Wow Airlines Shut Downs: Other Airlines Helps Passengers

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Wow canceled all flights on Thursday morning and advised passengers to check for alternatives with other airlines. Gudjon Helgason, a spokesman for Keflavik Airport near Reykjavik, Iceland, said no large groups were stranded at the airport because the airline had sent messages to passengers telling them that the flights would be canceled. Iceland’s WOW air suspended operations and cancelled all its flights on Thursday without warning.

Wow Airlines Shut Downs

WOW air was the creation of Icelandic businessman Skuli Mogensen. The airline was founded in late 2011, with its first flight coming six months later. The company specialized in low-cost travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Its main cities were Reykjavik, London, Paris, New York and Washington, D.C. In 2013, the airline grew as a result of its low ticket prices and a marketing campaign aimed at making Iceland a popular destination for foreign travelers.

Manos tried Icelandair, which is touting discounted fares for stranded WOW Air passengers on its website.

The cheapest fare they offered after 50 minutes on the phone: $1,015 round trip. The earliest she could get out was April 1. And she had to get to Boston for the flight.

“It’s basically false promotion,” she said.

Manos said she is searching other airlines for affordable tickets and that her family is seeing if they can cobble together enough frequent flier miles to get her there.

“I’ve taken my vacation days. I need to go,” she said.

Passengers can check other airlines to see if they are offering discounted fares for stranded WOW passengers, though travelers will still be out more money, in some cases a lot.

In addition to Icelandair, United Airlines, Norwegian Air and Aer Lingus are among the carriers offering discounted fares for affected WOW customers.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]