New budget airline Play offers discounts as it makes Canadian debut in Hamilton

Low-cost Icelandic airline Play is celebrating its entrance into the Canadian market by giving customers in Canada up to 25 per cent off flights to select European destinations.

Play launched its fifth route in North America, its first in Canada, yesterday (June 22) in Hamilton, which it called a “tremendous milestone” for the company. Its other North American services fly from New York, Washington, Boston and Baltimore. The airline kicked off its daily flights to Iceland and Europe with its inaugural flight from the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.

Play CEO Birgir Jónsson told hamilton.insauga.com that his company chose Hamilton’s airport instead of the ones in Toronto and other Canadian cities because it is “quite small and comfortable, navigation of which is a short and simple process.”

“Transportation to and from the airport is convenient with buses to Toronto running in tandem with PLAY’s daily flights, and trains to and from downtown Hamilton,” he said in a statement to hamilton.insauga.com today (June 23). “The airport is cheap which will mean that PLAY can offer the lowest fares between Toronto and Europe. All of these fitting well with PLAY’s strategy of offering low fares, and simple and convenient services.”

The airline is offering a limited-time flight sale using the promo code: PLAYCANADA. Fares are as low as $129 (exclusive of taxes and fees), with up to 25 per cent discounts for flights to Iceland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, London and Dublin.

The sale started on June 19 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 25.  The discounted fare applies for travel between October 2023 and March 2024.

Officials cut the ribbon introducing Play’s inaugural flight to Canadian travellers at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Hamilton city councillors Tammy Hwang, far left, and Mark Tadeson, second left, join Play airlines’ CEO Birgir Jónsson, middle left, Cole Horncastle, executive managing director of the Hamilton airport, middle right, Cathie Puckering, vice-president and head of Canadian Network Vantage Airport Group, right, and Ed Minich, board of director of the airport, far right.    JOHN C. MUNRO HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Play’s Canadian expansion comes as WestJet Airlines Ltd. closes discount airlines Swoop and Sunwing Airlines and integrates them into its main operations, fuelling concerns about higher prices.

“We are excited to have PLAY join Hamilton International Airport network and bring connectivity to over 26 exciting European destinations, via Iceland,” said Cole Horncastle, executive managing director of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, in a statement. “PLAY’s low-cost ‘pay for what you need’ model aligns perfectly with Hamilton International’s commitment to bring more travel options and affordable airfares to passengers in Southern Ontario and continue to drive economic benefits for the City and the region.”

The airline, which operates a fleet of 10 Airbus A320/321neo aircraft, says it has the “youngest fleet in Europe, with an average age of around two years,” and it achieved an 87-per-cent On-Time Performance rating, which measures the punctuality of modes of public transport, last month.