Norwegian Airlines has honestly changed my life. My wife and I used to go to Europe every two or three years due to the insanely high prices that many airlines charge customers to fly overseas. I refuse to pay $1,000 or $1,200 to fly from Boston or New York or Hartford to Europe. Now, thanks to Norwegian Airlines, we fly to Europe two or three times a year.
Instead of paying over a $1,000 for a flight to Paris or London, we often pay less than $500, including $360 for a non-stop, direct flight from Boston to Paris. We also flew nonstop, direct flights on Norwegian to Oslo and Guadeloupe because the flights were so inexpensive and so convenient.
I don't care that I can't check a bag. I don't care that I don't get a meal. Just get me to where I want to go as fast and as inexpensively as possible and we'll take care of the rest.
Many airlines still don't get this. And I know I'm not alone. There are LOTS of people in the United States who want to travel overseas regularly. Outrageous airfares are the only things stopping us. Or rather, that used to stop us. Not anymore !!
3
I flew what was supposed to be a Norwegian Airlines flight to London in June but I ended up on Wamos Air &’ it was truly awful. Norwegian is having mechanical problems with the engines in their Dreamliner fleet so they dump their passengers on Wamos Air! Wamos operates old planes with no attention to safety. Be very afraid!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/wamos-air-norwegian-codeshare/
I just flew Norwegian's "Premium" class for the first time from LAX to LGW, and I was so impressed I plan to use them exclusively in the future for travel to Europe.
No, I wasn't greeted with warm nuts, my meals weren't served on china and my seat converted to a recliner rather than a lie-flat bed, but the cabin crew was terrific, and the $1,900 RT fare, compared to $7,000 for a legacy carrier's business class made the small sacrifices a no-brainer.
3
I still like flying the legacy carriers to Europe and South America. Schedules are better, the metal is better, and despite the low standard of airline customer service, legacy carriers still do that better too. The benefit to me is that the discount airlines have driven prices down across the board and I can now fly premium economy for the same price I flew in economy several years ago.
Steve Solosky
www.travelingprofessor.com
3
Living in Detroit, many of us fly to Europe out of Toronto because airfares are less than half price, even flying on Delta. I've attempted to uncover why, to no avail. Does anyone have a reason for this? It's been going on for years...
13
Yeah, those "Gulf carriers" are really "sneaky". They fly new planes with lots of seat room, and provide in-flight meals as part of the fare. No charge for baggage either.
19
Well isn't it easier if you're subsidized by your government or don't have to strictly worry about your bottom line?
5
Yeah, and the service is polite and helpful, there's enough drinking water (I flew on an international Delta flight that ran out of drinking water), food and blankets. I'm not treated as if they're doing me a favor by allowing me to fly. Those qualities don't rely on government subsidies, that's basic customer service and courtesy. I hate the American carriers, every one of them.
And that’s a problem because...?
If their governments are willing to subsidize safe, comfortable, affordable travel on their flagships, what’s the problem?
And I can attest to those great flights. Even in coach they treat you like a human being. In short, they’re awesome and if they want to fly me around to even more places and charge me less I welcome that!
8
I bought one of these too-good-to-be-true international tickets to nonstop to Berlin in 2017, via Air Berlin. Three weeks prior to my scheduled departure, AB announced their bankruptcy. After days of back and forth on the phone, across multiple time zones, I was informed my ticket wouldn't be honored. My original payment was honored and refunded but I had enough deposits on the line elsewhere in my itinerary that the best course of action was to pony up for a transatlantic flight with only a few days notice...not "low cost" in the end. Caveat emptor.
5
We flew on Primera to the UK recently. Some of their new aircraft have yet to be delivered and we were on an old, leased 757. The return flight was cancelled because of mechanical problems at short notice. We were told to make our own alternative arrangements and that we would be reimbursed. We had to pay a fairly high price because it was a last minute booking. Primera say we may have to wait up to 6 weeks to be reimbursed. I have flown on Norwegian to Europe several times without incident, but the Primera experience shows the risks of booking on new, small airlines.
6