Transportation

I did fly Norwegian from Vegas a few years ago, just for the heck of it and to try it out. What you might be seeing listed as "business" class is more like premium economy, really (greater pitch and recline, for instance, but no lie flat seats or anything approaching that). It's a fairly bare-bones experience, and priced accordingly. What it certainly did have going for it, despite the no-frills seat, is it was on a sparkling new 787. I tend to just sleep on longhaul flights, and had no trouble at all doing that on Norwegian - it was comfy enough for me to relax and zonk out. So I can't speak for in-flight service because I slept through it all! I never had the chance to fly with them again, but I would consider them for future travel and was more than content with their premium option.

There are pros and cons with Norwegian.

Big con - They don't have the flexibility or network connections of other major carriers. For instance, were something to happen with your Air Canada flight - a missed connection, weather delay, equipment issue, or the like - Air Canada could tap in to its Star Alliance partner resources, or its own resources, to get you on another flight and where you need to go. I've heard many a horror story of folks missing a connection or having a canceled flight with Norwegian (or other low cost carriers) and essentially ending up stranded.

Big pro - Price, as you've noticed. Fact of the matter is carriers like Norwegian can open up new places to people, at affordable prices. That's something that can't be dismissed, and I know plenty of people who otherwise would not have been able to travel to Europe were it not for the prices offered by Norwegian and similar carriers. When airline miles constantly seem to be dropping in value or harder to redeem, there's something to be said for that.

Thanks for the feedback. Luckily will be staying with relatives in Uk first so no worries about missed connections...sounds from reviews of Norwegian this is a common occurrence! The two times I’ve been upgraded to first class on Air Canada were a bit of a bust as I slept soundly throughout each flight! Unfortunately it’s way too pricey for my budget this time, hence the idea of trying Norwegian. Even premium economy on AC is way more than Norwegian.

Trans-Atlantic flights often cost as much or more one-way than round trip on the established airlines. You want to be sure that your Air Canada points won't be eaten up if you book one-way with them.