No Lie-Flat Seat, No Problem: Icelandair Saga Business Class Still Shines

Icelandair has made its name with cheap economy fares, but it also offers a business class cabin. And while it's far from the biggest or most luxurious seat, it's still a great way to cross the Atlantic for a fraction of what other airlines charge to fly up front. 

I flew Icelandair's business class – dubbed Saga Premium Class – for the first time a few years ago and was delighted during my relatively short flight from Reykjavik to Boston (BOS). Our team booked and tested out the Saga seats again on a recent trip to the Faroe Islands and found nothing has changed – in a good way.

The seats aren't lie-flat suites with closing doors that many airlines are flying now – they're more like domestic first class recliners. But they're still spacious and comfortable, with great meals inflight and attentive service throughout. Plus, access to Icelandair's Saga Lounge and other premium perks make the travel experience a breeze.

So is it worth it to fly Icelandair Saga over a standard economy ticket … especially when it doesn't cost that much more? Read on for our full review.

Booking Icelandair Business Class 

Booking Icelandair business class is pretty quick and easy thanks to Google Flights, a very slick Icelandair website, and wide-open availability from all over the continent.

As of publication Icelandair flies to 17 North American cities to Reykjavik, connecting travelers to 29 cities across Europe. Just bear in mind: Many of these routes are seasonal, running only in the spring, summer, and fall.

As with nearly every airline, the best way to start your search for Saga flights is with Google Flights. To find these fares instead of Icelandair's economy product, select “Business” in your fare type drop-down menu.

My flight back in April 2022 cost $797 one-way from Reykjavik (KEF) to Boston (BOS). That's a decent price … but we've found much better prices for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members over the years – including many roundtrip fares for under $1,000.

At Thrifty Traveler, we don’t accept freebies. We use our own, points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one.

The Saga Lounge

The Icelandair Saga Lounge in Reykjavik (KEF) might just be the best part of the whole Saga Premium experience.

It's the only lounge at the Keflavik airport, but it packs a punch. It's a big, modern space with all the amenities one would need to start a journey or during a layover. And it's a truly Icelandic experience.

A departing Icelandair Saga Premium ticket will grant you access to the Icelandair Saga Lounge, and that's the easiest way to get inside. Icelandair status holders and credit cardholders can gain access. Plus, travelers flying business or first class on Lufthansa, first class on Delta, or business class on United can also access the lounge. 

Note: The lounge is just before border control, so be sure to give yourself a little extra time when leaving the lounge to clear border control before heading to your gate.

The lounge was not too crowded during our latest visit – even during the morning rush. There was no wait when I entered the lounge around 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

Right away, the space felt huge, but cozy. There was a glut of seating options, both social and private.
 

The staggered, individual seats around the hearth fireplace were some of the best in the house.
 

I chose one of these tan seats, as they were the most private and offered some views of the tarmac. The best seats in the house, however, were these green recliners.
 

A children's area with toys was tucked away in the back of the club.

The decor inside the Saga Lounge was very Nordic and especially Icelandic. Tons of lava-style rocks were strewn about the space.
 

The food and drink selection at the Icelandair Saga Lounge was good, too. The buffet-style food selection was strong and the buffet was constantly attended to.
 

The breakfast spread was made up of typical European fare like yogurts, oatmeals, meats and cheeses, pancakes, and much more. A juice, cereal, and toast bar sat beside it as well for someone looking for something lighter. 

Behind the buffet were refrigerators full of beers (including Iceland's own Gull), sodas, sparkling wines and other drinks. The refrigerators and this countertop replaced a traditional bar. There was nobody serving drinks at the lounge – it's a serve-yourself setup for drinks.
 

The self-service drinks included all coffee drinks, too, which were available from four or five different espresso machines spread throughout the lounge. 

Around the corner behind the buffet area are the restrooms, which were not huge or fancy by any means, but were very clean and nice.
 

The hand soaps were Blue Lagoon-branded, as the famous Icelandic tourist attraction has also turned itself into a beauty and soaps brand, too. 

Next to the restrooms were three dedicated shower rooms. If I were connecting in Iceland after a long flight, these shower rooms would be a fantastic option beforehand.
 

I really loved the Icelandair Saga Lounge. I spent close to three hours there and I wish I had more time.

Check-in & Boarding

In addition to the lounge, one of the best parts of flying Icelandair's Saga Premium class is how much easier it is to navigate Keflavik Airport (KEF) with that ticket.

As Iceland's flagship airline, Icelandair gives its Premium members a dedicated check-in area and access to the “Fast Lane” security checkpoint, which was also significantly shorter than the standard security checkpoint lane. 

