Flying low-cost to New York, here's my experience aboard Norse's 787
My 2023 was under the banner of first classes, by par conditio 2024 will be the year of low.-cost, although [...]
Norse Atlantic Airways
LGW
United States of America
My 2023 was under the banner of first classes, by par conditio 2024 will be the year of low.-cost, although of course there will be a few trips to traditional companies as well.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B787/9
- Class:
- Premium Economy
- Treat:
- JFK - LGW
- Price:
- 307$
- Book
It could not possibly be missing from the list of Norse Atlantic companies, Risen from the ashes of Norwegian repainted the fuselages of the 787/9 and started flying again from Europe to the U.S. and since last summer also flies from Rome Fiumicino true New York JFK.
The best bonuses
The Italian route is seasonal it restarted on March 28 and will go on until the end of the summer schedule, which is the last Saturday in October.
Reservation
As usual my reservations are made up as I go along, I start with a ticket and from there try, like a puzzle, to find all the pieces to get there and back, as quickly as possible, but traveling aboard the companies I am interested in reviewing.
Having to return home from a trip to the U.S., east bank, I first tried to fly aboard Neos, an Italian company that I have already reviewed but have not yet filmed on the youtube channel. The schedules, however, did not fit with my needs, while this flight of Norse to London Gatwick was perfect in terms of time and price.
I was able to grab a Norse Premium ticket at just over 300$, a really low price to which I only had to add 60$ for place selection.
Before the insults and classic comments like, "But when ever, it costs €1,000 minimum, etc., don't talk rubbish..." start. Above are screenshots of the transactions, and no, I did not ask the company for a discount. As always I buy and pay, like any passenger, and I don't notify anyone that I will be on board.
Like all low-cost airlines, options are paid for and also handsomely, in addition to the seat any checked baggage is not "given away". The trolley costs 60$, a regular 23kg luggage costs 80$ (one way), So do the math well in your pocket before booking.
The Norse flight from Rome FIumicino
Norse also flies, from March to October, from Rome to New York. The big difference is the schedule, which is not at all convenient for Italian passengers.
Arrival in New York is around midnight., means that between customs and baggage retrieval you arrive in Manhattan in the middle of the night and are forced to have your hotel room as early as the day before ( and this affects the cost of the vacation).
If you land late in the evening it's off again in the middle of the night. This means that you will have the whole day to spend in NY, but. departure at 2 a.m. is not the most convenient as a solution since it means arriving in Rome in mid-afternoon And thus with the day completely broken.
Sometimes, however the price also collapses to a mind-boggling level, as in recent days when subscribers to our whatsapp channel have received notification of seats available for only €99.
At the airport
I arrived at Terminal 7 around 1:30 p.m., with check-in opening at 2:10 p.m. Unfortunately, Norse uses the worst terminal of JFK, the Former home of British Airways has its days numbered and in 24 months it will be demolished to make way for the new Terminal 6 that is under construction.
The New York airport is changing its skin. T8 was the last to open, T4 is being expanded, and in a few years there will be in addition to a new T6 a flamboyant T1, waiting for Jetblue to redo its T5 as well, so many inconveniences today but an airport ready to go until 2050 with no more problems. Lounges are also scarce in this terminal. There is the Aer Lingus one and the former British Airways lounge has reopened as an independent, with a cost of 65$ per passenger. Madness.
Those who travel to the U.S. know very well that american airports Are not remotely comparable to those in the rest of the world. There is nothing in the public area, sometimes not even chairs. And it's not like there's much else after the controls, stuck in the middle ages of aviation.
I sat in front of the desks waiting for the registration aeopening and slowly I saw other passengers arrive and the attendants prepare the area.
I quickly realized that luggage size and weight are taken into great consideration, never seen such a thing, fortunately my Level( trolley is perfect with all companies (And if you like it with TFC10, you have the 10% discount).
Every passenger, even those with micro-bags are forced to undergo the "costume" test, that is, tucking the bag into the special ruler.
When I put my trolly on the scale, I immediately noticed that, depending on the position, the weight was different. I argued with the attendant who demanded that I remove about 1kg of weight from the trolley, when moving 5 cm would cause the weight marked on the scale to go down or up 2kg.
The crazy thing is that the trolley has a weight limit of 10kg, while the bag has no weight limit at all, but important that it fits in the appropriate ruler. Finally, I received my two tags and boarding pass and headed to the security checkpoint.
As boarding time approached, the supervisor made a couple of tentative announcements looking for passengers eager to Pay for upgrade, offered at 250$, a fair price, but you have to take into account that the flight between London and New York lasts really short, in my case 5 hours and 50 minutes, a time that can be endured even in economy, especially with an overnight flight where you arrive tired and ready to sleep as soon as you buckle up.
