Norwegian is now operating non-stops from Seattle to London - Gatwick, on 787 Dreamliners.
Even with the 'lowfare+' option, it's about $500 R/T - hard to beat!
I'd be very interested in hearing from those who have taken Norwegian for long-haul flights (the intra-Europe flights are mostly the same).
Also, I've heard that some are buying their tickets in Norwegian currency - how does that work and do you save any money?
Thanks!
We have flown 5 legs on Norwegian Air Shuttle. The airplanes and entertainment systems are great. And we don't mind picnicking to save big bucks.
The big US legacy air carriers are scared to death of these guys. If it wasn't for them entering the retail market, prices would be three times what their airfares are. As they take delivery of more brand new planes, they will be flying from/to more cities.
Go for it.
My sister and her husband have flown Norwegian Air a few times, and like it. She does find that buying tix on the Norwegian website saves a bit of money--but you have to figure out the Norwegian---it is not available in English.
Click on USA as originating country and everything is in English and US Dollars.
And, this good news: https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2017/09/13/easyjet-norwegian-westjet-enable-customers-connect-london-gatwick/ So, if you fly Norweigan to Gatwick you can book your through flight to wherever on Easy Jet at the same time. Then you are holding one ticket so, should there be a delay, you'll be on the next available Easy Jet flight.
We flew transatlantic on Norwegian and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. We bought in Euro, selected Other Country which keeps it in English but using Euros. We have a CC which doesn't charge extra for foreign transactions and the fare was a few hundred dollars less that way. No issues with tix or transaction when we did it that way.
Norwegian Air is offering some remarkably low fares especially attractive if your travel plans are flexible.
However, to best utilize their offers, book directly with them via their website.
Even with additions to their "basic fares" (checked luggage, food, seat selection etc) their prices are very good.
My wife and I recently booked travel with Norwegian for a February RS tour in Spain. Adding the extra cost of meals and luggage wasn't a major motivation, but seat selection certainly was....I'm 6'6".... air travel is not a comforting adventure most times for me.
Surprisingly, ours were the first two seats booked on that Oakland to Barcelona flight. Needless to say, we're in the exit row....lots of legroom for yours truly.
The meal/luggage/seat selection upgrade added $75 to each ticket. Worth it for me, but it does comprise the value.
A person of normal height who packs light could easily overrule the extras and pick up a snack or two at the departure airport and be willing to accept whichever seat is assigned at check in.
Those 787-300 Dreamliners are nice.
I'm very glad to read all these positive reviews. I'm considering Norwegian because it serves Gatwick. It does seem very reasonably priced, even if you pay up a bit. I'm thinking of flying Low Fare Plus or Premium on the way to London and Low Fare Plus on the way back to the US. The killer flight for me has been the one to London. I find that I really need to be able to get some modicum of sleep!
I just flew Norwegian on a premium ticket, from Gatwick to Boston. I had a mixed experience. I'd purchased the base fare through my Chase card, using points, and then upgraded to premium with dollars. I might have been happier flying in economy, because the extra money I paid wasn't worth it to me.
(1) The big perk for going premium had been lounge access, but the available lounge at Gatwick was crowded, provided only one tiny meal, and due to not being able to check in until three hours before the flight, I didn't get to utilize it very much. Three hours may sound like a lot, but it was actually a much shorter time before I had to head to the boarding gate, and it took a while to get through security, locate the lounge, and gain access.
(2) I had planned to check my roller, since this was my flight home, but they wouldn't let me do so until two hours before the flight. There seemed to be a glitch with the luggage handling system that day. So I kept the roller and lugged it through the airport.
(3) The food tasted really bad to me, and I didn't end up eating any beyond a few bites.
(4) I couldn't figure out what was so great about the entertainment system, though in all fairness it may have been broken. There was some sort of apology made over the intercom as we landed. I saw only a very limited number of movies and TV shows available.
However, none of these drawbacks were so decisive I'd never fly them again, but I'd probably get a very low-priced ticket, bringing my own food and avoiding buying any of the perks I didn't end up utilizing. I would also buy direct from them, because purchasing through a third party had a lot of drawbacks.