Icelandair Saga Cabin & Seats

Icelandair's Saga Premium class is a more-than-comfortable way to travel across the Atlantic.

My April 2022 flight from Reykjavik to Boston clocked in at roughly five hours on one of Icelandair's newest planes, a Boeing 737 MAX8. But no matter which kind of plane you're on, the Saga seats are much the same. This spring, on a Boeing 767, the exact same seat was featured in a funky 2-1-2 setup – with two seats along each window and a solo seat smack-dab in the center of the plane – pictured below.

The seat is closer to what you'd find in domestic first class on any U.S. carrier like American, Delta, or United. It may not hold a flame to the lie-flat offerings of other airlines, but the service in Icelandair's Saga Premium cabin is what set it apart. The close attention from the flight attendants, the amenities, the food, and the drinks were closer to what you would find on those lie-flat, long haul business class products … and arguably even better.  

On the 737 MAX, there were just four rows of Saga seats at the front of the cabin. Just like many domestic first class flights, there are two-seat sections on either side of the aisle for a grand total of 16 Icelandair business class seats.

Every Saga seat measures in at 20 inches wide, with 40-plus inches of legroom. The seats featured soft, winged headrests that you could position how you wish as well.  

The outer armrest stored the tray table for each Premium seat. It unfolded into a half-tray first, then it unfolded again into a full-sized tray table that was pretty spacious.
 

To recline the seat, you press the silver button on the inside of the right armrest, just as with a traditional economy plane seat.
 

Each seat came with its own universal power outlet, too. It takes all kinds of plug-ins to help you stay charged inflight.  

The lavatory was also as standard as they come. No special amenities here for Saga Premium Class passengers.

Amenities & Entertainment

Each Saga seat came prepared with a pillow, blanket, and a leather amenities kit on top. Each passenger also got a bottle of water.
 

Inside the leather kits was a hand lotion, socks, a face mask, earplugs, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some hand sanitizer, and stickers to indicate if you want to be woken up for meals or not. It's a fairly basic amenity kit but on par with what you get even on premium business class flights to and from Europe.
 

Each Premium seat featured a large entertainment screen. Next to the screen was a small coat hook. Below the seat-back pocket were two pedal-style footrests.
 

The seat back screens pulled out a little bit to improve viewing angles, which was handy especially when the seat in front of me reclined. Each screen is equipped with a USB charger and a headphone jack as well. All passengers in Premium were offered complimentary noise-canceling headphones.

The entertainment system had a total of 49 movies, 168 TV episodes, 330 songs, nine Iceland tourism videos, and 74 different movies, TV episodes, and songs for kids as well. 

Premium fares on Icelandair also come with complimentary Wi-Fi. Just enter your name and your confirmation number and get online. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi was not speedy and cut out during the journey.

Food & Drink Service

The food and drink service on Saga Premium was fantastic. In fact, it was the main reason why the flight was so enjoyable.

After boarding, the flight attendants offered each Premium passenger a pre-flight Prosecco. Just a few minutes later, we were offered a top-off, too.
 

After we took off and got to cruising altitude, the flight attendants came by again with food and drink menus and took another drink order and brought these cheese crisps, too.

The wine menu was not extensive but more than sufficient. In addition to Prosecco, Icelandair business class passengers could get Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve champagne, which is tasty and a big step above what most other airlines serve.

Icelandair also offered a soft drink menu and a selection of three beers, three liqueurs, and seven spirits. The gin list was the most extensive menu on the flight, including five Icelandic gins as well as Tanqueray. 

On this flight, the course options were the beer-braised short ribs or the citrus arctic char.

The meal was delicious. The scallops with a barley and shrimp salad was doused in a tremendous sauce. The short ribs were cooked perfectly, too. The potatoes, mushrooms, and green beans were all fresh and delicious.
 

The chocolate mousse was also a treat – a delectable way to polish off the meal with the brownie crumble mixed in. 

About 90 minutes before arrival, however, they came around with these tasty, spicy “Lava” chocolates with a little bit of chili pepper zest to them.
 

After the treat and before our descent, we were offered one final drink order.

Bottom Line

Icelandair business class might be a misnomer. These seats are far from the lie-flat business class you find on many other airlines flying between the U.S. and Europe.

Even without those bells and whistles, the seats themselves are plenty comfortable and much more spacious than what you get back in economy with Icelandair. Everything else about Icelandair Saga Premium was outstanding, from the tasty food to the snappy service and an excellent lounge before the flight.

When the price is right – and it often is – I'd gladly fly Icelandair Saga Premium again.

Thrifty Traveler's social media manager Lauren Sohn-Ahn contributed to this story.