When I set out to fly from Bermuda to Britain, Iceland was not part of my travel plans, initially.

But a near $400 difference in fares swayed me to try the non-direct, longer route.

It was less convenient, it took longer and included a one-night overlay in a hotel on the return leg, but even adding in the cost of the hotel, the total difference in price was a not insignificant $220.

Airfares fluctuate from time to time. So it can pay to be aware of alternative options for a journey.

When making this trip I would normally hop on the British Airways service from LF Wade International Airport to Gatwick, and catch a connecting flight to Scotland.

That’s what I expected to do when, towards the end of last year, I arranged to fly from the island to Britain.

However, a few months before the scheduled trip the BA website’s quoted price for the economy, return flight appeared a bit high.

That prompted a search for an alternative. I had heard positive reports about Iceland’s main airline Icelandair, in terms of service quality and transatlantic journey prices.

Piecing together a bespoke itinerary through website bookings, I settled on a combination of three carriers, namely JetBlue Airways, Icelandair and Flybe, a regional airline based in England.

The cost of the round trip flight, which went from Bermuda to New York, onto Iceland and then with stops in both Scotland and England, was about $800. At the time I wanted to make my booking the closest comparable trip using BA’s direct service, was nearly $400 more.

Of course, there were disadvantages to taking the non-direct journey. One was the extended travel time. On the outward leg it took 17 hours from departure to arrival. That included multi-hour stopovers at JFK Airport in New York, and Reykjavik-Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

Total travel time on the return journey was about 24 hours, mostly due to having to stay overnight in New York to await a connection to Bermuda early the following morning.

In comparison, the BA service between Bermuda and Gatwick has an average journey time of about 7½ hours each way.

However, taking the alternative route was an interesting experience. It afforded me a first visit to Iceland, albeit brief and confined to the environs of the airport at Reykjavik.

During the longer travelling time I read, did some writing, and tried hard not to put on too many extra calories from eating convenience snacks.

Trying out a different airline, in this case Icelandair, was a pleasant experience, as was seeing a few different airport terminals.

Having the luxury of a few spare days either side of the trip also meant that taking the longer route did not cause problems.

Yes, it was more tiring travelling for those extra hours. The convenience of the BA direct service between Bermuda and London is hard to beat, and I have always been impressed by the airline’s level of personal service.

But given the gap in price between the BA service and taking the alternative option, the Iceland route won this time.

Taking the slower, longer trip is not for everyone. The convenience factor is likely the biggest consideration for many travellers, but it is worth being aware of alternative options and giving them a go if you are feeling adventurous and want to save some dollars.