On June 9th, PLAY inaugurated its highly anticipated service to New York Stewart International (SWF) From Keflavik International (KEF). I was honored to be a special guest on this transatlantic flight operated by the Icelandic low-cost carrier.

The next step

PLAY had already launched flights to Baltimore/Washington International and Boston Logan. Naturally, New York would be a welcome addition for the airline. I was particularly excited about this trip. Not only because it would be my first flight across the Atlantic Ocean on a narrowbody, but because it would also be my first time visiting New York Stewart.

Based north of New York City, passengers in Upstate New York have another transatlantic option with SWF rather than traveling via the busy hubs of Newark and JFK. As the only international operator at the site, PLAY is providing plenty of potential for the tourism industry in the Hudson Valley with the service.

Altogether, the cost of operating at New York Stewart is much lower than at other airports in the region. So, the carrier can offer low fares between the US and Europe by taking advantage of less traffic on the ground.

After a night’s stay in Iceland, I arrived at KEF nice and early for the cake-cutting ceremony ahead of the flight. CEO Birgir Johnsson was on the scene celebrating with the flight crew. The Airbus A321neo taking us to the United States could be spotted in the background.

Time to board

I was eager to have a look at the plane. So, as soon as the festivities were over, I approached Gate D15, hopped along the jetbridge and boarded the twinjet.

The first aspect I noticed was the high-density formation. However, there was still plenty of space to be had, complemented by PLAY's straightforward and sleep decor. Even after everyone boarded, there was a lot of room for bags in the overhead lockers, undoubtedly a pull factor for those looking to save money by avoiding check-in fees.

I was seated in 6F, allowing for a fantastic view ahead of the right engine. There was a space in between me and the fellow passenger, giving room for movement on the six-hour journey.

Meal service

The crew completed their checks, and Flight OG121 took off at 15:27 GMT. It was a smooth leveling, and the flight attendants came by to offer food and beverage.

Passengers can choose from several options on PLAY’s inflight menu. From snacks to wraps and sodas to beers, the offerings are noticeably diverse.

Yet, readers of my previous reviews would already know that I’m gluten intolerant, which often means I’m often limited to options, especially on low-cost flights.

Interestingly, the only gluten intolerant specialty provision was a gluten-free beer. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to try this out. Therefore, I ordered a Gull Lite along with a host of random snacks that I could eat.

Brewed by Iceland's Olgerdin, Egils Gull is a popular beer in the country. This light version was crisp and familiar to an everyday lager at a restaurant. The “Olove” olives were juicy and were rounded off with Icelandic candy Opal, which had a distinct licorice taste.

Opportunity to relax

The cabin crew came back to take our waste packaging, and I decided to then sit back and enjoy the views. After a short nap, I was reminded that these units were originally bought by Interjet before the Mexican airline ceased operations in 2020. This aspect can be noticed on board, as the flight information shared on the overhead screens had lesser-known Mexican destinations data displayed. Spanish wording is also dominant on certain signage.

The Recaro seats offer 34 inches of pitch on each of the 192 all-economy seats. It was a comfortable experience, especially for such a long time in the air on a narrowbody. I was definitely refreshed after the short nap, and the timing of the flight is perfect as it departs and lands in the afternoon.

Passengers on the right side were treated to a wonderful surprise of spectacular views of Greenland. It was majestic seeing the vast white land from up above. A short while later, Canada’s Northeast also offered a magnificent sight.

This factor allows passengers to get a good night's sleep, head to the airport, and land at their destination without exhaustion. A connecting customer from the likes of the UK would also be able to transit with enough time.

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Looking back

I had the option of staying in Iceland overnight, which is also recommendable to experience some natural wonders such as the Blue Lagoon. If transiting from another country with no external stopover, I particularly advise stocking up on Netflix or Kindle downloads, to ensure that you have enough entertainment material on this transatlantic journey as there is no IFE.

Importantly, the A321neo on the way there had no USB charging points. So, a portable charger is recommended. The A320neo on the return did have under-seat USB points. I was in seat 5A on the inbound flight, and the experience was just as comfortable, allowing me to sleep for most of the service.

The outbound OG121 landed in New York State at 17:37 EDT. The total duration was just five hours and 52 minutes. New York Stewart is significantly smaller than its neighbors, and the staff is far more personable from my experience. While waiting for bags, we were advised to conduct our immigration processing at the digital kiosks. However, due to technical issues, most of the kiosks advised passengers to be referred to an official.

Regardless, the officials were friendly and were keen to fix the growing pains. The processing was far quicker than my experiences at Newark and JFK, and there was far less congestion overall.

I saw that the return leg on my arrival had enough passengers boarding to give a near-full load. Ground staff informed me that passengers from all across the United States flew into New York Stewart in order to connect to Europe via PLAY’s service.

I’d definitely consider this route as an option for my next trip to the East Coast. I’d love to try it again with my family, especially with a day or two in Iceland on the way. With one-way flights launching as low as £139 from Stansted, there is plenty of potential with this alternative New York service.

What are your thoughts about PLAY’s operations to New York Stewart International Airport? Are you looking to fly with the carrier soon? Let us know what you think of the airline and its operations in the comment section.

Simple Flying traveled on this flight as a guest of PLAY.