There's a peculiar magic to touching down in Keflavík while the midnight sun still glows on the horizon, and after years of tracking this corridor, I can tell you the smartest move is booking Icelandair's seasonal nonstop service, which remains the only carrier flying business class from Raleigh to Reykjavík without a connection. That direct routing, roughly 5.5 hours gate-to-gate, runs primarily between May and September, and it's operated with Icelandair's Saga Class cabin—a comfortable, if understated, recliner-style seat with genuine flatbed pitch on their 757 and 767 aircraft, paired with New Nordic-inspired dining and priority access through Keflavík's compact but efficient terminal. If you're chasing this seasonal window, book early; Icelandair trims capacity fast once ski-season demand fades and summer aurora chasers haven't yet booked in bulk.
Outside that narrow nonstop season, Delta and United become your best bet, both requiring a connection through their transatlantic gateways. Delta typically routes through JFK or Boston, where you can experience Delta One suites—complete with a sliding door and Westin Heavenly bedding—before continuing to Keflavík on a shorter regional aircraft, while United tends to funnel RDU passengers through Newark or Dulles for a Polaris business class experience, including their signature saison-inspired dining and noise-cancelling amenity kits. I've found the JFK connection through Delta slightly smoother for winter travel, since JFK's international terminal handles inclement weather delays better than some alternatives, and arriving into Keflavík before 7am (a common redeye pattern) means you'll beat the tour-bus rush at passport control by a solid twenty minutes if you walk briskly toward the priority lanes.
Because Icelandair's nonstop schedule shifts every year and premium award space evaporates quickly on both Delta and United's connecting itineraries, this is a route where setting up automated fare alerts pays real dividends—especially if you're flexible enough to pounce the moment a shoulder-season business class fare drops.
