WOW Air Expands Discount Service From Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit And St. Louis Airports To Europe
The Icelandic budget airline WOW Air is betting big on Midwestern markets, planning to add nonstop flights from Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and St. Louis to its hub at the Keflavik airport near Reykjavik, Iceland. From there, travelers can catch onward (and discounted) flights to more than two dozen airports in Europe.
The expansion, effective in the spring of 2018, will mean that WOW serves 12 U.S. cities. Its model is strictly discount, with extra fees for checked bags, carry-ons and just about everything else.
The airline is predicting the carrier’s budget fares will help boost demand, catering to pent-up demand for less expensive trans-Atlantic flights, USA Today reports. WOW will fly four flights a week on each of the new routes, using a single-aisle Airbus A321.
From three of the new cities — Cleveland, Cincinnati and St. Louis — WOW will be one of only a small number of trans-Atlantic options. From St. Louis, the Icelandic discounter will be the only carrier flying direct to Europe. From Cincinnati, Delta flies to Paris Charles de Gaulle.
From Cleveland, national rival Icelandair also just announced service of its own to Reykjavik.
The new flights not only offer Midwesterners more direct access to Europe, but Europeans more direct access to the Midwest. Euro-travelers looking to try new places might well benefit local retailers, restaurants and hotels in the Midwest destinations.
