👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Even though it’s been quiet around these parts as of late, doesn’t mean we have not been busy. Between putting the finishing touches to the studio and final tweaks to the podcast, we ran across this amazing deal that is just too hard to pass on.

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

New York to Paris via Reykjavík for €107. This special sale is for travel between January 2024 and April 2024. It is only available directly through the airlines official website flyplay.com and expires tonight Friday, December 8th at 12:00m or when the seats sell out. So you will definitely need to act fast. For easy reference, bellow is the chart with the lowest prices for each month circled in red:

✈️ About Play Air:

We’ve featured Play in the past as it consistently ranks as one of our top value long haul carriers in the market. It operates similar routes to Norse and French Bee. The biggest difference is that Play connects Europe and North America via Reykjavík and it’s a great option for a long stopover if you fancy to witness some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world on your way to or from your final destination.

📸 About the Aircraft:

A couple of things to note, Play flies the smaller Airbus A320/321neo aircraft which in my experience can feel a little cramped for a long haul flight. This might or might not be a deal breaker for you, but I always prefer the larger aircraft on anything over 4-5 hours. Play offers only one “Economy” cabin class with no seat back entertainment or Wifi. Luggage beyond your personal item, food, drinks and seat selection are all ancillary.

The other caveat that you might also want to consider if planning to fly in / out of New York is they only service Stewart International Airport, which is about 75 minutes north of Manhattan. There is an express bus service to and from Stewart International Airport and the 42nd Street Port Authority bus terminal operated by Megabus. It is $25 each way.

The bus schedule is synchronized to the Play Air flights so in that regard, your transfer should be pretty seamless. If New York City is not your final destination and you are changing airports, make sure to give yourself a lot of headroom between connections.

🧳 Baggage Allowance

As with all ultra low cost carriers (and most full service ones) the baggage allowance is limited. For the basic fare product in this sale, Play only includes 1 personal item. Here is a chart of charges for additional baggage and other services:

If you are a minimal or efficient packer, you can maximize your carry to fit the personal item dimensions with a backpack like this one from Eastpak:

via: eastpak.com

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

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