Getting Information on Air Fares Is a Challenge.
I wonder if it’s an actual marketing strategy of the airline industry to confuse their customers. For example, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the price of a ticket.
Oh, I know there’s a computer somewhere that figures it all out and the amount they charge for flying us from A to B varies according to how far in advance we book the flight. But the only way the individual consumer can figure it out and get a good deal is to go to one of the websites that compares all the available fares on that particular day: Expedia or Kayak, for example. And sometimes, even then, you have to absorb the relevant information by osmosis.
The last time I checked-in for an American Airlines flight from here on Maui to Los Angeles, I inquired about the cost of an upgrade and was told it was $350. I declined. A month ago, when I checked in for an Alaska Airlines flight from here to Sacramento, an upgrade into first class was a hundred bucks. Quite a difference. I popped for the extra hundred and it was well worth it for a flight of almost six hours.
In September, I’m flying from Seattle to Paris on Icelandair with a ticket I purchased through Expedia.com. There’s a stop in Reykjavik, but the total flying time is ten-and-a-half hours and the plane is my least favorite: a Boeing 757 with tight three-and-three seating. So, I thought, since my economy ticket only cost $545, why not check to see what the cost of an upgrade to first class on that flight would be.
I emailed Icelandair and received a reply saying that I would have to get that information from Expedia since they had booked the flight. I called Expedia and, after some delay, was told that there is no first class seating on that Icelandair flight. At that particular moment, however, I was looking at a seating chart for that very flight on the SeatGuru web site, which clearly showed a first class cabin with 22 seats. Upon hearing that, the Expedia agent put me on hold for several minutes. When she returned, she had my answer: the cost of an upgrade could only come from Icelandair.
Back to Icelandair I went, and more time spent on hold. No indeed, said a polite but very firm lady, who finally came on the line. I would have to get that information from Expedia because they had negotiated some special fares and, therefore, only they can tell me what an upgrade would cost.
In the meantime, I learn by going direct to the Icelandair web site that a first class ticket on my flight, from Seattle all the way to Paris, would cost $2700. Furthermore, clicking on a tiny “Information” icon revealed this little nugget: Icelandair’s first class service includes “à la carte meals”.
Whoa! That’s almost $2200 more than what I paid for an economy seat, and for that I get a wider seat, more legroom, and a couple glasses of wine … but the food is extra?
I think not. But thanks anyway, Expedia. Or is it Icelandair?
Many thanks for the clarification. It really didn’t make sense. I do think I’ll try to get an answer out of Expedia as to the cost of the upgrade, just to see what the number is.
I’m just going to be connecting in Reykjavik, no stop-over, although I was really tempted.
Thanks for the info!
First class (called Saga class on Icelandair) DOES include meals. (“A la carte” is probably a bad translation meaning you get to choose courses separately.) The main advantage isn’t food, but rather a much more spacious seating configuration. That said, Icelandair (which flies exclusively 757s) isn’t bad in coach. It was more comfortable than the same type of plane on Delta or United. The food they sell in coach is decent and more fairly priced than on some airlines. It includes a number of things unique to iceland. (Try the doughnuts and/or the licorice.)
Keflavik (the Reykjavik airport, which is nowhere near the city) is a pleasant place to wait for a plane. Be aware, though, that there’s almost no seating by the gates. Once they open up the passport check for your flight, high-tail it downstairs to claim a seat.