Norse Atlantic Airways Review

To travel across the Atlantic Ocean on a low-cost long-haul flight, Norse Atlantic Airways is just the ticket. Without charging the high prices that other airlines do, flying on one of Norse Atlantic Airway’s 787 Dreamliners is the best way to hop across the pond on a budget. 

Norse fleets were previously operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle, before it was saved from collapse during the pandemic. Norse Atlantic Airways was founded in 2021, and its inaugural flight took place between Oslo to JFK in New York in June 2022.  

Where You Can Fly Norse Atlantic Airways

Norse Atlantic Airways has a lot of pinpoints on the map, from North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Because it’s Norwegian-owned, most of Norse’s flights operate to and from Oslo, Norway.

Several flights also operate from London Gatwick, United Kingdom. They also have flights from Berlin, Germany, Paris, France, Rome, Italy, Athens, Greece, Bangkok, Thailand, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Washington, USA, Jamaica and Barbados, and one flight to Asia (Bangkok).

They plan on opening a flight between JFK, New York, and Athens, Greece in May 2024. 

According to their website, they operate the following flights throughout the year:

Oslo (OSL) – Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) Oslo (OSL) – Miami (MIA) Paris (CDG) – Los Angeles (LAX) Paris (CDG) – New York (JFK) Athens (ATH) – New York (JFK) London Gatwick (LGW) – Los Angeles (LAX) London Gatwick (LGW) – Miami (MIA) London Gatwick (LGW) – New York (JFK) London Gatwick (LGW) – Orlando (MCO)

The following flights operate on a seasonal service: 

Oslo (OSL) – Los Angeles (LAX)  Rome (FCO) – New York (JFK)  Oslo (OSL) – New York (JFK)  Berlin (BER) – Miami (MIA)  Berlin (BER) – New York (JFK)  Paris (CDG) – Miami (MIA)  London Gatwick (LGW) – Barbados (BGI)  London Gatwick (LGW) – Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)  London Gatwick (LGW) – Washington Dulles (IAD)

Norse recently began a winter seasonal service with non-stop flights from Miami to Berlin once per week, and Miami to Paris four times per week, joining previous destinations to London and Oslo.

Premium Norse

If you’re someone who wants to travel with more comfort, then Norse Premium Class is a great way to travel. That way, you don’t have to worry about how much you’re packing.

By paying extra, you’ll also get complimentary meals and drinks, a free carry-on bag, a wider seat, and more legroom. Norse will also provide earplugs and soft blankets to make your journey across the Atlantic much more comfortable. 

When I flew with Norse, I was traveling on a budget, so I did not choose to fly premium – though the perks are probably well worth the extra cost, especially if you want extra legroom. 

Norse has three Premium levels you can choose from: Premium Light, Premium Classic, and Premium Flextra. 

Premium Light gets you one personal item, one carry-on, two meals, premium boarding, and priority check-in. It’s also changeable for a $200 fee. 

With Premium Classic, you’ll get all the same as Premium Light, plus a standard checked bag. You can also change your flight for a $100 fee. 

Premium Flextra gets you the same as classic but is a better option for those of you traveling with a lot of bags, as it includes two checked bags, and you get a voucher if you want to change or reschedule your flight. 

Economy Norse

Similar to Premium, there are three levels of Economy you can choose: Economy Light, Economy Classic, and Economy Flextra. 

The Economy Light only allows for a personal item, and to change your ticket incurs a $200 fee. You’re also the last to board.

However, when I boarded my flights to and from London I boarded with the masses, so didn’t feel I needed priority boarding that you get with Classic or Flextra. Once you’re on board, you have to wait anyway!

You’ll have general boarding with Economy Classic, a carry-on, and a checked bag, and the chance to change your ticket for a $100 fee. 

In Economy Flextra, you’ll get all the perks of Economy Classic, in addition to seat selection, priority boarding, and the chance to change your ticket at no additional cost. 

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Economy rows are placed in a 3-3-3 seatingarrangement.

You don’t get any of the other amenities that more expensive airlines have, like pillows and a blanket, though you can have them for an additional fee. The comfort kit, with a sleep mask, ear plugs, and neck cushion costs $6.50, while headphones cost $3.50. 

Norse Dreamliners

The Dreamliner 787 is an efficient aircraft that was designed after the Oseberg Viking ship in Oslo. It’s a symbol of the Viking explorers who explored the world for generations before our time.

With their motto in mind, traveling on one of these airplanes seems like more of an epic journey than your typical flight. 

I found the plane’s cabin to be clean and modern, which is not something I usually expect with low-cost airlines. The fleet had large windows and new seats.

According to Norse, they use 25% lower CO2 emissions and are 50% quieter than the previous aircraft generations. 

