Icelandair, Alaska Sign Codeshare

Folks in Anchorage now have new way to get to Europe. Icelandair and Alaska Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement, effective today, that will provide seamless interline booking from select cities served by Alaska. This allows customers to fly to any of Icelandair’s numerous destinations in Europe.

The deal comes roughly a year after Icelandair launched its Seattle-Reykjavik service. From Reykjavik, Icelandair flies to 20 cities in Europe, including Stockholm, Paris, Barcelona, and Milan. Alaska passengers can connect in Seattle from Anchorage, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. It does not appear that other Alaska destinations are included, as Icelandair only lets you book to those five. At press time, the new destinations had not been loaded into Alaska’s reservation system.

Members of each airline’s frequent flyer program will be able to earn and redeem miles with the other airline, but that functionality won’t launch until the fall.

The main drawback to the deal is that it will result in prolonged itineraries with many connections. A passenger flying beyond Reykjviak will have two connections and a really long flight. Other airlines, such as Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa, provide a more direct option. But for the right price, a little inconvenience may be worth it.