Welcome aboard Icelandair - Langloka: $5; Dry Icelandic Humor: Priceless

"So why on earth are you going to Iceland this time of year?", numerous baffled friends inquired when apprised of my plans. They had a point - checking the weather online for Reykjavik confirmed my suspicion that it would be freezing cold, snowing, and with about five hours of daylight (sunrise @11am, anyone?).

I couldn't really pinpoint a specific reason, though I've always had this notion of Iceland as an exotic destination (not because of Bjork, mind you) with its numerous waterfalls, glaciers, and landscape. Moreover, I've read and heard about the famously hedonistic nightlife scene ("the best in all of Europe"), the abundance of tall, blonde Icelandic women who won't look out of place at a fashion shoot (or Miss World contest), and of course, the Blue Lagoon.

But the real reason was far more practical - great deals that Icelandair was offering on their air/hotel packages made travelling to Iceland at least a bit affordable. (The ads were ubiquitous, a few friends mentioned seeing them inside NYC subway cars). Coupled with the US dollar's doubling in value vis-a-vis the Icelandic krona, and the fact that I didn't want to sit at home for 4 days during the Thanksgiving holiday, the timing felt right. Plus, by coincidence R. was thinking of going to Iceland as well, so we booked the Icelandair package online.







So, never having been on an Icelandair flight, I didn't know what to expect. The flight from JFK to Reykjavik took only 5 hours non-stop, so I figured an Icelandic dinner would be served (whatever that is), followed by a short nap, and voila - welcome to Reykjavik! As it turned out, food on board Icelandair wasn't free and choice was somewhat limited - the veggie wrap and Langloka (ham and cheese baguette, pictured above) were both 4 euros*, and some sort of chicken salad was selling for 9 euros. Drinks other than cola, juice, and water also wasn't free. (That did not stop the Ukrainian woman beside me from downing a few shots of vodka though).

Luckily, we were seated in the back of the plane and got served first, because the buying process was excruciatingly long. The flight attendants carried these handheld devices for swiping your credit card, which was pretty nifty, but still I wouldn't want to be seated in row 5. By the time I had finished devouring the Langloka (amazingly good for airline food), the attendant had advanced all of three rows. Instead of the nap I intended to take, I spent the rest of the flight being entertained by the funny Icelandic history and cultural tidbits printed on the napkins, food cartons, and seat backs. Dare I say I even found them educational. Who knew Icelanders had a great sense of humor?


*4 euros = $6 at current exchange rates. I only got charged $5 though. Go figure. Attention Icelandair accounting department!!!

Check out more Iceland posts here.