Are you tired of the same old airline experience? Looking for something different, affordable, and with a touch of adventure?
Check out Play Airlines – a relatively new “no-frills” airline based in Iceland. This fresh face in the airline scene took flight in 2022, offering wallet-friendly trips from the Canada & United States to fantastic destinations like Lisbon, London (Stansted), Madrid, Copenhagen, Prague, and Venice, and many more.
A few weeks ago, I decided to surprise my dad by flying home to the UK for his 70th birthday. As I didn’t have much time to plan, and in order to keep my arrival a surprise, I needed to deviate from my typical Toronto to Heathrow flights and quickly began looking for the cheapest (and shortest) flights into Stansted.
After a few hours of trying to find tickets to England for less than $1000 and without 3 layovers, I found and decided to try Play Airlines. To my surprise, they offered a roundtrip ticket from Hamilton (YHM) to Stansted (STN) for just $670. This price included one personal item and one carry-on bag which really was a steal compared to the other flights I had looked at.
Now, you might be asking yourself, “What’s the catch? How can the price be so low?”
Well, here’s the scoop from my recent experience: Play Airlines keeps costs down by operating as a budget airline. Translation? Forget about complimentary snacks, drinks, or in-flight movies. And don’t be surprised if they charge you extra for printing your boarding pass – they prefer you to handle that before you even set foot in the airport.
These little inconveniences are a piece of cake to manage. I planned ahead and packed my own snacks, a water bottle and plenty of entertainment.
The real question on my mind? Does the low price tag mean low-quality service?
In this candid and honest review, I spill the beans on my experience flying from Hamilton, Ontario to London, Stansted giving you the lowdown on what to expect from this budget-friendly carrier.
Booking Options and Flight Bundles
Play Airlines probably has one of the quickest and most straight-forward booking experiences. There are four different flight bundles to choose from (Basic, Basic Plus, Value and Flex) which means you have the option to customize your travel experience without breaking the bank.
You start by choosing how much luggage you need, if you need flexibility to change your flights after booking, and what type of seat and boarding option you would like. Naturally, the more you need, the more you’ll pay. I went for the Value option which included:
- Flight fare and taxes
- 1 Personal Item
- 1 Carry on bag
- 1 Check in bag (20 kg limit) – perfect for bringing back all of fav UK chocolate!
- Priority boarding
- Ability to select seat at booking (middle to back of plane)
This option increased the flight from the basic fare of $670 to just under $900, however this saved me time, hassle and money at the airport as Play offers a discount when you book extras when you book your fare.
Smooth Sailing: Check-in and Boarding Experience
On my outbound flight, I wasn’t able to check-in online (the joys of travelling with two passports) but once at the airport the staff went out of their way to help me – making the check in experience quick and painless – and even checked my bag straight to my destination. Also because I couldn’t check in online, they waived the fee for printing my boarding pass too. Result!
With smaller aircraft, the boarding times are significantly faster compared to larger carriers. However, Play flights board from the tarmac, you may find yourself having to carry your bags up and down multiple flights of stairs. This can be inconvenient, especially if you have heavy bags, are travelling alone or have mobility issues. Boarding can sometimes be delayed by passengers trying to take a “selfie” with the aircraft. While it’s understandable that people want to document their unique flying experience, it can cause minor delays for those eager to get settled onboard.
In-Flight Comfort and Amenities
Once onboard, I was pleasantly surprised by the clean seats and generous amount legroom – even for economy seats. Although Play Airlines does not offer business or first class, per se – they do provide a few seats with extra leg room. Even though I didn’t have one of these “extra legroom” seats, I still felt that I had much more space than I’m used to on the larger carriers.
On my outbound flight, even though I had booked a window seat, I ended up with the whole row to myself, so was able to stretch out and get some much needed shut-eye. One thing that caught me off guard was the fact that Play Airlines doesn’t offer water free of charge. I knew that food and other drinks were available for purchase (and the menu offered lots of variety), but I can’t help but feel that water should be free on all flights, especially on long-haul flights like mine.
Oh, did I mention that I was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights during my flight? How many people can say that?
Effortless Layovers
When I landed in Iceland, I had a relatively quick and painless layover. Because my bag had been checked directly to Stansted I didn’t need to worry about collecting and re-checking bags, or dealing with the hassle of clearing customs, immigration or another round of security. Instead I had enough time to grab a quick coffee and snag some duty-free.
Punctuality and Reliability
During my trip, three of my flights left on time (one actually left a few minutes early), and despite one flight leaving late, all flights landed on time. This level of punctuality is impressive, especially for a relatively new airline. It gave me peace of mind knowing that I could rely on Play Airlines to stick to their schedule so that I wouldn’t have to inconvenience family members waiting at the airport to pick me up.
Unique Offerings: Long Layovers in Iceland
Although I didn’t take advantage of it this time, Play Airlines offers travellers the option to break up your journey by spending a long layover (up to 10 days) in Iceland for no extra cost! What a great way to check off some bucket-list destinations like the Blue Lagoon and the Northern Lights before continuing on to your final destination.
Final Verdict:
Overall, my experience with Play Airlines was positive and I will likely fly with them again.
The quick boarding times, on-time flights, and comfortable economy seats with extra legroom were definite highlights. I really liked having the option to pay for additional services I wanted and tailoring my travel experience to my needs, all while keeping costs low.
While there were a few drawbacks, such as the complicated online check-in process and the lack of complimentary water, these were minor inconveniences compared to the overall value and unique experience Play Airlines offers.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to travel, I highly recommend considering Play Airlines for your next trip. Embrace the no-frills approach, enjoy the stunning views from the air, and get ready for a journey that’s anything but ordinary.
Book your Play Airlines flight today and dive into a budget-friendly adventure! Have stories to share or need travel tips? Drop a comment and let’s connect!
