$200 US to Europe Tickets….What’s the Catch?!?

We had our biggest family adventure to date planned for this summer, a cruise leaving out of England going to Iceland, Ireland and Scotland..wahooo! We booked the cruise figuring we’d sort out all the logistical travel details later. Needless to say, when the time came to book our flights, I almost fell over when I saw the airlines fares we were being quoted! There’s no denying it, flight prices are insane right now! Throughout the last year or so I’ve noticed that when it comes to airline fares I’m seeing either screaming deals or fares higher than I’ve ever seen, with little in between. Booking 9 months out, I was being quoted a minimum of $1,800 a ticket for economy or 90K+ points plus per ticket, yikes!! 

I decided to get creative with my fare searches. I shopped in incognito mode (tip: always use incognito search when looking for airfare to avoid price fluctuations based on previously searched fares/location based increases), I set a Hopper Watch (tip: if you aren’t familiar, it’s a great free fare monitoring app that uses historical pricing data and algorithms to suggesting when the best time to buy is) and hoped for the best.  The quotes stayed pretty brutal and Hopper kept telling me to wait to book. I was consistently finding the cost of the inbound and outbound legs of the trip varied dramatically.  I was finding I could get to the UK relatively cheap on just about any of the airlines but, the return fares were the eye watering high prices that were driving up the roundtrip pricing.  

Hopper kept recommending an airline called Norse Air.  I had never heard of Norse but, their was no denying there prices were a fraction of what the other airlines were quoting for the same flights. Norse quotes prices from $150 for a transatlantic flight.  My curiosity was peaked.  A quick bit of research showed that Norse was the phoenix rising from the ashes of the defunct transatlantic arm of Norwegian Air. Okay, so killer fares but, a discount airline that’s already failed once….I couldn’t help but think of the Wow Airlines collapse in 20219 and the ensuing chaos with passengers stranded across the globe.  But, I figured I was just looking at the return flight, it was summer so, the only person that had to be home on a tight timeline was my husband, and I figured if the worst happened we did have miles to get us back if it came to that.  So I took the leap of faith and booked!

Overall, I’m very glad we took the chance it was a very positive experience and I would definitely fly Norse again.  We did pay the extra for Premium Economy and I definitely think that’s the way to go.  Our tickets ended up being right around $800 a person.  With Premium Economy you have what is a little bit larger than a domestic first class seat which reclines with a foot rest, popout entertainment screen, and pop out tray.  Our ticket included a carry on item and a personal item, one large checked bag, priority check-in and boarding, in flight meals, headphones, a blanket, snacks, and drinks.  One thing to keep in mind, they do not include an amenity kit like most US airlines tend to provide on international flights (eye mask, lotion, hand sanitizer, tooth brush, tooth paste, lib balm, & socks.)  Not only do they not have a complimentary amenity kit they do not have one available to purchase either?

The Basics:

Norse’s fleet consists of Boeing 787 Dreamliners which feature a range of innovative technologies designed to improve comfort and reduce the carbon footprint.  Dreamliners offer:

• A more comfortable cabin altitude, with cleaner air and better humidity
• The largest windows on any jet worldwide, with individual dimmers, to suit your needs throughout the flight
• Modern LED lighting, gives the feel of natural daylight in the cabin – helping you to arrive relaxed and refreshed  They even run a Norther Lights program that’s pretty impressive to see.
• 25% lower CO2 emissions and 50% quieter than the previous generation of aircraft still in operation with many major airlines globally

In-flight Entertainment/Charging:

You’ll be able to enjoy the latest movies and TV shows on-demand free of charge in every seat.  In Economy, Headphones are available for purchase, they are included in Premium Fare pricing  USB chargers and power outlets are available at each seat in both Premium and Economy.

Seat Configuration:

• The Premium cabin of Norse’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft is arranged n a 2-3-2 configuration with 56 total seats.
• The Economy cabin is arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration with 282 seats

Things to take into consideration when considering Norse airlines

Extra fees:

This is a budget airline and in line with other budget airlines, (unless you’re in premium economy more on that below) they do charge extra for just about everything.  There were a few fees that surprised me so make sure you know what you’re getting into.  Here’s a peak at what you might be looking at fee wise.

A basic ticket includes one under seat bag/personal item.  They do double check the size limitations and tag your personal items and carry-on’s before you board.  They really seem to be sticklers with the bag requirements, if a bag doesn’t comply with the polices, you will charged a carry on fee or you will have to check your item.

Checked bags range in price based on weight and size ($35-$60 for standard sized bags to $100+ for heavy or non standard sized bags/items.)  It was very clear that they are very strict about this policy and the extra fees for not complying with their weight and size restrictions can add up quickly.  We saw a few people that had payed for light carry-on bags and ended up having to pay overage fees. 

Airport check in – $10  I could see this one being a little frustrating on their website they offer free on-line check-in however, they system was not working forcing folks to check in at the airport.  I’m not sure if they’re waving the fee while they work through the issues with on-line check in.

Seat selection $5-$120 the fees for seat selection actually seemed more reasonable then some of their competitors

Priority check in  (included with premium) $15+

Priority boarding (included with premium) $15+

In flight meals $30+ (included with premium)

Snacks $3+

Infant in arms $135+!!  This one really surprised me, definitely be prepared for this if you’re traveling with infants.

Change fees startng at $100

Limited Route Offerings:

The available North American routes according to their website include: Boston, NY, DC, Orlando, Miami, Jamaica, San Francisco, and LAX however, finding regular routes outside of NY & DC proved to be pretty challenging last I looked.  The service offerings available in the other North American cities seems to be limited for now.

In Europe they service London, Paris, Oslo, Berlin, and Rome.

According to their website, they have added an Oslo to Bangkok, Thailand route

No Frequent Flyer Program

Sure you can book your tickets with a point earning credit card but as of right now, Norse does not offer a loyalty program.

Overall Impression

With Norse, I definitely think springing for a Premium Seat is the way to go! With the Premium Seats you’re getting tons of extra room and avoiding most of the added service fees.  The Premium seats on Norse ended up being about a thousand dollars less than a Premium Economy Seat on United which is what we flew to Europe.  We found the Norse seats to be significantly more comfortable than the United Premium Economy Seat, Norse offered more room and better recline features including a foot rest.  I also have to say the food was better on Norse.  United does offer a better selection of premium beverages if that’s something that’s important to you.  Norse did have complimentary wine but even in Premium Seats they charged for options outside of their basic house brand.  Service was very good, everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful.  You certainly can’t beat the prices!!

Happy Travels All!!