Richmond International doesn't hand you a nonstop to Iceland, and that's precisely the puzzle worth solving before you book. There is no direct business class from Richmond to Reykjavík, so the route requires a connection, typically through Boston, New York-JFK, or Washington Dulles, where Icelandair's transatlantic network picks up the slack. Icelandair's Saga Class remains the purest expression of this itinerary — a 2-2 configuration on the 757 or MAX 8 with genuine seat pitch and a Nordic minimalism that suits the destination, though it lacks lie-flat beds, a fact worth knowing before you commit to a full transatlantic-style splurge. Delta, connecting through JFK or Boston, offers Delta One suites on select widebody equipment for the transatlantic leg, giving you a fully lie-flat option if you're willing to route slightly out of the way. United, working through Newark or Washington Dulles, brings Polaris seats into the mix on its European-bound aircraft, another lie-flat contender worth comparing against Icelandair's shorter-haul comfort.
Having connected through all three hubs multiple times, my strong preference for this specific routing is Boston — Logan's international terminal handles the Icelandair and Delta transfers with minimal friction, and the layovers there tend to run shorter than JFK's often-congested connections. If your RIC departure lands you with a few hours in Boston, the Delta Sky Club in Terminal E is worth the walk over grabbing food airside. One insider trick: Icelandair frequently opens award and discounted Saga Class inventory on Tuesday and Wednesday departures specifically for the RIC-adjacent connections, a quirk tied to their crew scheduling rather than demand, and it rarely shows up in generic search results.
Late spring through early autumn — May through September — brings not only the best fares but also Iceland's near-endless daylight, ideal for landing at KEF and heading straight into a day of sightseeing rather than sleeping off jet lag. Given how fares fluctuate across three carriers and multiple connection points, setting up automated price tracking for this specific city pair will save you from chasing fares manually across airline sites.