My Experience Flying Norse

I’ve flown Norse Atlantic Airways several times: round trip between New York and London Gatwick, and round trip between New York and Oslo. My flight between JFK and London cost around $350, while my flight between New York and Oslo cost around $450. 

The flight to Oslo was a bit more expensive because I decided to purchase Economy Classic, which meant I had a carry-on and a checked bag, in addition to one meal, included.

It was around $100 more than the Economy Light ticket, but as I was spending a couple of weeks in Norway, I wanted to make sure I had enough clothes with me – which is almost impossible to do with only a personal item!

Round Trip: New York to London

Because I was only flying to London for the weekend, I packed enough clothes and toiletries for a few days. I could fit it all into a personal item backpack, which fits under the seat. 

My flight from New York to London was an evening flight. When I tried to check into my flight online, the website said I had to check in at the airport. So I arrived at JFK three hours before the scheduled departure, even though I only had a personal item and wasn’t planning on checking a bag.

According to their website, Norse do now allow you to check in online – however, I’d always be vigilant of this to avoid any problems.

Upon arriving at Terminal 7 at JFK, I went to the check-in desk. I’d heard about a $10 fee to check in at the airport – a charge that is to cover the cost of printing your boarding pass, according to their website. However, this was not mentioned or asked for when I arrived at the check-in booth.

I waited in the check-in line for less than a minute. They asked me to place my bag inside the baggage sizer to make sure it was the personal item size. Luckily, it was within the right size and weight.

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Security through JFK was quite long, but I arrived at my gate in time to munch on a couple of snacks. Before the flight, I kept receiving email alerts suggesting I upgrade my ticket fare for an additional fee. I didn’t feel like upgrading so I ignored the emails, even if they were annoying. 

We boarded right on time and left within several minutes of the scheduled departure. 

Immigration for London was over in a matter of minutes. Those with a US passport can use the scanning machine to enter the country, and I was out exploring London within an hour of landing!

For my return, my experience at Gatwick airport was a little bit rougher than at JFK. Honestly, I would consider purchasing priority check-in at Gatwick Airport. While check-in at JFK was fast, check-in at Gatwick was a bit of a hassle.

I had to wait a while on the line just to get my boarding pass, even though I wasn’t checking a bag. Usually, I wouldn’t waste money on buying priority check-in, but it seemed worth it to avoid the annoyance that came with waiting around. 

As with the first flight, we departed and arrived right on time. I’d brought with me a huge sandwich and a few snacks for the flight, because I didn’t want to pay for a $30 meal on the airplane. They provided complimentary water. 

I was happy I didn’t pay to upgrade because the Economy Light seats looked pretty similar to the Economy Classic and Economy Plus seats. Even if it’s the difference of a few inches, I felt it was worth saving a couple hundred bucks for a six-hour flight.

Having said that, my seat did not recline, which was frustrating as I was in the middle seat – it certainly made for a fitful sleep!  

One thing that stood out to me was the cleanliness of the planes. They even smelled good! On both flights, the seats were clean, and the bathroom was spotless, which is not something I usually experience on low-cost airlines.

The most frustrating part was being placed in the middle seat on both planes and having to politely nudge the person next to me to let me out of the middle seat to use the bathroom.  

Luckily, I travel with a blanket, which I recommend on Norse Atlantic Airways flights because it was freezing! Otherwise, I would have had to purchase a blanket for $5, which is not worth it for me. I ended up wearing my sweatshirt and using my travel blanket to keep warm.

Roundtrip: New York to Oslo

During my flights to and from Oslo, I flew Economy Classic. This is because I had to bring more clothes and a tent with me, which is not something I can shove into a personal item! 

I didn’t want to pay for my seats, so I took a chance and played the gambling seat game again. This time, I got lucky with my seat placement! I was allocated an aisle seat on the way to Oslo, and the window seat on the way back.

There was only one other person in the aisle seat on the return flight, so I didn’t need to worry too much about legroom or annoying more than one person when I had to get up and use the bathroom.

While the flight was fine, the landing in Oslo was frustrating. Immigration took more than an hour. To avoid this, I recommend spending the money and buying a seat near the front of the plane.  

Once I’d got through immigration, my bag was waiting for me on the belt. It had likely been waiting for a while, considering how long immigration took. However, this isn’t a fault of Norse’s – just more of a tip to be seated at the front of the aircraft if you can.

Staff And Punctuality

The staff on all four flights were friendly, attentive, and kind. They were confident and clearly well-trained with their in-safety presentations on all the flights, since they were always in sync and smiling from ear to ear.

All four of my Norse flights departed and arrived right on time. If anything, we boarded a bit earlier than expected for the New York and Oslo flights.

Meals on Board

On these flights, my meals were included. On the way to Oslo, I decided to have vegetables and grilled chicken. I usually opt for vegetarian options on a flight, but I snuck a peek at the same option for the people behind me, and it looked good.

