New Seattle route announced by Icelandair

A new scheduled service connecting London Heathrow with Seattle-Tacoma will be launched by Icelandair on 22nd July 2009. As all flights connect in Reykjavik, passengers will have the option of an Icelandic stop over at no extra cost.

Iceland’s biggest airline is to fly four times a week (on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) leaving London at 13.00 and arriving at 16.45 in Seattle. Working in co-operation with Alaska Airlines, this early arrival allows for a host of onward connections to destinations in the western United States and Canada, including: Anchorage, Calgary, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Vancouver. Returning flights depart Seattle on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 15.30, arriving in London at 11.45 the following day. Flights to Seattle will also be available from Manchester, but will require an overnight stopover in Iceland.

Flights to Seattle will be covered by 183-seat Boeing 757 planes with Saga Business Class, Economy Comfort Class and Economy Class seating. Passengers will enjoy new leather-upholstered seats with state-of-the-art personalised entertainment systems.

Known as an aviation pioneer, Icelandair still uses its mid-Atlantic hub in Iceland to connect Europe with North America; so despite the current economic climate, the Seattle service is considered an opportunity to provide customers with a new destination and cost-effective way to travel to the western United States and Canada. “One could say the launch of the Seattle service smells like Viking spirit,” said Hjorvar Saeberg Hognason, General Manager – UK & Ireland. “With its accessible nature, active lifestyle and music scene, Seattle is a very similar destination to Iceland. We believe both are growing destinations waiting to be explored. And with the option of the Iceland stopover, we hope that passengers will consider combining Seattle and Iceland to make a unique holiday.”

Icelandair has a 70 year history and is proud to be among the world’s longest established airlines. The airline has been a member of IATA since 1950, a member of AEA since 1957 and the International Flight Safety Foundation since 1966. Today, Icelandair’s route network is composed of 25 international gateways including London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK. In addition to Seattle, Icelandair also provides service to Reykjavik, Iceland and six North American gateways: Boston, Halifax, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Orlando and Toronto.

Visit www.icelandair.co.uk for further information.