by Melissa Howsam | May 2, 2022 | Do, May 2022
What’s plane awesome? Icelandair’s new nonstop service from RDU to Reykjavik taking flight May 12. Serving as a midway point between North America and Europe, the Land of Fire and Ice makes a great pit stop (or main stay) for your lofty adventures. Once you jump the pond to Iceland, insiders insist you dive into the culinary scene, including taking a bite out of fermented shark (a local delicacy Anthony Bourdain called the worst food he’d ever tasted, alongside Namibian warthog rectum—hey, when in Iceland) and, more appetizing, Icelandic street food hot dogs. Use the fuel to brave an ice cave tour (brr!); take in a show at the dazzling waterfront landmark Harpa; find respite in the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa; and chase waterfalls after all via the natural wonders of the Golden Circle tour (NTM gushing geysers, volcanic craters and more). And, promising to be, well, lit are those legendary northern lights, best spotted from a viewing deck aboard a Northern Light Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik. Wheels up! icelandair.com
by Melissa Howsam | May 2, 2022 | Buzz, May 2022
RDU lands a slew of new flights.
Oh, the places you’re going! Finally answering the call that is our intense delayed wanderlust are a flock of flights ready to jet set you nonstop across the globe. First up, RDU’s newest super-fly airline partner, Icelandair, ready to go wheels up with its debut service to Reykjavik May 12.
Serving as a midway point between North America and Europe, the new seasonal route servicing from May to October provides passengers with easy nonstop connections to 25-plus destinations across Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe—plus an op for a seven-day Icelandair stopover for no additional airfare.
This first new international route to be added since 2019 “signals that demand for international travel is increasing as we head into… a new phase of recovery,” says Michael Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.
Those looking to puddle jump directly to the U.K. can do so June 3 as American Airlines relaunches its uberpopular nonstop flight to London. And summer brings bonus ops for practicing your French (oui, oui!) as Air Canada plans to resume its Montreal service in June (service to Toronto has already been restored), and, after many delays, Delta Air Lines is scheduled to bring back its highly anticipated nonstop flight to Paris with increased frequency Aug. 1.
Back stateside, Avelo Airlines adds to the RDU airline roster with its inaugural May flights to New Haven. Meanwhile, Allegiant Air just began its jump to New Orleans in April, and giving us air, Frontier Airlines has resumed—and continues to add—several nonstop domestic flights, including Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Hartford and Portland, Maine.
