New Route of the Day (11 May 2022): PLAY between Reykjavik and Boston

PLAY (IATA code OG) has followed the launch of its first US service from Reykjavik KEF (to Baltimore/Washington, launched on 20 April) with its second US service, this time to Boston in the state of Massachusetts. The first flight (OG 111) was on Wednesday 11 May. The 3,880-kilometre route will operate daily until the end of September when frequency reduces to 6-weekly, and then 5-weekly from the beginning of November. The carrier will use its 192-seat A321neos on the route. According to planespotters.net it currently has three of the type as well as two A320neos. At under 4,000 kilometres, the route is actually shorter than its intra-European service to Tenerife TFS which clocks in at 4,020 kilometres.

Competition comes from Icelandair, which has served Boston for many years and will be offering up to 3-daily flights this summer, using a mix of its new MAX 8s and classic 767-300s. Icelandair also competes with PLAY on the Baltimore/Washington route, as it resumed 4-weekly service on the route on 13 May.

Route was previously served by Delta and WOW air

Between the end of March 2015 and March 2019 WOW air was Icelandair’s rival on the route, operating a daily service for most of that period. Last summer saw Delta serve the market on a daily basis between 20 May and 5 September using its vintage 757s. However, Delta has chosen not to resume the route this summer.

Before the end of the year, PLAY is planning to start two further US routes, to New York SWF (operating daily starting on 9 June) and Orlando MCO (set to be flown 3-weekly from 30 September). This would become New York SWF’s only transatlantic service this summer, with Norse Atlantic Airways having changed its mind about serving the airport from Oslo.