In these cases as I always say you have to do the math in your pocket: how much you spent on the original ticket and how much the higher class cost, always remembering that any extras (such as seat choice are not refunded)
On board
Boarding procedures, fast and smooth. Premium passengers first, then everyone else. It sounds obvious, but that's not exactly the case.
The flight was not super full, but by the end the premium cabin was practically full.
The configuration is 2-3-2 as on all companies using this cabin, but it is among the largest with as many as 58 seats, while the rest of the plane is configured with the classic 3-3-3.
The chair
Seat selection is also charged in Premium, if you buy the basic fare, and the price ranges from 35 to 100$ per person each way.
The seats are a very popular pattern and found on so many business classes of wide-body aircraft, I don't want to be mistaken but it is the same one Qatar uses aboard its A320s, only this one is much better.
Legroom is plenty, I might even bet it is even more than what traditional carriers offer aboard more modern PE cabins. Colors and finishes, however, make the cabin look "old" even if maintained well.
I hoped to be without a neighbor until When a "party of five" as they call it around here didn't board. A family with 3 children, one of whom was screaming, occupied the middle row next to mine, the vacant seat to my left, while the dad, ditched the whole family and stood one row further back.
At boarding complete, the little girl next to me took the ball and moved next to her daddy, and I was "sadly" left alone.
The chair has everything you need to make such a flight comfortably. Leg room, leg and arch support, and a more than ample incline.
Even better, I was able to get up without asking the person sitting in front of me to raise his or her backrest, which is really good in terms of space.
Out of the center armrest comes the IFE screen, and out of the outer armrest comes the coffee table. You can see that it is an agé product, but it still defends itself decently. You don't feel suffocated, and you also don't have the feeling of being short on space.
Air vents present and, as always, appreciated.
Service
I was very curious to compare the serivice of Premium Class, with that of traditional carriers, and I have to say. I was not disappointed at all.
In place cover and pillow, not boxed, but if they are like that even in business class, let alone on a low-cost.
A few minutes after I sat down, the welcome drink arrived: orange juice, apple juice, or water.
The staff went back and forth so many times, especially one assistant who had heeled riding boots. She could be heard strolling from row 58.
Immediately after takeoff, the amenity kit was distributed: eye mask, earplugs, and headphones for IFE.
All of this is free for premium travelers and paid for by all other passengers.
About 2 hours after landing I went to the bathroom and I must say that it was still in perfect condition, sometimes you don't find that on companies with 5 Skytrax stars.
IFE
The screen is an honest size, not 4k, but it does its dirty work.
Passengers also have access to a USB port, integrated under the screen.
There is also a universal passenger power outlet.
The catalog of films is varied enough, there are not the super-new releases, but there was still Barbie which is a film that arrived on the other companies in December. As always the rest of the content leaves a lot to be desired, there are few companies that really have a good product in this aspect.
The negative note is the absence of wi-fi, I have no idea if it is a lack on the whole fleet or only on the car that took us from JFK to London Gatwick.
Food & Beverage
Welcome drink and first pass in the cabin pretty much right after takeoff, I had a prosecco in a plastic cup, but it was all free.
Arriving at the back of the cabin, they returned to the galley and began the dinner service.
The premium class ticket also includes food, which is not included in those who buy the cheapest possible ticket.
Between the two choices fried chicken and veal in teriyaki sauce, I opted at the suggestion of the flight attendant for the chicken. Let's say the best thing was the warm bread with butter.
After the service was over, they went for a third time to offer drinks before clearing the table.
The thing that surprised me the most was the breakfast, I was expecting a plumcake and a kick in the teeth and instead a real hot plate tray (eggs, spinach, and something that looked like a hash browm, but could also have been leftover chicken from the night before. Served along with a yogurt, bread butter and jam.
If I think ITA passes you a plumcacke and a yogurt is a sign of how it's really a premium service, sure then the quality is not 3-star, but it's breakfast was more than edible.
In conclusion
OK the price is right, for 307$ I think you can't ask for better. On-time flight, in fact we arrived 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, clean plane and all the basic amenities expected of a Premium Economy.
At this price I would buy it again every day without thinking about it. Of course T7 at JFK is dismal and there are no lounges, but if you go up in price in economy like in PE then it changes. All other airlines have significantly more convenient schedules, have more flights to re-route the passenger in case of problems, in addition to the fact that eating and cover are free, which has an impact on the final cost. Not to mention that flying with a traditional carrier accumulates points, points that can be turned into a free vacation flight the following year.
Pro
- The price
- The chair
- The service
Against
- No wifi
- Lunch to be improved