WOW Air is back! 8 simple rules before you consider flying WOW
During a conference over the weekend, it was reported that budget airline, WOW Air, the Icelandic Airline that went bankrupt in March 2019, will be back in business this October. The airline will not launch a full route yet, but will resume its business by initially flying between Washington DC and Reykjavik.
According to Iceland Magazine:
The Icelandic budget airline went bankrupt in March leaving thousands of passengers stranded all across Europe and North-America. During this, the former WOW Air CEO Skúli Mogensen said that time simply ran out before the airline was able to find funding to keep them operational.
8 simple rules before you consider flying WOW
Here are 8 simple rules should you plan on booking WOW Air flights from DC (or any immediate airports that WOW will be going to). WOW Air has been in the hot seat with passengers complaining about their crew, their charges when it comes to seat selection, and baggage handling. WOW Air was also known for changing flights or known for their flight delays.
- Book with caution.
- Do your homework. Read the past reviews.
- Be prepared, and perhaps be overprepared.
- Know the baggage rules, and play by the rules.
- Manage your expectations – do not expect a first class airline. THIS. IS. A BUDGET. AIRLINE.
- Know the reason WHY you booked with WOW (assuming you did so because of low airfare)
- Prepare for the unexpected.
- Book with a credit card with Travel Protection benefits
- Trip Cancellation
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance
These benefits are available with a few trusted credit cards such as Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Always good to review the existing available benefits offered by your credit cards.
My WOW Air experience
Back in 2017, my wife and I, along with a couple of our dear friends, Ana and Stephen, experienced WOW Air service. We took advantage of a special – $99 from Los Angeles to Reykjavik. That was insane. We flew nearly 10 hours from California to Iceland and only paid $99.
I’m not here to dispel any of the issues associated with WOW. But I am here to point out that I did my homework and I prepared. I knew what to expect. The crew from Los Angeles to Iceland to Sweden and back were all approachable. They were very pleasant during the entire trip. Our flights left on time. I did experience a hiccup, a lost baggage – but I was not worried. WOW Air kept in touch with me the entire time, along with the baggage service, and my baggage was found and returned to me. I blogged about my experience in 2017 (click here):
The Road to Iceland and flying WOW Air
With that blog entry in 2017k, I somehow found myself being interviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Rob Copeland of the WSJ wrote an article on different travelers and how we avoid all of these excessive airline fees.
How a bowl of ramen got me on The Wall Street Journal
I was one of the travelers featured, and it was my WOW Air flight that was the inspiration for this post. Here’s the link the Wall Street Journal article that was published in April 2018.
Avoiding Budget Airline Fees (Wall Street Journal)
Will I fly WOW again
The answer is yes, but I would proceed with caution. I have no immediate desire to fly to Iceland anytime soon. I will be on the lookout and see the development with this new WOW Air. Until then, let’s wait for further announcements and development.
H/T Iceland Magazine