Icelandic Airline Launches The First Budget Flights From Europe To India

For the first time ever, budget flights will be launched from the UK to India, with the only caveat being that travelers must go through Iceland on their way. The service is being launched by the Icelandic airline company, WOW air, starting in December. Flights from London’s Gatwick airport to Reykjavik is three hours long, while the flight from Reykjavik to New Delhi is 10.5 hours long.

The airline launched the service hoping that travelers will find the small detour through Iceland worthy because of the low cost of the fare. The route is the newest offer in the world of budget travel. If these two hugely different cultures and contrasting landscapes have always been on your bucket list, then now is your chance to experience lava landscapes and rotten shark followed by yoga and the Taj Mahal.

New Delhi, the capital of India, is as much a hectic, bustling metropolis as Reykjavik is a quaint Nordic capital, almost village-like by comparison. However, both cities offer a lot more than meets the eye if you give yourself time to explore them. Interestingly enough, Iceland has a Golden Circle while India has a Golden Triangle, both aptly named tourist routes including the capital cities. In Iceland, the Golden Circle takes in Gullfoss waterfall, the UNESCO world heritage site of Þingvellir National Park and the Geysir hot spring. In India, the Golden Triangle takes in the UNESCO world heritage site of the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra, the pink city of Jaipur and New Delhi itself, putting the classic Northern Indian experience on a map.

The budget airline, WOW air, currently serves 38 cities across Europe, the US, and Canada, offering extremely reasonable flights. In this newest venture to Asia, the fares to New Dehli will start at £149, while the cheapest seats, which only include a carry-on luggage item, will likely sell out very quickly. If you would like to travel premium, the ticket includes two checked bags, a carry-on bag, larger seat, priority boarding and an in-flight meal at the starting price of £499 one way. The new flights to New Delhi will also welcome the airline’s newest aircraft, the Airbus A330neo, which includes bigger seats. As always with budget airline offers, the crux of the deal lies in whether you are willing to forego the amount of luggage you would normally like to bring.