YYC) to Reykjavik (KEF) route on WestJet was pricing out closer to $1,000 roundtrip just a few weeks ago. Now it's below $400 U.S. dollars!
Prices on these routes have largely held since we first sent an alert to Thrifty Traveler Premium members a few days ago, and we're still searching daily to round up even more summer and fall deals for our members.
For our members in the Twin Cities, nonstop flights on both Delta and Icelandair were under $500 roundtrip, too. And while we're used to seeing this in late August, it's never been this cheap in July. Fourth of July week in Iceland during the midnight sun, anyone?
The nonstop flights to Iceland are great. They're relatively short for a flight to Europe and typically cheaper, too, thanks to Icelandair's influence on the airfare market. But up until a few months ago, finding a connecting flight to Iceland during the summer would have cost you $1,000 or more roundtrip.
If you want to fly there in August this year on Delta, it'll cost you only half that!
Just look at this list! So long as you can grab a connecting Delta flight through Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), or New York (JFK), you could get your way to Iceland during August for prices as low as we've seen in years.
Des Moines is just a quick flight from MSP, but even regional airports like Mobile, Alabama (MOB) were getting access to incredibly low Delta fares to Iceland this year.
Outside of the major U.S. carriers, there's almost always a cheap flight to Iceland waiting with Icelandair. While Icelandair's fares are always kind to your wallet, the airline shouldn't be mistaken for an ultra-low-cost carrier with rock-hard seats, no legroom, and exorbitant fees. Icelandair is much closer to the experience of flying Delta or United than that of PLAY or Frontier Airlines.
Icelandair goes all out with its sales, and that's when our subscribers win the biggest!
Another way Icelandair sets itself apart from low-cost carriers is through its Saga Premium business class. While it's not a lie-flat seat, these plush, roomy recliners are a crazy comfortable way to fly to Iceland with all the bells, whistles, and amenities of a regular lie-flat business class seat. And wouldn't you know it…they can be cheap, too!
Read our review of Icelandair Saga Premium Business Class!
Roundtrip fares on Saga Premium can sometimes dip below $1,000 to Iceland, making it one of the best values for flying over the Atlantic, too.
You could book these low fares to Reykjavík (KEF)…or even connect onward elsewhere in Europe, if you wanted. Iceland flights don't have to be expensive if you know where to look.
Pro Tips for Finding Cheap Flights to Iceland
Always Use Google Flights (Avoid Online Travel Agencies)
Google Flights is the best search platform out there, and it should be your first stop when looking for cheap Iceland flights this year … or any year.
Unlike any other search engine, Google Flights is the most reliable, useful, and helpful tool that we swear by day after day. Stop using other online travel agencies such as Skyscanner or Hopper, save yourself time and a headache.
The pros outweigh the cons by a landslide when it comes to using Google Flights. It has the most features and filters, assuring that you will find the best (cheapest) fare with a reliable booking. You'll be prompted by clear links to book directly with airlines. Without question, Google Flights is the number one method to find the next best flight deal.
Read our guide to using Google Flights to find cheap flights like a pro!
Start with the Cheap Flight, Then Plan Your Trip
In some ways, finding a cheap flight to Iceland is no different than finding a cheap flight anywhere: The key is flexibility.
If you start your search with travel dates locked in and no wiggle room, you’ve dug yourself a deep hole from the start. The absolute key to scoring a deal is flexibility – not only on the day of the week you travel but also the time of year. That's why we've coined what we call the Flight First Rule.
Sometimes, shifting your dates by just a day or two can save you hundreds of dollars. Flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays can also save you quite a bit of money.
Traveling in peak summer (mid-June through mid-August) is ideal for great weather, time off from school for the kids, and many other advantages. But airlines know this, forcing you to pay a premium for travel over those high-demand months. If you’re willing to move your dates to late spring or late summer, you could save hundreds.
It pays to have flexible travel dates. Let Google Flights guide you to the cheapest fares, and open up your schedule to allow you the ability to capitalize on those deals!
Consider Positioning Flights to Save The Most
Lately, we've been seeing a trend where you have a much better shot at booking a cheap Iceland flight from your home airport, but it hasn't always been like that, and it won't necessarily stay that way. If you feel like you're never seeing cheap fares from your home airport, you may want to expand your search and look at flights from a larger city that you can fly out of instead.
It's called using positioning flights, and it's one of the best ways to save on flights to Iceland and any international travel. Think about which major airports around you are easy to snag a cheap flight – or even drive – and check out airfare from there.
Let's say flight prices from your home airport are looking way too steep, but you're just one flight away from a hub that offers crazy cheap flights like this one…
Instead of booking a flight for three or four times that price from your home airport, look into building your own connection with some short, cheap flights so you can take advantage of that low fare.
Of course, you should always do the math to make sure the positioning flights don't set you back even more than the roundtrip, but all of the members of our team use this method of travel and highly recommend it!
Learn all you need to know about the do’s and don’t’s for positioning flights. Putting this concept to use can save you hundreds – especially if prices from your home airport always seem high.
Let Us Find the Best Deals for You
Don’t spend hours of your own time searching for the best fares to Iceland. Let us do the work for you! Our team of experts spends day and night finding the best fares, saving you hundreds on airfare.
Sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and you’ll be the first to know about the next hot deal to Iceland. You’ll be instantly emailed about the best sales from your home airport. We find fares from nearly 200 U.S. and Canadian airports. We’ll do the hard part for you!
Book a Stopover in Iceland
Believe it or not, you might save even more by seeing Iceland and another European destination all in one trip.
Icelandair is one of a handful of international airlines that offers a free stopover program. This is exactly what it sounds like: You can spend up to three nights in Iceland for no extra charge on your way to Europe or back home!
Visiting two countries for the price of one? It doesn't get any better. And sometimes, you can even score a better deal than the nonstop flight to Reykjavik.
Read Next: Our Perfect Icelandair Stopover Itinerary
Icelandair has promoted this type of ticket for years – it's their bread and butter. And depending on the fare you book, you could actually stay for up to seven days at the same price as a standard ticket. Explore Iceland and then continue to mainland Europe for one low price.
Bottom Line
Cheap flights to Iceland are more widespread – and even cheaper – than ever for summer 2024! If you procrastinated booking a trip this summer, Iceland might be your best move.
If you've had the idyllic, volcanic, Nordic nation on your list, this is the year to snag a deal and make it happen.