Airline launches London-New York flights for £139

Icelandic carrier Play will operate new route from June

Play is launching cheap Transatlantic flights (Flickr/Colin Cooke)

A budget airline has started selling one-way flights from London to New York for just £139.

Icelandic low-cost carrier Play will begin its new route, flying from London Stansted to New York Stewart International Airport, from 10 June.

The £139 price tag is an introductory offer, only available to purchase until midnight on 7 February.

However, even without the special rate, one-way fares start from £159, or £318 return.

The cut-price flights are not direct – they include a 95-minute stopover in Reykjavik, or passengers can choose to extend their layover in the Icelandic capital for a multi-stop break.

The new route will operate four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

It’s Play’s third Transatlantic offering, following services to Boston and Baltimore/Washington.

Located 60 miles north of Manhattan, New York Stewart airport is further away from the city than better-known NY airports JFK and Newark.

However, the airline claims travellers can be in the Big Apple in an hour “thanks to the time saved getting through airport customs, compared to the much lengthier processes at JFK and Newark”.

The airport recently underwent a $37m expansion to beef up its international arrivals offering.

Birgir Jónsson, Play chief executive, said: “After we learnt of the surge in the area surrounding New York Stewart and the benefits it offers, we did not hesitate in snapping up the chance to operate from this airport.

“New York is a critical location for both European tourists looking to explore Manhattan, and American travellers heading to the 22 destinations we fly to including Iceland, Paris, Dublin, and more.

“We anticipate strong bookings in 2022, and with New York as our third US destination, Play passengers will have more choices when booking last-minute trips, work-cations, and spontaneous adventures.”

Other carriers are also eyeing up cheap, no-frills Transatlantic flights.

New low-cost Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic Airways plans to fly between Europe and the US from early 2022.