Avery Abroad

View Original

Why you should fly Norwegian Airlines

Avery Mitchell

With intriguing prices like $300 round trip to Spain, $400 to Thailand, etc it’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea of cheap flights. Voted World's Best Long Haul, Low-Cost Airline by SkyTrax World Airline Awards three years in a row the real question is, are these flights worth it or will you be kicking yourself for not spending more money. For the first time I flew Norwegian, from Los Angeles to Madrid, and let me tell you there is definitely a learning curve for taking a “budget” airlines vs. a non-budget airline. Below are some of my tips for surviving a flight on a budget airlines.

The down low on Norwegian Airlines below:

Fare Types for international long haul flights

LowFare

  • 1 carry-on bag (10 kg) (SOME AIRPORTS WILL WEIGH YOUR BAG-we learned this the hard way)

  • Optional add-ons: Checked baggage, seat reservation (Economy), Fast Track (selected airports), onboard meals, travel blanket, and headsets,  Priority Boarding (selected airports).

LowFare+

  • 1 carry-on bag (10 kg)

  • 1 checked bag (20 kg)

  • Seat reservation (Economy)*

  • Onboard meals

  • **Seat Reservation is not included for flights between Amsterdam and New York

  • Optional add-ons: Fast Track (selected airports), travel blanket, Priority Boarding (selected airports), and headsets.

Flex

  • 1 carry-on bag (10 kg)

  • 2 checked bags (20 kg each)

  • Seat reservation (Economy)

  • Fast Track (selected airports)

  • Onboard meals

  • Priority Boarding (selected airports)

  • Optional add-ons: Travel blanket and headsets.

Premium

  • 1 carry-on bag (10 kg)

  • 2 checked bags (20 kg each)

  • Seat reservation (Premium)

  • Premium onboard meals

  • Fast Track (selected airports)

  • Priority Boarding (selected airports)

PremiumFlex

  • 1 carry-on bag (15 kg)

  • 2 checked bags (20 kg each)

  • Seat reservation (Premium)

  • Premium onboard meals

  • Fast Track (selected airports)

  • Lounge (selected airports)

  • Priority Boarding (selected airports)

Depending on what best suits your needs pick your ticket and your off! I do recommend not going bare bones on this because incase you need to check your carry-on due to weigh you could be out anywhere from $70-$100 USD to check your bag when you get to the airport. The LowFare+ will allow you room for error in case they are super strict with the carry-ons.

Below are my top tips for flying with Norwegian

  1. Allow plenty of time at the airport-A lot of Norwegian flights to and from the US do not allow any type of mobile check-in or even self-serve check in once you get to the airport. In Madrid this added about an hour to our airport experience.

  2. Wear Layers/Bring a travel blanket-Unlike most airlines that provide blankets and pillows Norwegian does not. They offer them for purchase for $5. Our flight wasn’t too cold but I have read reviews that people have had near arctic temperatures. Pack an extra scarf, wear layers, and if you are prone to getting cold easily purchase a small, light weight blanket like this . Super portable and soft!

  3. Buy snacks/eat a meal before your flight-While Norwegian offers plenty of snacks and drinks for purchase, they are expensive. The fare I traveled on included two meals and they weren’t the best but they sufficed for the 12 hours we were on the plane. I recommend bringing some nuts and granola bars to hold you over until you get to your destination.

  4. Bring headphones with a normal headphone jack!-Most of us have wireless headphones or those silly headphones with the iPhone adapter. Well unless you want to purchase them during your flight I recommend bring a cheap pair that you don’t care about losing. The In-flight entertainment is pretty robust and included movies, games and TV shows so there will be plenty to do during your flight. The headphones they sell are about $3, again an a la carte airlines :)

  5. Have your USB cords easily accessible-Surprisingly, most Norwegian flights are on brand new Dreamliners and have USB ports at each seat! Nothing is worse than arriving at your destination with a dead phone so be sure to charge up!

If you don’t mind a la carte airlines, without any frills Norwegian will do the job. The flight attendants were pleasant, and my 12 hour flight flew by and for $350 I would definitely do it again.