It is extremely uncommon to find a direct flight from the West Coast to Europe for less than $700 roundtrip. It is also hard to find a long haul airline that offers free in-flight meals, modern new planes, and friendly service from flight attendants in the most adorable outfits. But you can find that and more with Norwegian Air!
I have been flying Norwegian since 2015 almost exclusively for all of my trips to and from Europe and let me tell you that it is the ultimate experience for price and comfort.
Price
Originally, my coworker who was in a small band that occasionally toured Europe told me that she just booked a direct roundtrip ticket from Oakland to Oslo in May for $400. I was super interested!
When I had been to Europe before in 2008 I remember paying over $1000 for flights that weren’t even direct. Immediately I hopped on the site and realized that this company is actually legit and they were fairly new, trying to make a name for themselves in the American market of budget airlines. I ended up buying the same flight as her for the same price she mentioned and we went together.
Later that same year I bought a direct roundtrip ticket from Oakland to Stockholm for $320!! Since then I have flown on more than fifteen Lowfare back and forth Norwegian flights never paying more than $550, even during peak times.
If you want to take it a step further and save a little more, you can switch the website to its European platform and pay in Euros, which actually has even better prices with the conversion rate. Some things to consider are that the prices are generally best when you buy a round trip ticket. If you do buy a single ticket, you will find that the flights to Europe are a lot cheaper than Europe to America.
Something else to keep in mind is that they have three types of tickets: Lowfare, Lowfare+, and Flex. I have only flown Lowfare with Norwegian and have almost always been given the same perks as a Lowfare+ ticket. With a Lowfare+ ticket, you get complimentary meal service, seat selection, more allotted cabin space, and checked bags. But I have found that I often still get a meal and can bring on my overhead luggage and under seat luggage without paying extra.
But if you are one of those people who want to know they are getting these amenities for sure then I would get the Lowfare+ ticket, it’s usually about $50 more.
Routes
Norwegian Air plans to resume UK transatlantic flights in March of 2021 with the major U.S. hubs Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, San Francisco, and Orlando on the 28th March followed a day later by Denver.
Over the years they tested expansion to different U.S. cities and have ultimately settled on these main airports.
While a post-Covid Norwegian Air is definitely slimmed down from what it used to be, the quality and price are still there for the routes that they still fly. Before Covid, there were direct routes to Rome, Paris, Copenhagen, and Oslo. At the moment the future is unknown as to whether or not they will open up some of their old routes, but it is evident that they are doing all they can to come out of the Covid-19 era strong.
Comforts
Norwegian Air boasts their modern 787 Dreamliner planes which are equipped with “65% larger windows than in comparable planes and smart mood lighting.” The legroom on these planes is even better than any other economy area I’ve flown on ever.
The flight attendants are something out of the 1950s with outfits consisting of Norwegian flag colored pencil skirts, pillbox hats, and gloves that they wear for take-off and landing. How cute is that!?
Norwegian Air also makes checking in so efficient with Kiosk Check. They always have ambassadors at their kiosks ready to help if you have any questions and the front desks are always well staffed if you need to check in bags.
There is also a free to join rewards program that offers perks like seat selection (great if you have a Lowfare ticket and want free seat selection), rewards points to use on future flights, and free checked baggage.
Conclusion
Norwegian Air offers consistent service at unbeatable prices. They are taking every precaution to move into the post-Covid-19 era safely, with their core standards and values in mind. Please take advantage of this amazing airline for your next voyage across the pond!
