10 things to know about those $69 fares to Europe

Bargain-hunting travelers couldn't share the story fast enough this week: An airline was offering $69 fares to Europe from Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Never mind that many had never heard of the airline behind the cheap tickets, WOW Air. My 17-year-old son and more than a few friends who wanted in on the deal mistook the WOW in the headlines as an eye-grabbing description of the fares rather than the airline's name.

So, here's a primer on WOW and those bargain fares, which were available only on select dates and went quickly. They're likely to resurface as competition heats up across the Atlantic, with competitor Norwegian Air adding U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Oakland. WOW's sale fares typically start at $99 one way.

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10 things to know about WOW Air

1. WOW Air was started in 2011 by Icelandic entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen and began flying in 2012. The airline uses Airbus jets, popular with American Airlines and other carriers, on flights between U.S. and Europe. The Los Angeles flights are on the wide-body A330.

2. Its main hub is in Reykjavik, Iceland, and flights beyond Iceland require a layover there.

3. The airline has been expanding rapidly in the U.S. since 2015 and now serves San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Newark and Baltimore/Washington. This spring, service in Miami and Pittsburgh will debut.

4. WOW does not serve Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The closest option is Los Angeles International Airport.

5. Flights are not offered every day of the week to each destination.

6. The fares are cheap but you'll pay extra for everything from seat assignments to larger carry-on bags a la U.S. discounters Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air. WOW's fee chart is as long and complicated as those at Spirit and Allegiant. So travelers need to factor in the fees when comparing fares against major airlines.

7. The cheapest fares are generally available on flights to Europe. Return fares are higher.

8. The airline offers a free stopover in Iceland for travelers headed to and from Europe, promoting it as two vacations in one.

9. Looking for the cheapest fares? Check out the "How low can we go?'' calendar feature on WOW's home page. On Thursday, there was a $69 flight from Los Angeles to Bristol, England, for travel this month. Return flights started at $200, for a round trip fare of $269 plus fees.

10. Want early notice of the next fare sale? Sign up for the free WOW Club. Members get e-mail notice of fare sales and other promotions.

Details: wowair.us.

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