European low-cost startup Norse Atlantic Airways announced routes to four US cities from Oslo, Norway.
The carrier will operate Boeing 787 "Longships" in a two-class configuration — economy and premium.
Travelers can choose from several fare bundles, or opt to pay for bags, meals, and seats a-la-carte.
Norse Atlantic Airways announced on Friday that it will begin service to four US cities this June, including New York, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Los Angeles.
Fares start at $129 one-way from New York, $149 one-way from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, and $169 one-way from Los AngelesNorse pilots landing in Oslo.
Norse Atlantic Airways
The airline will operate Boeing 787 Dreamliners on the transatlantic routes, though the carrier calls them "Longships" to keep with its Viking theme.
Currently, the carrier has a planned fleet of 15 planes that it hopes to expand to other markets, including London and Paris. According to Norse, the aircraft have the largest windows of any jet worldwide and come complete with personal dimmers.
While 12 of the planes will be 787-9 jets with 259 economy seats and 32 premium recliners, the other three will be 787-10 jets with 282 economy seats and 56 recliners. Every seat in both cabins will have access to USB ports and power outlets.
The recliners will have 43-inches of pitch and a 12-inch recline. Economy pitch is not yet clear, but the section has extra-legroom seats in the exit row for purchase.
Both cabins have inflight entertainment complete with movies and TV shows. As far as food, some fare bundles will come with meals, but passengers also have the option to buy food onboard or pre-purchase hot meals when booking.
There are three fare classes for each cabin, each offering different amenities, including Light, Classic, and Plus. In economy, light offers one free underseat bag with maximum dimensions of 17 x 14 x 8 inches. A carry-on will cost $25 one-way.
Classic includes an underseat bag, a carry-on, a standard checked bag, and one free meal. Carry-ons must be 22 x 18 x 10 inches or less. Both Light and Classic are changeable for a fee.
Norse has three checked bag options, including light, standard, and heavy, each with maximum dimensions of 62 inches. Light costs $60 one-way, standard costs $70 one-way, and heavy costs $170 one-way.A 2010 photo shows a suitcase in the baggage organization system at Heathrow Airport in London (not the airport mentioned in the story).)
Premium's three fare class options are similar to economy, though each gets a carry-on, two meals, premium boarding, and priority check-in.Norse Atlantic Airways.
Light and Classic are only changeable for a fee, while Plus is changeable or refundable.
Norse Atlantic Airways
After going through the booking process for a June flight from New York to Oslo and back, the total Economy Plus price with carry-on bags, checked bags, standard seats, and two meals is $551.52.
Norse Atlantic Airways
However, if I wanted to go with the most value-minded option with just an unassigned seat and a personal item, I could get the same roundtrip flight for $241.52.
Norse Atlantic Airways
For reference, the only other nonstop option from New York is on Scandinavian Airlines out of Newark, and the roundtrip airfare in mid-June is about $780.Scandinavian Airlines
Overall, the booking process was straight forward and Norse is transparent about its extra fees when working. I got several alerts asking if I was sure I did not want a bag, seat, or meal, which will be helpful for travelers.Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
