Is a 55 minute layover in Reykjavik (Keflavík Airport) doable?

June 9, 2017 5:57 PM

I'm trying to finally order plane tickets for my summer vacation and I'm not sure if this is doable! I'm trying to fly to Stockholm and the best (ie not a 27 hour flight with 3 layovers) flight from where I am is one on Icelandair. It has one stop in Reykjavik at Keflavik Intl. before I catch the connecting flight to Stockholm. Is this actually doable? Is that actually enough time to catch the connecting flight? It sounds too good to be true!
posted by modesty.blaise to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

Best answer: I think it's totally doable if your flight arrives on time. Keflavík is not a big airport.
posted by jesourie at 6:10 PM on June 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The legs to and from Iceland are both on Icelandair, right? If so, not to worry. They will take care of you. This is how they time their flights. A bunch come in and a bunch go out an hour later and they will wait if any of the incoming ones are late. At least this was my experience.
posted by karbonokapi at 6:15 PM on June 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Excellent! The flight has been booked!
posted by modesty.blaise at 6:41 PM on June 9, 2017

Best answer: I have taken flights from Vancouver or from Seattle with Icelandair to Stockholm via Keflavik in January and in May this year. The stop in Keflavik is VERY short. I made it to the flight to Sweden, no problems.

Some things to plan for -

My disembarkation and embarkation in KEF was by bus. Doors opened in the front and back of the plane with everyone out onto the tarmac and into a large articulated bus that brought us to the airport building.

Then, a rush through Immigration. Warning, the lines there can be very long.

And then, mass assembly at your gate. There are no seats - you will stand until the gate opens and you either board another bus or walk through the gate directly onto your plane. Boarding is done en masse after the pre-boarding of children /first class.

It sounds chaotic but it all works. Happy travels.
posted by seawallrunner at 7:23 PM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Keflavik airport is TINY. You will have no problem. But yeah, because it's tiny, they don't have enough gates, so as seawallrunner says, you'll be deplaning outside. They make it really efficient though!
posted by pixiecrinkle at 8:33 PM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I've done multiple 45 minute layovers there, with no problems. I did walk fast and stress about it, but it was actually fine.
posted by Doc_Sock at 9:53 PM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Seconding karbonokapi. I've done this probably five or six times with no problems at all.
posted by anathema at 5:38 AM on June 10, 2017

Best answer: As others have mentioned, you could easily shout to another person at the other end of Keflavik airport.
posted by mmascolino at 1:31 PM on June 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Icelandair's whole business is having a bank of NA flights arrive within short period of time and then have flights to Europe leave shortly after (and vice versa). If flight is delayed they'll hold the connecting flight.
posted by zeikka at 2:47 PM on June 10, 2017