We were scheduled to fly from Newark to Reykjavík and then from there to Dublin on WOW Air. As many know this company is low budget and a cheap way to get to Iceland and some major cities in Europe. We paid for upgrades seats so we weren’t cramped and also got the fare that included a carry on and a checked bag. While we were in the front of the plane if you don’t buy priority boarding passes it’s basically a free for all to board. At that point we sat on the plane and waited for two hours until they tried to figure out what was wrong with a “sensor” on the plane. They deplaned us after two hours. We sat in the terminal for another hour. After that. We waited and it was becoming clearer that we would not make our connecting flight to Dublin. No one on the ground knew the results and what would happen when we got to Iceland and with limited flights out of that airport the choice was do we wait out WOW or get on another flight in Newark on another airline at our cost. So ultimately WOW canceled our flight. As I was on the phone waiting on the phone I got a flight on Aer Lingus direct to Dublin and since WOW canceled our first flight they gave me the option. To cancel the whole round trip flight for my whole family. Which I did. They also said that they would credit me the money for our hotel to stay in Newark for a flight the next day. So I have to submit that claim later today. While I am paying more for my flight to Dublin now I’m not out the money to WOW as I have an e-mail confirmation of the flight cancellation and refund amount. So if they try to not refund me I can dispute the charges to my card. Some other notes the customer service people on the 800 number knew the flight was canceled before the people at the checkin desk. They also sorted me on to another plane 2 days later which would have really screwed me up for the trip. The day delay was not a super big deal. Also with limited options to Iceland I’d be careful booking tours in Iceland before you arrive. Folks were flying to Iceland and had these expensive tours booked and they were going to be out tons of money. While ultimately WOW made it right and I’ll get my money back I would not recommend them at all. However, with limited choices to Iceland if you must fly them to get there wait or give yourself an extra 24 hours before booking those expensive tours that might not refund you the money if you don’t get there. If you are just stopping over and connecting in Iceland to another destination with WOW Air pay more and get on one of the larger carriers. They have larger fleets to add flights and put you on other planes. The person at the WOW desk also was very clear that they have no relationships with other airlines. They won’t be able to get you on another flight out of your airport unless it’s a WOW flight. Unlike say Aer Lingus who has a relationship with Air Canada, etc. For all this I give them a poor rating.
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