Norwegian Air, which bills itself as the World’s Best Long-Haul , Low-Cost Airline, certainly lives up to its slogan. Indeed, while some would be quick to judge the airline based on the extremely low fares that it offers, they would only need to be a passenger on one of its overseas flights to realize that flying with Norwegian is an excellent experience.
For starters, the average age of its planes is only 3.6 years old. And it uses brand new 787-9 Boeing Dreamliners for many of its long-haul flights, which are quieter and faster than many other aircraft used for overseas flights. Other Norwegian long-hauls are serviced by Boeing 737 Max aircrafts (but try to select flights that use the Dreamliners, especially if you want a Premium Economy seat, an in-flight entertainment system, larger windows that dim and multiple meals).
Visit its website and you will see a tool that other airlines have long neglected to include. Called “What is your budget?” the sliding tool can be moved from $100 in hundred dollar increments up to $500 and “all prices”. This is the perfect tool for anyone who wants to find a trip that meets their budget without having to do so by spending hours searching for fares by destination.
Slide the bar and you will see one-way fares from your selected airport to destinations with fares that match your budget. For example, when the tool is set to $100, the results from New York’s JFK Airport included such destinations as Bergen, Norway for a one-way low-fare of $89.30 in March, $99 for a one-way low-fare to Dublin in February, March and April, and a $59.50 low-fare to Martinique (Fort de France) in March. Of course, the return fare might not always be as inexpensive. In the case of the return flight from Bergen, Norway, the fares ranged from $131 to $473.80 in March, depending on the date selected, but that is still a bargain, by any measure. Keep in mind that low-fares are non-refundable.
The biggest bargains, however, are the “Flex” fares that allow a name change and rebooking without a fee, and are fully refundable. Changes to date, time, destination and name are allowed up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Changes can only be made to another flight when there is availability within the same ticket price. While changes are free of charge, if there is a price difference, it must be paid if changing the destination or from a direct to a connecting flight. Destinations can only be changed from domestic to domestic or international to international. Cancelling flex tickets are fully refundable and can be cancelled online. A fully refundable ticket on another airline, for example, would cost several thousand dollars.
A fully refundable ticket on Delta, traveling between NYC and London Heathrow on the 15th of March with a return flight on the 22nd of March, would cost $3,290 ($5,571 for a Premium Economy seat). On Norwegian, a fully-refundable flexible ticket from JFK to London Gatwick would cost $1,290 for an Economy cabin seat while a Premium Cabin fully-refundable ticket would cost $1510.50. It’s arguable that the Norwegian Premium Cabin seat is infinitely better than a Delta Premium Economy seat (better seats, more space, superior food, etc.). As mentioned earlier, whenever possible, select Norwegian flights that use a Dreamliner aircraft.
There are a few downsides to flying Norwegian. For one, the low-fare ticket option includes only one 10kg piece of hand luggage requiring you to pay extra to check a second bag. In addition, just about everything else costs extra, from ordering a meal (which must be done in advance of the flight) to making a seat reservation. The fares for Flex economy cabin and Premium cabin seats include two bags up to 20kg and one piece of hand luggage, plus meals, advance seat reservations, fast-track boarding and access to a lounge at the airport.
Another downside for those who are enrolled in the TSA pre-check program is that Norwegian does not participate, so you will have to go through the regular security line at airports based in the U.S.
In 2017, Norwegian added 54 new routes (mainly between Europe and the U.S.), purchased 32 brand new aircraft and transported more than 33.15 million passengers, 3.8 million more than the previous year. The 2017 load factor was 87.5 per cent, compared to 87.7 percent the previous year. Norwegian also received several international customer awards in 2017, including two SkyTrax Awards: ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ for the fifth consecutive year and the ‘World’s best low-cost long-haul airline’ for the third year in a row.
In 2018, Norwegian will launch new long-haul routes, including its first service to South America. It will also introduce a new enhanced Premium cabin and inflight Wi-Fi to new long-haul aircraft. Unlike many other international carriers, Norwegian is servicing smaller US east coast cities, such as Connecticut’s Hartford Bradley Airport and Stewart International Airport in southern Hudson Valley, New York.
Service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Madrid-Barajas Airport will launch on July 18, 2018, and operate three times per week while service to Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport will launch on May 7, 2018, and will operate four times per week. New service from Los Angeles International Airport to Madrid will launch on July 16, 2018, and will operate four times per week; service to Milan-Malpensa Airport will launch on June 18, 2018, and will also operate four times per week.
Economy fares to Amsterdam and Madrid from New York City will start as low as $199 and $229 one-way, respectively, including taxes; fares from Los Angeles to both Madrid and Milan start from $229 one-way, including taxes.
