Reykjavík rewards patience, and the desert-to-glacier routing from Phoenix demands a connection since no carrier flies this pairing nonstop. In practice, business class from Phoenix to Reykjavík means routing through Delta's Atlanta or Minneapolis hubs to link with Icelandair's transatlantic network, or connecting via Denver or Newark on United to reach a codeshare or partner service into Keflavík. Delta's domestic leg typically operates in a Delta One-configured widebody on select transcontinental segments, while the Iceland-bound flight itself falls under Icelandair (FI), whose Saga Class product—recliner-style seats with generous pitch and a genuinely Nordic, unfussy service style—covers the roughly 7.5-hour block once you're airborne from a US gateway city like Boston or New York. This is a route where the connection matters as much as the final flight, so treat the layover as a variable to optimize rather than an inconvenience.
Having flown this corridor several times, my strongest recommendation is to build your itinerary around a Boston or New York JFK connection for the FI segment, since Icelandair's Saga Class cabins on these routes tend to be newer 757 or 767 configurations with better seat privacy than some of its other US gateways. Keflavík airport itself is compact and efficient—arrivals rarely take more than twenty minutes through passport control even during peak summer traffic, and Saga Class passengers get lounge access that's modest by Gulf or Asian carrier standards but perfectly serviceable for a short layover before continuing into Europe. One insider tip: Icelandair frequently releases Saga Class award space or discounted fares roughly 3-4 months out for shoulder-season travel, so booking too early or too late can mean missing the sweet spot entirely.
Late spring through early autumn—May through September—delivers not just the best weather and midnight-sun scenery in Iceland, but also the most consistent premium-cabin availability on this corridor, as carriers add capacity for the tourist surge. Because fares and award space shift quickly on connecting itineraries like this one, setting up automated fare alerts is the smartest way to catch a favorable business class fare before it disappears.
