If you had any thoughts of visiting Oslo, Stockholm or Copenhagen this summer, Norwegian Airlines, the second largest airline in Scandinavia and the third largest low-cost carrier in Europe, flown by 24 million passengers in its network per year, has good news. Their eco-friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliner is generating high ratings while holding fast to low fares.
The interior is eco-friendly. This means their new “fresh air” system is efficient. Don’t look for that little ceiling nozzle over your head because it has been eliminated.
Norwegian said, “Our plane is made of carbon fibre composite, not metal. We can bring more humidity in from the outside. The result: less headache and jetlag.”
A quick look at the cost factor reveals you can fly nonstop between LAX and Oslo in August for $659. (Suitcases, up to two, are $46 each.) Upgrades to Premium Class are available, which add more seat space, dining options, a state-of-the-art entertainment system and lounge access at LAX, and expect to pay $1,774; the rates fluctuate depending on your travel dates, so be flexible.
Their banner — “Love is in the Air!” — is clever. Inaugurating flights from Las Vegas begin on November 10. Norwegian Air has a weekly departure to Copenhagen on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with a weekly departure to Stockholm. Getting their wings warmed up for the season, this airline doesn’t brag about a tender filet mignon or a fine wine poured in cut crystal. It’s their reasonably priced tickets that are making news.
Hold fast to your wallet because the price of a round-trip ticket from LAX will make your spirits soar with perks such as complimentary Wi-Fi aboard the 737-800 fleet.
While Norwegian Airlines got off to a bumpy start, according to passenger reviews on the website skytrax.com (air travel ratings and reviews), the efficiency rating of the service and cuisine, based on the latest 487 reviews, are impressive.
Another option in the “low cost” airline market is their Los Angeles to London Gatwick flight, with a round-trip ticket as low as $802.
According to airlineratings.com, Norwegian Airlines is rated third for in-flight service, after Jet Blue, serving the Americas, and Scoot, servicing Asia and the Pacific. Anthony Grant, travel writer with a penchant for flying on airlines from “start ups” to the old standbys, said an alternative in the budget niche are the Aeroflot flights between LAX and Moscow (12 hours, nonstop) with connecting flights, including to Athens, that are competitively priced.
While the frills may be gone, low-cost travel airlines are on the rise. Of course, if money is not an object, there is always TCS World Travel, offering another way to visit cold spots around the world, such as Norway, in stylish fashion, via their 78-seat private jet. They call their 22-day expedition “A Northern Summer,” visiting 10 destinations along the Arctic Circle route, proving it’s hot to be cool in the summer. The highlight is a Spitsbergen cruise for the ultimate viewing of Norway’s icebergs and fjords. The “endless sunlight” and sightings of polar bears is one cool way to sail into summer.
“Private jet travel is one smart, albeit expensive, way to avoid commercial airports, long lines, the TSA and suffering though unexpected delays and tense inspections, all mingled with jet lag, cramped leg room which define traditional airline travel today,” Grant said. I agree.
For details, visit Norwegian.com or call 800.357.4159.
