While Feb. 29 is not an official holiday, many people enjoy celebrating or just acknowledging a day that only occurs every four years to match the small gap that occurs as the earth moves around the sun over the course of time.
Now that we're in 2024 and another leap year, a number of brands and companies are also increasingly seizing on the approaching Leap Day to market various deals and promotions.
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Based out of Iceland and offering multiple flights between the U.S. and various European capitals, low-cost airline Play introduced a special Leap Day promotion in which it is selling $99 one-way flights to Reykjavik and $129 flights to other cities such as Paris, London, Copenhagen, Dublin, Amsterdam and Berlin.
There is another way to score a $99 flight to Europe (just book before Leap Day)
Available for those who book a flight on the airline's website between now and March 1, the promotion mirrors the prices the airline periodically offers in its sales tailored for different times of the year — the lowest fares are available on weekday flights and apply to travel between April and May or September and December 2024.
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The U.S. airports from which one can fly to Europe include Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and the Stewart International Airport (SWF) in New York's Orange County (approximately a two-hour drive from NYC.)
"PLAY’s leap year deal is the perfect way for travelers to take advantage of 2024’s extra day to book the getaway of their dreams," the airline said in promoting the deal. "With this unbeatable deal, Bostonians can take in the breathtaking Northern Lights in Iceland or explore Copenhagen's trademark canals."
Play Airlines
Airlines taking on the don't-fly-on-Leap-Day superstition head-on
The $99 and $129 prices include taxes and airport fees but not extra perks such as seat selection or any baggage travelers will need to bring with them on the trip.
While the promotion applies to when one needs to book the flight rather that the time of travel, there has been a longstanding superstition that flying on Feb. 29 will bring bad luck.
Over the last decade, airlines have increasingly taken on this belief head-on with promotions that poke fun at the superstition. Alaska Airlines (ALK) is another carrier that, in 2020, had encouraged customers to go against the grain and commit to travel for the year ahead with low fares on Leap Day.
Play, in turn, has also been actively promoting its stopover feature in which travelers who book a flight between the U.S. and a European city can schedule a stopover in Iceland for up to 10 days without having to pay to adjust their flight. The flights to mainland Europe included in the Leap Day promotion also have this option.
"Passengers can also partake in PLAY’s stopover feature, enabling them to tack on a few days in Iceland at no extra cost," the airline said. "When booking with the deal, travelers can add a stayover on either leg of their trip, or both the departing and returning flights."
