Leifur Eiríksson Air Terminal

Roughly 20–30 airlines share the single Leifur Eiríksson Air Terminal

Everything at Keflavík runs through this one terminal: Icelandair, PLAY, Wizz Air, British Airways, easyJet, SAS, Lufthansa and a rotating cast of other carriers all board from here. Gates sit in one continuous post-security hall, so you clear passport and security once and then walk to your gate cluster. Flight banks skew early morning and late afternoon, so those windows feel busy, while mid-day and late evening often feel lighter.

Check-in, security, and the “no line” bag drop effect

Departures sit on the upper level, with Icelandair and PLAY desks lining the main check-in hall from early morning through late night. Self-service kiosks let you print boarding passes and bag tags before dropping your luggage at automated bag drops, a combo regulars use to cut time at the counters. One Icelandair report mentions “no line” at luggage drop even when arriving a bit over an hour before departure, which matches the feel of off-peak periods here.

Arrivals floor, 26 lockers, and landside duty free

Arrivals run on the ground level: you clear passport control, collect bags, then step straight into a compact public hall. Just outside that arrivals area sit 26 self-service luggage lockers, open 24 hours a day, handy if you are doing a quick Reykjavik side trip before or after a flight. Landside you also get a Duty Free Store, useful for last-minute liquor or gift grabs if you skipped the airside shops.

Security timing and connections in Terminal 1

Keflavík officially calls this space Terminal 1, and all international flights funnel to it, so arrivals and departures share the same overall footprint. If you connect from an inbound flight, you follow the transit signage, clear passport control for Schengen vs non-Schengen, then walk straight back into the gate hall. For fresh departures from town, most people clear security within 20–30 minutes outside of the very early morning bank, but build a 45–60 minute buffer in peak Icelandair waves.

Six main eateries plus kiosks: where to eat by gate

A FlyerTalk guide counts six core eateries, but new spots and kiosks push the total higher; key names include Loksins Café & Bar by the C-gates, Joe & The Juice, Mathús, Nord, Segafredo, Lagoon Bar, Delight, Hjá Höllu near C, Sbarro, Subway, Pure Food Hall and Móðir Jörð. Prices sit in typical Iceland range: expect around 1,500–2,500 ISK for a sandwich, more for hot mains. Food courts and counters cluster around central concourses, so gate-adjacent options thin out near the far ends.

Coffee, juice, and grab-and-go strategy

For coffee, Segafredo and Loksins Café & Bar pour espresso drinks from early morning departures through late-night flights, and both sell pastries you can carry down to A- or C-gates. Joe & The Juice covers smoothies and pressed juice for around the 1,500 ISK mark plus standard sandwiches. If you are tight on time, grab something at Pure Food Hall or Delight right after security instead of waiting to shop closer to your gate cluster.

Lounges and long layover tactics

The big branded option is the Icelandair Saga Lounge, sitting airside with access from the main concourse and opening at 5:00 AM before the first outbound waves. It closes at 1:00 AM, which covers almost all Icelandair banks and a lot of partner flights. Long-layover passengers on eligible tickets often ride out three- or four-hour gaps there instead of roaming the shops, since seating in the main hall fills fastest in the 6:00–9:00 AM and late-afternoon pushes.

Duty free, local brands, and last-minute gifts

Post-security retail runs heavy on Icelandic names: Ísland Duty Free and the larger Duty Free Store stock liquor and cosmetics, while 66° North sells technical outdoor gear in the 20,000–40,000 ISK jacket bracket. Blue Lagoon Skin Science handles spa products, Elko covers electronics, and Penninn / Eymundsson mixes books with magazines in English and Icelandic. Nordic Souvenir, Fyrir Ísland, Eyesland and House of Iceland cover wool, lava rock trinkets and eyewear when you need gifts five minutes before boarding.

Check-in hacks and what regulars do

Frequent flyers heading out on Icelandair or PLAY usually hit the self-service kiosks the moment they enter departures, print tags, then move straight to self bag drop even if counters are staffed. Many show up just over 60 minutes before departure on off-peak flights and walk right up to the drop belt, referencing trip reports that mention empty lines. Early morning bank still compresses, so locals push that to 90 minutes when flying between 6:00 and 8:00 AM.

One practical tip before you go

If you land early and plan a quick dash into Reykjavik, stash your big suitcase in the 24/7 lockers outside the ground-level arrivals hall, then head to the city with only a daypack and return for the bag before check-in opens; it keeps your time in the terminal down to a focused security and boarding pass stop.