KEF>RKV>EGG
Day 1 starts out with a 6 hour redeye flight from JFK International Airport to Keflavik International Airport, followed by a 1 hour bus ride to Reykjavik Domestic Airport, followed by a 1 hour flight to Egilsstaðir on opposite side of the island (of Iceland). Reykjavik Domestic Airport (RKV) seemed no larger than a drug store – check-in booths, waiting room, baggage claim and cafeteria all in one building and all within 30 feet of each other. I overestimated how long it would take me to get to RKV from KEF by 3 hours, so I paid an extra $20 to get on the earlier flight.
Dangerously political observation:
Anyone who believes the TSA is necessary for our (American’s) safety should fly to Iceland sometime. Iceland has been ranked the world’s safest country, or possibly now the world’s second safest after New Zealand. Yet upon arriving at Keflavik International Airport from JFK, I was not at all greeted by suspicious bag handlers or customs agents. The closest thing to a customs agent was a woman at the gate checking everyone’s passports and shortly after giving a stamp of approval. There were no immigration forms to speak of. None of this “Do you have anything to declare?” business. Iceland – a small and remote country of 300,000 residents – works on the policy of honesty. It wouldn’t be fair for me to say that their system would work for the U.S., but perhaps we shouldn’t piss people off so much. Who hates Iceland? I sure don’t. Also, no one really goes to Iceland unless they have cash, so another reason not having to be so paranoid like the U.S.
