Hello from London Heathrow! I recently shared my initial thoughts on my Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX 8 Saga Premium flight from New York (JFK) to Keflavik (KEF). After then spending several days in Iceland, I continued in Icelandair’s Airbus A321LR Saga Premium on the 2hr50min flight from Keflavik to London (LHR).

The A321LR is only a recent addition to Icelandair’s fleet, breaking the carrier’s practice of operating an all-Boeing jet fleet (The A321 family is just more capable in terms of range, and Icelandair needs that incremental range for some flights). So I was looking forward to trying the carrier’s new plane, and also to see how Icelandair’s service works on the shorter hops between Icelandair and other points in Europe.

In this post, I’d like to share my initial impressions, and then I’ll have a full flight review upon returning home, as usual.

In this post:

• Icelandair’s A321LR Saga Premium seats offer superior comfort
• Icelandair’s A321LR entertainment & Wi-Fi are solid
• Icelandair’s Saga Premium food is okay, drinks are good
• Bottom line

Icelandair’s A321LR Saga Premium seats offer superior comfort

Icelandair’s Saga Premium is most comparable to domestic first class within the United States when it comes to the hard product. However, it’s elevated a bit beyond that, and on top of that, the A321LR sets a new standard in terms of comfort, beating out the 737 MAXs.

Icelandair’s 321LRs have Geven Comoda recliner seats, in a 2-2 configuration. The cabin has 22 seats, making it quite a bit bigger than the 16-seat premium cabins that Icelandair has on its 737 MAXs.

Icelandair Airbus A321LR cabin

Seats are roughly 21″ wide and have 5″ of recline. On top of that, seats have little foot bars, which make it easy to get more comfortable. The seats also have privacy widgets along the head rest, which are also nice to lean against if you’re looking to get some rest.

Icelandair Saga Premium seats Airbus A321LR Icelandair Saga Premium seat foot bar Airbus A321LR

Icelandair also has AC and USB-C outlets, so while the 737 MAXs have AC and USB-A outlets, it’s nice that these planes have the more modern plugs. In terms of comfort, it’s worth mentioning that Icelandair offers a pillow and blanket on Europe flights, though the bedding isn’t quite as good as on North America flights (and there also aren’t amenity kits).

Icelandair Saga Premium pillow & blanket

So yeah, these are pretty great seats, if you ask me. Competitively, it’s of course tough to know how to judge these. When flying Icelandair between Iceland and points in Europe, this is the best product you’ll find, as it’s so much better than intra-Europe business class.

Meanwhile if flying this plane on some of the eight hour flights from Iceland to the United States, you might have a different impression (though in terms of pricing, Saga Premium is often more like premium economy than business class, and this would actually be among the best premium economy seats out there).

Icelandair’s A321LR entertainment & Wi-Fi are solid

Icelandair’s A321LRs have 16″ 4K OLED touchscreen monitors, which are beautifully crisp, and don’t have much glare. Those are huge screens — for context, Delta’s new A321neo domestic first class has 10″ screens, so these are way bigger.

While not the biggest selection you’ll find in the sky, Icelandair has a solid library of entertainment options, with movies, TV shows, and of course my favorite feature — a customizable map.

Icelandair Airbus A321LR Saga Premium entertainment system Icelandair Airbus A321LR Saga Premium map feature

There’s also bluetooth audio, a nice feature you won’t find on the 737 MAXs.

Icelandair Airbus A321LR Saga Premium bluetooth audio

For those who don’t want to use their own headphones, proper headphones are distributed as well, the same you’ll find on flights to the United States.

Icelandair Saga Premium headphones

Much like on the 737 MAXs, there’s also Viasat Wi-Fi, and it’s complimentary for Saga Premium guests. The speeds were excellent, as you’d expect.

Icelandair Airbus A321LR Saga Premium free Wi-Fi

Icelandair’s Saga Premium food is okay, drinks are good

Icelandair generally serves three course meals on its North America flights, and two course meals on its Europe flights. I was actually impressed about the catering on the flight from New York, while I was a little less impressed by the catering on this flight. Admittedly it was a breakfast flight, and that’s a meal that rarely delights on airplanes.

There were two options, but by the time they got to my row, only one option was available (I should’ve pre-ordered, probably). It was interesting in the sense that there wasn’t really a main, but instead, a bread roll was plated as one.

Beyond the bread roll, there was a small warm mushroom crepe with tomatoes, as well as a side of turkey, tomato, and guacamole. I guess between that and the bread roll, it was intended to be a “build your own sandwich” setup, or something. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t good in any memorable way either.

Icelandair Saga Premium breakfast service

When it comes to drinks, I enjoyed the coffee, and it’s cute how they serve it on a tray, with a chocolate on the side (though the cups could be deeper — I realize this is likely about saving space in the galley in terms of stacking).

Icelandair Saga Premium coffee service

On the plus side, the drink selection was identical to what you’ll find on North America flights, with everything from sparkling wine, to two reds, to two whites, to the carrier’s signature gin selection, with six different Icelandic gins to choose from. Since this was an early morning flight, I didn’t partake, but on an evening flight, that would certainly set this apart from other European airlines.

Icelandair Saga Premium drink menu

The crew on this sector was quite friendly, and checked on passengers throughout the flight. With two flight attendants working the cabin, the staffing ratio was also quite good, despite the large 22-seat cabin.

Bottom line

After flying the Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX in Saga Premium from North America, I’m happy I could connect onto one of the carrier’s brand new Airbus A321LRs. I’d say these planes offer an even better Saga Premium experience, with slightly more comfortable seats, and upgraded technology.

Ultimately Saga Premium is a unique product when you consider the position in the market. Your perception will also likely differ based on whether you’re simply connecting through in Iceland between North America and Europe, or whether you’re actually traveling to Iceland.

Saga Premium is an excellent value product that’s a step above domestic first class within the United States in terms of hard product, with a nicely elevated soft product as well. In particular, I appreciate the seat back entertainment, free Wi-Fi, and drink selection.

Icelandair runs an excellent operation, and I’d happily fly with the airline again. My favorite thing is the carrier’s free stopover policy in Iceland, since I already want to return to Iceland… it’s such a unique and beautiful country.

What’s your take on Icelandair’s Saga Premium product?