Lots to like in Icelandair Saga Premium aboard the 737 MAX

With a narrower fuselage diameter than Airbus A320 family aircraft, the capacity-maximized Boeing 737 MAX is not necessarily known as being a beacon of passenger comfort, at least as defined by lavatory size and economy class seat width.

But on a recent roundtrip between Washington Dulles (IAD) and Keflavík Airport (KEF) aboard Icelandair 737 MAX twinjets — full disclosure, as a guest of the airline — I found other things to like about the MAX, and more broadly about Icelandair’s inflight service.

On a good day, Dulles is roughly a 2hr 15min drive from my rural home in Pennsylvania. And so I usually leave the house at least five hours before any scheduled flight from IAD. This time, however, I was slated to fly on one of the heaviest travel days of the year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. So, I gave myself a near eight-hour window.

This schedule padding proved to be a wise decision given the heavy volume of traffic on the roads, most especially on the last mile leading to the airport. I arrived at IAD with time to spare, and was even able to jump a man’s truck in the parking lot after a prolonged Thanksgiving stay in frigid temperatures had drained his battery.

Having learned long ago never to check a bag (if I can help it), I breezed through security with my rollaboard and copped a squat at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, located near my gate. A 10oz sirloin steak dinner really hit the spot. The restaurant’s QR code-based dining experience did not … but I digress.

Boarding was called for Icelandair’s Saga Premium cabin. Yet when I showed my mobile boarding pass to the agent, I was instructed to procure a paper ticket at the desk. Alas, the agent at the desk faced difficulties with the printer. And by the time I arrived back in line, one third of the passengers were ahead of me. I started to seriously worry about securing overhead bin space up front.

Entering the 737 MAX 9, it was apparent that the Saga Premium cabin was already full, bar my empty seat. The bins also appeared to be at capacity.

Foisting my luggage atop a mound of other bags, I was rather thrilled when the bin gobbled it up and closed with relative ease.

Settling into seat 4C, an aisle seat in the fourth and last row of the 2-2-configured Saga Premium cabin, my eyes were immediately drawn to the bright seatback IFE screen ahead of me.

Icelandair boasts that its IFE system features more than 350 hours of entertainment (I counted 69 individual movie titles, 80 or so TV programs, plus audio options). The carrier reckons this platform provides an ideal place for advertisers to connect with passengers.

It might be right, as I found myself engaged in Icelandair’s careful curation of ads. Even before the aircraft took to the skies, I felt like I was already in Europe.

Icelandair’s IFE also showcased nuggets of ‘perfect for the holidays’ infotainment, adding a festive theme to the cabin experience.

This theme was also evident on the menus.

Saga Premium passengers can enjoy the IFE system via Icelandair-branded noise-cancelling headphones. As an old-fashioned girl who likes big squashy cans, this is the sort of audio experience I crave onboard.

As Icelandair frequent flyers are well aware, the carrier’s premium product is not a lie-flat seat but rather a recliner, akin to US domestic first class. The product, based on Geven’s Comoda platform, is nonetheless rather comfortable with decent recline. I used a rolled up blanket to further elevate my legs and reach near Zero-G joyousness.

While sleep is usually elusive for me in-flight, my seat mate had no such problem and dozed off for at least a few hours. That might be because the Boeing Sky Interior, with its LED lighting schemes, creates a calming atmosphere.

Also a factor no doubt: the big-engined MAX supports a low-noise cabin. Indeed, whether on takeoff, landing or cruise, the twinjet is pretty quiet. And if your window shades are down, you might not even realize you’ve left the ground!

(A wee safety tangent: US airlines really ought to follow most of their European peers and ensure that window shades are raised for takeoff and landing.)

I connected to the Viasat Ka-band satellite-powered inflight Wi-Fi (free for Saga Premium customers) and was impressed by the streaming-level quality of the connection. Remaining connected for the entire flight, I clocked average speeds of over 20 Mbps down, and even uploaded a few videos to Instagram Stories.

It was time to dine. The cabin crew distributed beverages and a delectable cheesy snack starter in Saga Premium.

But by the time the crew arrived at my row for the dinner service, my choice of main was gone. No worries. I had eaten heartily at the airport, after all.

Asked if I wanted to try the vegetarian meal instead, I figured, “Oh why not. It’s nearly the holidays.” I’m glad I did.

Within short order, I was staring at a masterpiece of presentation and flavor. Every single bite was a little slice of heaven. Every single bite.

A trifecta of comfortable seat, engaging and consistent IFE and connectivity, and delicious food had been reached. Icelandair’s ultra-professional and friendly crew members were icing on the cake.

The 5hr 5min flight time aboard this rocket blew by, and we landed safely at KEF.

After an educational and adventurous stay in Iceland — where I explored the carrier’s new A321LR, its first ever Airbus aircraft and the first aircraft to feature Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova IFE — it was time to head back to Washington Dulles, again on a MAX, but this time on a MAX 8.

I was seated in 3A, a bulkhead window seat. And lo, in this otherwise full cabin, the aisle seat was empty. Happy, happy day.

Takeoff from KEF was a real treat, and I was reminded again about just how quiet are those CFM LEAP-1B engines powering the MAX.

As a tall human, I’ve had mixed experiences with bulkhead rows. Saga Premium bulkhead gave me nearly enough room to stretch my legs, though I admit I took some leg-elevation licenses that will probably put me on the naughty step with a few AvGeeks.

As is evident by the photo, this KEF-IAD flight’s vegetarian option was not nearly as impressive as the outbound. But it takes a lot more than a plate of no-taste, non-meat pucks to rain on my parade post-pandemic.

A word of caution to passengers of reduced mobility: the tiny forward lavatory with its curved ceiling does require a bit of careful maneuvering. An accessible space this is not.

But with giant overhead bins, fast Wi-Fi, solid entertainment choices, a quiet cabin, and friendly crew, it was otherwise difficult to fault the overall experience in Icelandair’s Saga Premium aboard the MAX. I kept my shade up for the landing, naturally.

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