I’m afraid I skipped the chocolate pudding Norse provided, as I’d packed some cookies I was looking forward to. I also decided to celebrate with a Carlsberg beer in honor of Scandinavia. On the way back to New York, I had a basic vegetarian dish.

Overall, Norse Atlantic Airways has a good selection of meals, which are served with minimal plastic. This is something I’ve noticed many airlines starting to do. Though perhaps a little bland compared to other meals I’ve had, all the meals with Norse were tasty.

Entertainment On Board

You’ll have your selection between Indie films, new releases, musicals, and children’s movies in Norse’s entertainment system.

Before take-off, each seat television has the seat number and a gorgeous photo of the Northern Lights in the background. This felt like a promising start on my way to Oslo (even though, sadly, I never ended up seeing the Northern Lights in Norway).

There weren’t any games on the entertainment system. I personally didn’t use the television on any of my flights – I prefer to get some work done or take a restful sleep.

But if you do want to watch a movie, I recommend bringing your aux headphones, since you have to buy them from Norse. Bluetooth headphones don’t work with their entertainment system. 

Checking a Bag

It’s always cheaper to buy your checked bag or carry-on when you’re purchasing your ticket. Unless you know you’re only going somewhere for a few days and will bring practically nothing, I recommend purchasing the extra baggage fee.

That’s the only downside to low-budget airlines – they do not include baggage fees. 

For a flight from JFK to London Gatwick, Norse charges as follows:

• Personal Item (40 x 30 x 15): Free
• Carry-on bag (10kg / 22lbs): $45 at booking 
• Light checked bag (15kg / 33lbs): $60 at booking 
• Standard checked bag (23kg / 50lbs): $75 at booking 
• Heavy checked bag (32kg / 70lbs): $170 at booking

When you pay at check-in at the airport, you’ll typically pay $10-$20 more than you would online.

Paying for Seats

Depending on the seat you want and where it’s located on the airplane, you’ll end up paying as little as $20 to as much as $100 for your selected seat.

I usually choose not to pay for a seat and take a gamble with where they’ll put me. Sometimes it works out for the best, but other times I’m stuck in the middle seat.

How to Book with Norse

It’s very easy to book with Norse, and their website is user-friendly. Simply type in the departure airport and arrival airport, and the dates you want to fly.

It will take you to a page with different flight options. You might have to change the currency at the top-right corner, which I had to do because it automatically went to British Pounds. 

You have the choice to fly Economy or Premium. On some flights, Premium is roughly $50 more expensive, which is worth it if you want added comfort and a checked bag.

If you select Economy, it’ll give you another option to choose between Economy Light, Economy Classic (recommended), and Economy Flextra. You can then select between Premium Light, Premium Classic, and Premium Flextra. 

If you’re on a tight budget, I recommend buying the Economy Light or the Economy Classic. I would only recommend the Premium Flextra if there’s a chance you need to change your flight, then it’s worth paying the extra fee. 

The only downside with booking Economy Light is that I had a middle seat both to and from London.

You’ll have an option to pay for additional checked bags on the following page for both flights. This will be cheaper than buying it at the airport.

The next stage allows you to select a seat for payment. If you don’t mind where you sit, you can skip this page and head to the next one.

If you have a Premium Light ticket, your meals are included and you can select which meal you want (main meal, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan). This is where you can choose to pre-purchase your meals with the Economy Light ticket.

Each meal comes with one non-alcoholic drink. You can purchase an alcoholic drink on board for an additional fee. Again, you’ll be asked if you want to spend $20 for priority boarding with the cheaper ticket.

Before the final payment page, you’ll be bombarded with different choices of add-ons, which is typical of low-cost carriers.

London Gatwick Airport has lounge access with Norse Atlantic Airways, which you can have access to for $40. This offers high-speed Wi-Fi, a games room, and an outdoor terrace.

One benefit of the non-stop New York to London Gatwick flight is that it’s competitive in the market. The cheapest flights between the two cities used to cost more than $1,000 round trip during off-peak season.

Fortunately, with Norse, we’re seeing more affordable routes not just between the USA and the United Kingdom, but between other major cities in Europe. 

Conclusion

All in all, I had a pleasant time flying with Norse on all four of my flights. I would fly with them again. Checking into the flight was easy, boarding was seamless, and the flight was as comfortable as a low-cost airline could be.

I’m curious about flying in Premium Plus in the future, to sample a difference experience with Norse, and seemingly much more comfortable. No matter the class though, all Norse staff were friendly, and the plane was clean. 

I experienced hassle-free flights that made arriving in two new cities a beautiful, fun experience. I felt well-rested and ready to explore, even with the short weekend away in London.

Norse Atlantic Airways sticks to its motto and makes traveling around the world easy and exciting. If I were to fly across the pond again, there’s no doubt in my mind that I would choose to fly with Norse.