COMFORT ON A BUDGET COMES INTO PLAY

New budget carrier Play was born during the pandemic and I was aboard its inaugural Airbus A320neo/a321neo flights from Stansted to Baltimore/washington airport via Iceland – along with American flags and a White House cake, plus water cannons as we hit the Tarmac.

The airline says it’s the future of transatlantic travel, and with one-way tickets to DC from £195, tickets to Iceland for £39, and Orlando, Boston and New York routes to follow, it’s easy to see the appeal.

For a low-cost flight, there’s surprisingly ample legroom and a nice headrest. Staff tell me they are happy too – they get to travel wearing trainers. It’s a refreshing, long-overdue sight.

Play launched in early 2021 and was founded by some of the names behind Wow Air, the last known low-cost transatlantic airline – and sadly a pre-pandemic casualty.

“We raised £100million to take it off the ground and Play was born,” CEO Birgir Jonsson tells me.

“We’re not inventing something new and it’s nothing extravagant.

“We’re going into a proven and tested model and we’ve learned a great deal from Wow Air. Now we want to put these lessons into practice.”

Jonsson says Play’s core value is “play more, pay less”, and that the airline has had an “exceptional response” so far and things are only just taking off.

It currently has six aircraft and aims to have 15 in action by 2025.

“Our staff numbers have doubled from 150 last year to more than 300 now. It’s a slow and steady operation.”

The cost of the airline’s latest addition – the flight to DC from Stansted – will inevitably rise with demand and, potentially, the fuel crisis.

But if you’re in it for a cheap no-frills trip and can book fast, the pleasure is all theirs.