The Best (and Worst) of Icelandair’s Saga Class
Traveling with little ones in tow isn’t for the faint of heart. Making the journey easier in any way is tempting. Enter Saga Class, Iceland Air’s version of business class.
After learning about Iceland, I knew it would be an ideal spot for a family learning adventure. But I wanted to make sure the :getting there” part was doing for our four kids.
Before our Saga class purchase, I checked out the reviews by the Points Guy and One Mile at a Time. The helpful info they provided managed my expectations before taking our trip.
I learned that Saga Class isn’t called business class or first class for a reason. Even though Saga Class comes at an additional cost, Iceland Air is still aimed at affordability, and Saga Class is not quite on par with it’s international business class counterparts. In other words, you get what you pay for and you shouldn’t expect lay-flat seats while paying half what you would for business class on another airline.
Overnight flights can be tough on little travelers though and I was willing to pay extra to give it a try in hopes that we could start our Iceland adventure off a bit more rested.
The good news? It comes at a significantly lower cost than the business class equivalent on many other airlines. The bad news? Any additional cost can add up quickly, especially when you’re buying tickets for your entire family.
Determining the answer to the “is it worth it?” question is a tough one and the answer will be different for each family. Knowing what to expect beforehand is key. So here’s the nitty gritty on what families can expect on Iceland Air’s Saga Class.
Some off-setting of cost for families traveling in Saga Class.
When comparing prices to other seats, it’s important to include what extras you might pay for with those seats. Things like seat choice, checked bags and food can add up.
I still remember the days when flying meant that taking a bag to check in was a given. Not so much anymore. Many airlines are charging for everything from choosing your seat to bringing any kind of luggage, checked or carried on.
Even though it would still be cheaper to buy economy seats and pay for any extras like checked bags, the up-charge of Saga Class is off-set by including some of those things. Saga Class passengers receive seat choice, priority check-in and boarding, up to 2 checked bags and 1 carry-on at no additional cost.
Families enjoy perks like choosing your seat on Iceland Air Saga Class.
Access to the lounge before your flight for families traveling on Saga Class.
Skipping the mad scramble to find food before our flight was a travel gem. And relaxing in a cool setting was a bonus.
Traveling with the kids for me has always meant getting to the airport in plenty of time to grab food and then trying to lug said snacks on the plane with all the other stuff we’re trying to lug on the plane. So being able to head to a lounge where the snacks are plentiful was a game changer for us. The kids were even able to grab something small from the lounge to take with them in case they got hungry before food was served on the plane.
On our outbound flight out of Dulles airport, the Iceland Air lounge was a shared lounge with Air France and some other airlines. The food consisted of heavy appetizers, alcoholic drinks were served by a bartender, and non-alcoholic drinks were self-serve. Charging ports were plentiful and seating was comfortable. It was a fairly quiet environment, probably primarily because our flight had an 11:50 pm departure.
Iceland Air has its own dedicated lounge in Reykjavík which we visited on our return flight. This large, Icelandic-themed lounge had more food options and drinks with alcohol were self-serve. An indoor fireplace sat in the center of the room, flanked by comfortable seating. Recliners facing the runway filled one wall.
Even though the lounge was filled mainly with adult travelers, I loved this perk of Saga class travel with kids. I found it started the trip off to a great start.
More comfortable seats
Since all Iceland Air’s flights leaving the states are nighttime flights, seats that might be more conducive to sleeping might be the biggest Saga class perk for many.
On our trip, the last thing I wanted to do was get to Iceland with jet-lagged kids who took half our vacation to be awake enough to enjoy the trip. The short 5 hour and 45 minute flight from D.C, wasn’t going to allow for a lot of shut-eye but I wanted to maximize the chances they would get as much as possible.
This is also the part where Iceland Air’s Saga Class gets dinged the most. The seats are not typical of first or business class international seats. They recline less, more similarly to domestic first-class seats on many airlines. My guess is the design was done in that manner because not only is Iceland Air aiming to be an affordable airline, but the length of their North American and mainland Europe flights are more similar to coast to coast flights from the states than flights from North America to other European countries.
My four kids’ thoughts on the comfort of the seats was mixed. The two older kids said they thought they were a lot more comfortable although they weren’t able to sleep much. My youngest daughter was able to curl up and sleep most of the flight. My youngest son didn’t sleep at all. Either way, they were a definite upgrade from our normal go-to on other airlines, economy plus. They provided at least the possibility for more comfortable rest, if not sleep, on the way to our destination.
Families will enjoy the perks of Iceland Air Saga Class.
More access to food onboard.
Something about having less access to food seems to get little stomachs growling. Saga Class helps solve that problem.
Similar to first or business class on other airlines, Iceland Air Saga Class service comes with full meals served at no additional cost. We declined the meals on the outbound flight because we were trying to sleep. On our return flight, we were given a choice between fish and beef. I found the food to be very good for airline food. Additional food choices were available for the kids. We were also able to ask for snacks and extra drinks throughout the flight.
Meal choice is one perk for families who fly Iceland Air Saga Class.
Extras like pillows and blankets, amenity kits, water waiting for you at your seat, complimentary headphones, and free WiFi.
Saga Class includes a little pampering in the way of a few freebies.
Sometimes what truly makes something extra are... well... the extras. Who doesn’t love a blanket to snuggle with when they’re tired? Saga Class comes with a pillow and blanket at your seat as well as bottled water before you have to ask for it. Amenity kits hold things like a sleeping mask, comfy socks, mineral water spritz, a toothbrush and more. My favorite part of the bag were the stickers to put on your shoulder letting the flight know if he or she would wake you for meal service. Free WiFi for two devices and headphones are also a nice touch. And of course, that extra little bit of TLC that comes from the smaller passenger-to-flight attendant ratio is a great perk.
Perks for families on Iceland Air Saga Class. Saga Class amenity bags include things like a sleeping mask, socks, earplugs, a toothbrush, lip balm, lotions and mineral water spritz.
The Verdict On Iceland Air’s Saga Class for Families
For some, Saga Class might be worth the extra cost but frugal families will want to avoid the extra cost.
The verdict from our family? Undecided. I was a “yes” in the “would you do it again” poll. I think the upgraded seating allowed our kids to arrive in Iceland more rested and I liked the extra perks enough to think it was worth it. My husband was a “no”. He felt like our travel dollar would have been better spent somewhere else.
The kids votes were a mixed bag as well. Two felt they rested much better in the comfy seats while the other two were less convinced. They all enjoyed the lounge. My girls were super impressed with the freebies while I’m not sure that my boys even noticed them.
The bottom line is that if you’re looking to add a special perk to your Iceland trip, Saga Class might be a good option for you. It’s more affordable than other airline’s first class options and has some notable advantages. If you’re hoping to save travel money where you can, there will be lots of places to spend what you save when you get to Iceland for your family adventure.
