Iceland has exploded in popularity as an award destination — short flights from the East Coast (5–7 hours), dramatic landscapes, Northern Lights, and increasingly good award availability. Reykjavik Keflavik (KEF) is just 5 hours from Boston or 6 hours from New York, making it one of the shortest transatlantic routes. Fluxora tracks 3,060 live award deals to Iceland.
Iceland sits at an unusually short distance from the US East Coast — Reykjavik is closer to New York than Los Angeles is. At 5 hours from Boston and 6.5 hours from New York, it falls squarely in a distance band that many award programs price at rates usually reserved for short transatlantic hops. Alaska Mileage Plan, in particular, places Iceland in its zone 2 or 3 pricing on Icelandair partner awards, making it one of the least expensive European destinations for business class redemptions.
Icelandair operates nonstop service to Reykjavik from Boston, New York JFK, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Toronto, and several other North American cities seasonally. Their Saga Class business product features fully lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration on Boeing 767 aircraft — a capable long-haul business class for a relatively short transatlantic hop. Alaska Mileage Plan books Icelandair partner awards; check Fluxora for current Icelandair business class availability to KEF.
Iceland's mid-Atlantic position makes it ideal for a "split" Europe trip. Fly east from the US to Iceland, spend 5–7 days exploring the Ring Road or Westfjords, then catch a short flight to mainland Europe (London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam) to continue your trip. Icelandair's free stopover program on paid tickets makes this easy — and Aeroplan's stopover rules allow a similar construction on award tickets if your routing connects through a hub with Iceland connections.
On the return journey, add a second night in Reykjavik rather than flying straight home. Departure taxes and fees on Iceland departures are modest, and the extra night lets you squeeze in the Blue Lagoon or an evening Northern Lights tour (September–March) without rushing. Planning the Iceland leg as either the first or last stop — rather than the middle of a European itinerary — keeps travel days efficient and minimizes backtracking.