Icelandair is coming to St. Louis, but its business class won't get you into a lounge there

Icelandair is coming to St. Louis. The airline says it will fly nonstop between St. Louis Lambert (STL) and Keflavík (KEF), its hub near Reykjavík, from May 14 to Oct. 24, 2027. Flights run three to four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, according to Icelandair's announcement on Oct. 8. The joint release from STL and its partners says the route will use a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

That is good news for the Midwest. But if you plan to buy Icelandair's business class, Saga Premium, and expect a lounge before you leave St. Louis, read the fine print first.

What Icelandair announced

St. Louis is one of two new summer 2027 cities. The other is Madrid, which returns to the network. Madrid flights run two to three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from April 9 to Oct. 25, 2027.

The bigger story in St. Louis is the partner. Icelandair says it is expanding its partnership with Southwest Airlines, which it calls the largest carrier in St. Louis. The plan is to link Southwest's network to Iceland through St. Louis. Icelandair says that will help travelers connect from across North America to Iceland and on to Europe. It also says travelers from Iceland will get connections through St. Louis to many US cities, especially in Texas and nearby states. The STL release says the route links the Midwest to more than 35 destinations in Europe.

Icelandair's chief commercial officer, Tómas Ingason, tied the news to the airline's 90th birthday next June. Neither release gives flight times or fares.

The lounge catch at STL

Here is the part the press releases leave out. Icelandair changed its rules in 2025. According to Icelandair's lounge access page, Saga Premium bookings made after April 1, 2025, no longer include lounge access at airports outside Iceland. The only exception is for some bookings made through North American travel trade partners by May 1, 2025. Those dates are long gone for a 2027 trip.

So a Saga Premium ticket from St. Louis will not, on its own, get you into a lounge at STL. Icelandair has not said whether it will make any lounge deal at the airport.

What will be there? Lounge Frog lists two lounges at St. Louis Lambert:

• The American Airlines Admirals Club in Terminal 1, at the entrance to Concourse C. American lists its hours as 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
• The Wingtips Lounge in Terminal 2. Our listing shows access through Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass.

Icelandair has not said which terminal it will use. Our directory lists British Airways, Lufthansa and Southwest in Terminal 2. If you hold a card with Priority Pass, Wingtips is the lounge to check first. Look up its hours and entry rules close to your trip.

We think this is a fair complaint about the product. Business class on a flight across the Atlantic usually comes with a place to wait. Icelandair now saves that for its home airport. For a new route that needs to win over first-time flyers, that is a hard sell. A clear lounge answer at STL would help.

Where to wait in Iceland

The lounge benefit has not gone away in Keflavík. Icelandair says the change does not affect Saga Premium access to its Saga Lounge at KEF.

Icelandair says Saga Silver and Saga Gold members get in too, with one free guest and one more for a fee. Some credit cards also give access, with one paid guest. The lounge has showers, a kids' play area, a fireplace and recliners, according to the airline. It warns that the lounge may fill up at busy times, and that it limits entry when it does.

Check the hours before you count on it. Icelandair's US site says the lounge is usually open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. GMT. Its UK site and the airport's own page both say 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. If your flight to St. Louis leaves late in the day, confirm the closing time first.

What to do now

Flights start May 14, 2027. Before you book Saga Premium for the lounge, plan your STL wait around a card or membership you already hold. If you connect from a Southwest flight, keep an eye on how the two airlines handle bags and check-in. Neither release explains that yet.

We will update this story when Icelandair shares its STL terminal, schedule details and any lounge plans.