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Flights from Seattle to Oslo

Hello!
I'm making myself crazy searching for airline tickets from Seattle to Oslo next summer (July 2019). The lowest I can find at present is around $1,050. I've set up a Google Flights watch for that route, but I'd love to hear options! I am happy to fly out of another city if it would be cheaper (e.g., Vancouver, San Jose, etc.). I'm totally open to options! Any tips or advice? I'm starting early to try and take advantage of the time. I've searched Norwegian airlines, Icelandic Airlines, thinking I could get a good deal, but the flights are anywhere from $1,000 and higher. I'm happy to fly from Seattle to another European destination and then get a local flight to Oslo as well. So many options--I'd love advice!
Thanks!
Becky

Posted by
6733 posts

How long have you been watching? I've never flown them, but as I understand it, Norwegian's prices go up and down frequently, so it may simply be a question of waiting until one of the price dips comes along. It's certainly smart to plan well in advance, but you still have plenty of time to track airfare price swings.

Posted by
7049 posts

You have plenty of time to track fares. My advice is to sit tight, don't stress, and be patient. There is no need to go crazy this many months out. "Starting early" doesn't mean you'll land a better fare than if you wait, it can go either way (flight prices change constantly, even multiple times a day). Decide on a range you're comfortable paying - if not 1k, then what?

Posted by
302 posts

About $1000 seems about right, although I usually wait till about 6 months prior to departure. But I also research just as you are doing, to get an idea of routes, etc so I am ready to book. I used miles last summer to get to the East Coast to visit family and then flew Norwegian to Oslo from JFK for about $375 one way, non- stop. Caveats: I then about had a nervous breakdown reading their negative reviews after purchase. Passengers seems to either love it ( if a Dreamliner, like mine was) or hate it ( if there are delays or aircraft substitutions). Also, the price starts to very quickly go up if you want to select a seat, order a meal, etc. The baggage allowance of 10kg for carryon is another cost factor at their lowest price point. So just be aware that the posted super cheap fare might be only a starting point. I returned to Seattle from Copenhagen through Reykyavik on Iceland Air (which I really like and I hate flying!) for about $600. You might consider a stopover for a couple nights in Iceland. The 7ish hours non-stop to Seattle is a lot easier than some of the longer options from Europe. So $1,000 seems the norm, unless you find an incredible "deal".

Posted by
3183 posts

This past summer, we paid $1,200 per person from Anchorage to Oslo. We bought about 10 months in advance. I bet if you watch you can get a better deal than we did.

Posted by
2085 posts

Just as an option to check:
Primera Air is starting operations in June 2019 from some East Coast airports to Berlin TXL and from there EasyJet offers cheap flights to Oslo.

Also Berlin is worth a stopover in July.

Posted by
8258 posts

You are flying at one of the most popular times of the year. I also think that around $1000 is not that far off from the cheapest fare you will find. I have saved money flying KLM out of Vancouver BC before. The Canadian/US exchange rate helps.

Posted by
2298 posts

That price sounds good (to me) for a peak summer fare from the West coast. I agree track prices for awhile longer to see how they vary. Personally, I am more interested in minimizing hassle (multiple stops, short connections) than saving a small amount of money. If you have any flexibility in dates, use the calendar in Google Flights - I see round trip costs in the $800 range in early July (but I don't know your dates).

Also re: earlier advice flying through Vancouver BC, factor in the added inconvenience for US passengers on return flights - you have to go through extra security and immigration steps in Canada when returning to the US. It is not awful, but you need to factor that in to your layover time.

Posted by
8258 posts

CL. the poster wouldn't have a layover time. For people from the Puget Sound area, like the OP, they would simply drive to Vancouver Airport. My experience with Vancouver Airport was quite positive and I had no delays or extensive time in screenings at all.

I do have a NEXUS card so border crossings are quite quick and easy for me.

Posted by
97 posts

Thanks so much for the great advice! I think I'll sit tight and watch and wait. Thank you everyone!

Posted by
4138 posts

Not knowing your exact dates, I just used Google Flights to search round trip Seattle - Oslo, leaving on a Wednesday and returning 3 weeks later on a Wednesday. I limited to 1 stop or less. Then clicked on Dates to see that combination in a calendar grid. If you are at all flexible, you can do the same to see if there are any better dates to fly in terms of price. RT prices around my dates varied from $787 to $1110.

Google Flights also does European flights. Earlier this summer I flew RT Seattle - Amsterdam. Then multi-city Amsterdam - Stockholm and Bergen - Amsterdam.

So I tried the same approach, and at least today, it wasn't cheaper to split the ticket. The RT SEA - AMS varied from $790 to $1281. The RT AMS - OSL price was from $136 to $157.

You know your way around Google Flights pretty well already. Have fun and mess around some more with your dates.

Posted by
14481 posts

Hi,

Since you are flying in July, I would take that price.

If I flew in June or July going non-stop to Paris, London, or Frankfurt from SFO ot OAK and the fare in Economy was $1,050, I certainly would not hesitate at all taking that price.

Posted by
2 posts

I would wait until after the first of the year and see what happens. I just flew to Oslo and went Delta/KLM. There was a connection in Amsterdam. On that long of a flight I always like to fly in a plane with 2 aisles--it's not so claustrophobic. Just make sure your ticket includes seat assignments and checked baggage if you want.

Posted by
3809 posts

Interesting that you got a Primera Air recommendation 3 days before it ceased operations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded far from home and thousands more holding worthless tickets for future flights. Those cheap air fares on transatlantic discount carriers come with risk...

Posted by
882 posts

Norwegian Air has flights from SeaTac to Oslo in July, 2019 four days per week (M/W/F/SU).
These are one-stop flights (London Gatwick 2hr 20min layover).
Prices (as of today - 11/21/18)
7/8 $305
7/1, 7/3, 7/5 $359
7/7 $399
7/15, 7/17, 7/24 $457
7/14, 7/19, 7/21. 7/22 $477

These are their basic fares with limited carry on (10 KG) no seat selection and no food.
For an additional $90 checked baggage (20 KG), seat selection and food included.
These are Boeing Dreamliners.
I fly Norwegian frequently although they do not serve my neighborhood airport (PDX).