Play

[MrFenner]

Play to offer first direct flights between Cardiff and Iceland
(article and credit to TravelWeekly)

"Low-cost carrier Play will operate a limited run of flights from October 10 to November 20 between Cardiff and Iceland’s Keflavik airport.

It said the service will be first direct operation between the two airports.

Passengers will be able to fly direct to Keflavik, Iceland’s gateway to Reykjavik, or choose to connect to Play’s four US destinations – New York Stewart, Boston, Baltimore/Washington, Washington Dulles – and Toronto in Canada.

Flights between Cardiff and Keflavik start at £59 one way, with connections to North America flights starting at £179 one way.

Play will operate two flights per week on Mondays and Fridays for a six-week duration ending November 20, to coincide with half-term school holidays in Wales from October 28 to 1 November 1.

Flights will adjust to Thursdays and Sundays during the initial week and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the last week to accommodate two Uefa Nations League matches between Iceland vs Wales.

The airline will operate a 180-seat Airbus A320neo between Iceland and Cardiff, with a flight time of two hours and 40 minutes."

 

[Em0866]

That was unexpected but welcome news! I hope it will prove popular and they'll have a regular service next year.

 

[Silvercity]

Well done Cardiff, nice boost .

 

[StanMan]

A very welcome (and as Em0866 says, unexpected) boost - but for just a 6 week duration seems quite odd to me. Yes, there's a Wales football match in Iceland in that period and it's school half term.

But if the initial period is to test reaction to the route (both with Reykjavik as a destination and as a transatlantic option), it's an odd time of the year to do that and 6 weeks is hardly long enough for the route to become known, let alone mature in any way.

Maybe they just have a crew / aircraft / slot gap to be filled?

Let's hope that whatever Play are thinking about with this unusual start, that it's just that - a start, and that they become a regular and established operator.

 

[MJC73]

It's nice to discuss what airlines are thinking rather than them not thinking about Cardiff at all.

 

[Silvercity]

They have been operating into Liverpool for some time now reliably ,mixture of A320 or A321.

 

[Jerry]

A very welcome (and as Em0866 says, unexpected) boost - but for just a 6 week duration seems quite odd to me. Yes, there's a Wales football match in Iceland in that period and it's school half term.

But if the initial period is to test reaction to the route (both with Reykjavik as a destination and as a transatlantic option), it's an odd time of the year to do that and 6 weeks is hardly long enough for the route to become known, let alone mature in any way.

Maybe they just have a crew / aircraft / slot gap to be filled?

Let's hope that whatever Play are thinking about with this unusual start, that it's just that - a start, and that they become a regular and established operator.

Well i suspect it's a factor of all of those things. I suspect the airport has approached them about running flights for the football games and they've managed to get a bit more out of them possibly because they may have spare crews. I think it'll be a chance for them to test the market a bit including passengers coming from the USA. One thing that needs to be done is for the Welsh government to really push the route because it's the type of route they need CWL to attract to show how the airport benefits Wales.

 

[Samdorob]

I was looking earlier and a return trip to New York was £288. That’s crazily cheap. I think if word gets out that you can fly from a Cardiff at those sorts of prices then it may be a success.

 

[Jerry]

Nice too see a positive article in Wales Online

Cardiff Airport wins new route to Iceland

Iceland low-cost carrier PLAY will run the route for six weeks.

www.walesonline.co.uk

These are the times for the route. Starts 10/10/24 ends 20/11/24.
Thursday 10/10/24
KEF-CWL 06.20-10.15 CWL-KEF 11.15-13.15
Sunday 13/10/24
KEF-CWL 06.10-10.05 CWL-KEF 11.05-13.05
Friday 25/10/24
KEF-CWL 06.45-10.40 CWL-KEF 11.40-13.40
Monday 28/10/24 to Monday 11/11/24
KEF-CWL 06.45-09.40 CWL-KEF 10.40-13.40
Tuesday 19/11/24
KEF-CWL 06.45-09.40
Wednesday 20/11/24
CWL-KEF 12.00-15.00

Nice to see the route on their homepage
View attachment 30586

 

[MJC73]

RE onward link to North America, Mr Reynolds and Mr McElhenney cld be helpful here. Sure they are focused on north Wales but by all accounts Americans drive 3hrs for a pint of milk!

 

[Jerry]

RE onward link to North America, Mr Reynolds and Mr McElhenney cld be helpful here. Sure they are focused on north Wales but by all accounts Americans drive 3hrs for a pint of milk!

Yep Americans do like to drive, the whole Wrexham thing hopefully is helping boost Wales profile as a country.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

RE onward link to North America, Mr Reynolds and Mr McElhenney cld be helpful here. Sure they are focused on north Wales but by all accounts Americans drive 3hrs for a pint of milk!

Nice idea, but Play fly to Liverpool, which is much better linked to North Wales and Wrexham.

 

[Finger66]

Isn’t St Athan a good place to Wrexham!!!!

 

[Nigel B]

Any idea how bookings are?

 

[MJC73]

The numerous adverts for holidays which were all over SM seem to have dried up so it may suggest bookings are good?

 

[Tinkerman]

There’s been very little noise with this really since the launch. Personally, it would have been great to promote but then with a limited budget the short season offered here was probably down the pecking order for the Marketing budget.

Either way, be great to see this route being a short term success (One would assume the football related flights were full as a matter of course, but any ideas on how the rest are stacking up?)

 

[Jerry]

There’s been very little noise with this really since the launch. Personally, it would have been great to promote but then with a limited budget the short season offered here was probably down the pecking order for the Marketing budget.

Either way, be great to see this route being a short term success (One would assume the football related flights were full as a matter of course, but any ideas on how the rest are stacking up?)

I have seen a few posts on social media about the route. Mynt Travel do seem to be offering a lot of packages with it.

There’s been very little noise with this really since the launch. Personally, it would have been great to promote but then with a limited budget the short season offered here was probably down the pecking order for the Marketing budget.

Either way, be great to see this route being a short term success (One would assume the football related flights were full as a matter of course, but any ideas on how the rest are stacking up?)

Looking at the seat maps and on Cardiff-Keflavik with the exception of the 10/10/24 which looks to be no longer onsale so i assume its sold out the highest load factor was 60 seats but it depends i suppose if the seat maps are accurate.

 

[Samdorob]

I have seen a few posts on social media about the route. Mynt Travel do seem to be offering a lot of packages with it.


Looking at the seat maps and on Cardiff-Keflavik with the exception of the 10/10/24 which looks to be no longer onsale so i assume its sold out the highest load factor was 60 seats but it depends i suppose if the seat maps are accurate.

I assume some won’t be marked as filled until check in - it would depend how many have paid for allocated seats.

 

[Jerry]

I assume some won’t be marked as filled until check in - it would depend how many have paid for allocated seats.

True. I suppose we'll not know until the CAA figures come out but I'd be very surprised if we saw Play return the following year.

 

[Samdorob]

True. I suppose we'll not know until the CAA figures come out but I'd be very surprised if we saw Play return the following year.

I guess it depends what sort of load factors they were expecting. New routes take months to develop and build momentum and Play aren’t the most well known airline to the average person.

I agree though I highly doubt they’ll continue unless they’re confident that they can see growth - particularly for the onward connections to America.