Flying from Aberdeen to America on Icelandair Saga class
 

I'm going to be travelling to America next year to see the eclipse and, being in Aberdeen UK, the obvious choice is Icelandair as they fly to America from Aberdeen airport. A quick check online indicates that their business-class (saga class) fares are cheaper than the competition too. (I'm tall and don't fit in many cattle-class seats thanks to the reduced seat pitch.) But I'm wondering if I'd be getting a business class seat all the way, or would I have a cattle-class seat between Aberdeen and Reykjavik?

I'd also appreciate general commentary on Icelandair.

All ICE B757 aircraft are fitted with Saga Class. If, however, your final destination in the USA involves a third party domestic sector you might not have a Business Class cabin. As an example, on given days, ORD-ABZ is in fact ORD-BOS-KEF-ABZ. The ORD-BOS sector is with JetBlue on an EMB-190 (Regional Jet). This does not have a dedicated Business Class cabin. The only option is the Emergency Exit row which provides extra leg room.

Thanks, it was simply the Icelandair legs that concerned me.

For information, I will be transferring to an American carrier for flights inside America. My searches so far indicate that I can save money that way. My flight will be Aberdeen to Keflavik then Washington, then to Cody where I will join my tour group, then from Phoenix to Washington. I intend staying in Washington for some days - perhaps a week - to do the tourism thing, particularly the Smithsonian and hopefully a tour of the White House, then back to Aberdeen. If the prospects for the Northern Lights are good I might stay in Reykjavik for a night or two on the way back.

Regarding the Smithsonian, I'm sure you know, but just in case, be sure to visit both the downtown museum and the one located next to Washington Dulles International airport.

Just to second what Hotel Tango has just said, there is a free but difficult to find shuttle bus from the terminal to the Dulles museum. Ask around.

And go early if you can. You've got so many unique aircraft in there eg. the Enola Gay, you'll want to spend quite a while.

Incidentally, where are you viewing the eclipse?

Best of luck

Cooch

All FI fleet might have SAGA Class, but isn't ABZ-KEF
a (daughter co) Air Iceland Dash 8 Q400, not FI metal ???

Just sayin'....

Could well be which is why I stipulated B757 aircraft. I have no idea what equipment ICE use to ABZ. Nevertheless if an airline offers a Business Class fare and there are sectors devoid of a Business cabin, it should state the fact in the booking engine.

The main website talks about Aberdeen but finding flights is difficult. Other sites indicate that their domestic 'Air Iceland' that operate the domestic sectors INCLUDES the Faroes and ABZ ... However, when you look on the AI site, it mentions the Faroes but not ABZ. The main site only talks about the 757 and the doemstic only the DH8 so it's time for ...

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The Abz Kef leg is a Dash 8 Q400

As far as can be seen, their Q400s are a single class of seat.

There is an Economy Comfort section - 33 inch pitch with middle of 3 seats converted into armrest/table. Possibly a Business Class fare will be this on this sector.

it's only 2h50 in a Q400, the time will surely fly by....

Where are you viewing the eclipse from Quartz? I am heading over there for the same purpose next August and am currently trying to determine the best location weatherwise.

On the Dash there will only be 2-2 seating, so perhaps they block off a seat on each row for the first few to give as close to a business class service as possible.

That will be the most likely scenario. They might also reconfigure dedicated aircraft for those longer routes with those first few rows having a slightly better seat pitch.

In fact they quote their Q400s as having either 72 or 76 seats. From that I would deduce from that the 72 seaters have 2 or 3 rows with extra leg room.

Not an unusual sector length for a Q400, SOU-ALC being about the same.

I must have missed something, but I could only find in the OP a mention of Northern Lights which surely have nothing to do with an eclipse.

As for northern lights one needs an unobstructed view looking northerly with no low clouds or city lights in the view.

how about an over flight in a cloudless sky?

Umm, I may have had a little too much Brennevin, but ....

I'm going to be travelling to America next year to see the eclipse and, being in Aberdeen UK, the obvious choice is Icelandair as they fly to America from Aberdeen airport.

And even continuing through the whole of the original post, I cannot find any reference to the AB (Northern Lights).

Out of interest, at what altitude do the AB 'happen'? (Sorry if I've not phrased the question correctly ... but would you not be likely to be 'too high' for them at cruising altitude, even assuming they stay still.)

Genuine interest, no scientific knowledge per se, user-friendly comments welcomed! ;-)

Out of interest, at what altitude do the AB 'happen'?
 

According to Aurora | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center "The aurora typically forms 80 to 500 km above Earth’s surface."

Probably not too high for a Q400...

For those interested in the eclipse, August 21st 2017 is your day.

You can catch it in any country you like, as long as it's the USA....

http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/maps/whole-us.jpg