norwegian air

I have not flown it transatlantic but from Stockholm to Paris. Did i like it ? To me the flight experience is like all the others but price wins out all the time when I know I not flying in 1st class. So you should ask yourself before you book what services are they lacking that will make you not like it. But I know for certain I like them better than United. It is a budget airline a pioneer in that it is one of the first to sell inexpensive flights on transatlantic routes that others like Wow, Level, Condor have followed. The fares are inexpensive because they pay the pilots less (much to the dismay of the pilots union of USA). There hubs are in Scandanavia meaning you will connect to get somewhere else in Europe, though I think they have a direct to London from the East coast.

Sue, I am strongly considering Norwegian for my next flight, because of the OAKLAND departure, which is maybe a little easier for me to get to than San Francisco, because of my Central California location. Normally I fly United because of the non-stop from SFO to Frankfurt, which is my event destination, but for my next flight, which will be purely for fun, and not time-constrained/event-oriented, I may choose Norwegian.

You have to change in Oslo or Copenhagen or Stockholm (if my memory is correct), but I wouldn't be worried if not travelling for an event. And if I pick a shoulder season, I may even purchase a business-class flight.

Since you posted this in the Spain section, I will guess there is some relevance there. We just flew Norwegian for the first time, Gatwick to Barcelona. it was a budget flight, really no different from other budget flights we were on. We had bought this very early and the only seats worth paying for - first row on the left side - were available, so we added them and flew in comfort. There was some bs at the gate in Gatwick about only so many bags being allowed in thew cabin, but we got to the head of the scramble and were not affected. Their European fares and fees are in the same range as EasyJet, Ryanair, etc. And the product is essentially the same.

How do they get the air fares so inexpensive?

They benefit from being a "new" entrant - brand new planes (efficient, no major maintenance) and no costs that the legacy carriers have (often those are tied to seniority and involve wages, pensions, etc.). I think they also use less expensive labor in the flight attendant pool. The biggest cost is labor, and they're able to keep those costs down. After a few decades, they'll be in the same spot as the legacy carriers - pressure on wages, older fleet that requires more maintenance, etc.

I haven't flown them but my Mom has from LAX to Europe. Nothing bad to report. Just be aware of fees for food, luggage, etc.

Thanks everyone!

We flew on Norwegian Air from Madrid to LAX with a stop in London. It was great. We were able to buy Premium seats given the low air fare. It was worth it.

This question is for any of you who flew Norwegian already. I have been reading online about booking it through the Norwegian language portion of their website, meaning you are buying the ticket in NOK rather than US dollars and saving $ substantially. I am about to book but I'm a little hesitant because I'm wondering if there's any problem when you get to the airport and to customs as a US citizen with tickets in Norwegian.

We flew Norwegian from Oakland to Barcelona round trip. We had the Lowfare+ fare which includes a checked bag and meal and selection of seat. The airplane (Dreamliner) is nice and new. Each seat has a screen and free movies. The crew is nice and friendly and everything was comfortable. The premium seats are even nicer. The only minor inconvenience is that they don't give out blankets. Bring one or buy one. We also bought our fare in NOK thru the Norwegian version of the site and had no issues whatsoever.

. I have been reading online about booking it through the Norwegian language portion of their website, meaning you are buying the ticket in NOK rather than US dollars and saving $ substantially

I was surprised by this statement, but doing a test booking found it to be 25% less in NOK compared to USD.... amazing

If Norwegian flies the 787 plane from your city, definitely look into their Business Class. We flew from Paris to LAX last year, and it was excellent, with lounge access, especially at the price. I understand their coach seats are no better than any other airline, heard some comments about uncomfortable seats in the back if the bus.. (Their new 737 Max planes are single class, all coach.)

You could fly Norwegian Business Class most of the way and use a budget airline for the short hop to Spain.

Unfortunately I cannot use them on this year's trip to Spain as I am round tripping out of Dulles/Washington.