Is Norse Airways Blowing Smoke with their $149 Fares?
Updated: 1 day ago
When I saw the flight deal cross my inbox last March, I knew this introductory round trip fare sounded too good to be true. “You get what you pay for”, my brain thought. “There’s a reason things are cheap”, my husband said. We paid $318 round trip per passenger to fly from Orlando to Oslo nonstop. Flying on a new airline is always a gamble though - will they go broke or go under before we get to fly? Will I ever see my money again? Do I really want to be one of the first to fly this route? For $300 a person, you bet your britches I do. Here's how the experience went.
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The Norse Check-In Experience
The booking experience on Norse Airways was easy, but fast forwarding to travel time, online check-in was not.
Advertised to be $10 per person to check in at the airport, we stressed the day before our flight, and even hours before leaving for the airport – we couldn’t get the online check-in to work. In fact, looking all over the site, there was no option to check in anywhere.
We raided twitter and reddit for others who may have had the same experience with the check-in process, but ultimately found that Norse Air has no phone number or customer service to call, so we were S.O.L. or forced to just figure it out at the airport.
As it turns out, this was not an issue at all. We did NOT have to pay the in person check-in fee at either Orlando OR Oslo, and no one even mentioned fees, bag sizes, or any of the other threatening add on pricing information from their website. Win!
At the airport we were met with an empty check-in line, with a smooth experience operated by local airport personnel instead of Norse Air employees.
The ticketing agent made sure we all had seats together and we met no delays or trouble whatsoever.
I will add, however, that Norse Airways does not participate in TSA Precheck, so we did have to wait in the long line for regular security check. Orlando International Airport security check wait times are notoriously long, so I dreaded this, but we lucked out and that line too was empty. This left us plenty of time to check out the MCO Priority Pass Lounge and get a pre-flight cocktail.
Baggage Concerns
In order to avoid further fees for a cabin bag, I had packed the whole family in one underseat bag per person. I was so thrilled with my feat and even more thrilled with the check-in folks didn’t even give a second glance to our baggage.
Your Norse Personal Item Luggage Cannot Exceed 40 x 30 x 15 cm / 15.5 x 11.5 x 5.5
*Note: these measurements have CHANGED since July 2023! Previous measurements allowed for 45 x 36 x 22 cm/17 x 14 x 8 in. The above measurements are the new measurements - SMALLER than a Ryan Air bag!
That's an underseat bag only, folks! There is no weight restriction, so if you use packing cubes you can actually fit a lot into an underseat or 'personal' bag.
Pro tip: It's not a bad idea to bring a digital luggage scale with you when you travel, just to ward off any surprises with weight restrictions, should there be any.
What works as a personal bag?
Check out my write up on personal bags for women and consider the challenge of packing only a personal bag for your next Norse, Ryan Air or Vueling flight, which all have added bag fees if you go larger.
This bag is my favorite of all the personal bags I've used due its volume, accessibility and durability. Note that although this works for the previous bag measurements, it can still work for the new measurements if you leave lots of squish space. I.e., don't fill it full to the brim.
This simple Samsonsite bag has carried three weeks of belongings, and it's less than $30!
For another practical personal bag option for your trip, consider a small backpack like this one, which meets the luggage size limits right on the nose:
It comes in many different colors and has same day shipping on Amazon, so if you are just reading this before your check-in window, you may still have time!
What We Learned During The Booking and Check-In Process
1. Norse Air does NOT have a hotline to call for help
2. Online check-in doesn't exist.
3. In-person check in fees were not applied
4. Norse Air does NOT participate in TSA Precheck
5. Underseat bags are included
6. Norse Airlines does not have an app for your phone
The Onboard Experience
Upon boarding the flight we found that again, the seats were empty. Had no one else seen the amazing deal I got? They eventually filled up, but it didn't seem crowded or over packed with people.
Comfort
The seats were standard, spacious enough and clean. All seats reclined (excluding those backed against a wall, I assume).
Pillows and blankets were not provided, so I used my sweater instead. This is something to consider if you run cold on airplanes.
They do sell ‘comfort packages’, which include a blanket and eye mask, should you need one, or you can always bring a compact folding blanket like this one:
Pro tip: bringing your own pillow on does not count against your carry-on allowance on airplanes.
Entertainment
Curious if there is seat back entertainment? Yes, there is.
Pro tip: cut the cords and chaos with this adorable little AirFly device, which allows you to listen to airline entertainment wirelessly from your AirPods or wireless headphones like these Bose bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones.
Simply plug it into the screen instead of plugging in your headphone jack, sit back, and relax. It's so annoying to get tangled in blankets and jackets, or having to get up to let people out and having to grab all your stuff. This little device is genius!
Meals and Beverages
Meals could be pre-ordered or ignored (as was my case), and they often came around with carts offering pay options for sandwiches and drinks.
I brought my own snacks and water and was happy with that choice, even though some of their offerings seemed reasonable.
I do not recall water being offered for free, so fill up your bottle before you board.
This one is cool because it is flat, so it fits in your seat back a little bit better than your typical round one would:
Pro tip: If you get hungry often, bring plenty of snacks. I like to bring the Cup of Noodles stir fry cups. Their Korean BBQ flavor is amazing.
Simply ask the flight attendant to add hot water, and you've got a hot, delicious and cheap meal in minutes. Just be careful not to crush it in your bag.
What We Learned In Flight
1. There are no pillows or blankets provided
2. Meals must be purchased online in advance
3. There is no beverage service
4. There were seat back video screens with movies
The Return Trip Experience
On the return trip from Oslo we were met with a similar breezy check-in experience at the airport and friendly staff at the gate and on the plane.
Seats were filled by only maybe 100 souls, as it usually is on return from Europe. I always wonder why that is. I’d really love to have the empty seats on the way to Europe, so I can slouch across a whole row to myself. Oh well.
What To Do When You Get To Oslo
Considering most of the Norse flights will end up in Oslo, you may be wondering what to do when you get there.
I suggest spending two or three days in Oslo exploring things like the Polar Ship Fram museum, driving around the Fjord towns, or discovering the food scene.
Alternatively (or after your couple days stay), get out of town.
Go deep into the fjords or take a cruise from Bergen to Amsterdam, Germany and beyond.
Or, airlines like Vueling, Ryan Air and Easy Jet offer cheap options from traversing elsewhere.
My favorite option, however, is to take the super fun DFDS ferry to Copenhagen. This overnight ferry is not only a cheap way to get to Copenhagen from Oslo, but it's loads of fun with the family. It's basically a mini-cruise complete with comfortable ensuite cabins, a kid's club, and multiple bars and restaurants to choose from to spend your time.
Is Norse Airways Worth It?
Opening the door to Scandinavian countries at such an affordable price, Norse Airways is providing a stellar opportunity for U.S. travelers to explore new places beyond the top tourist hot spots.
Norse airways is bringing tourism back to an area that I hadn't otherwise been to since the early 2000's. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and more northern European countries are now all back on the radar and becoming hotter destinations to travel to than ever.
With pride, Norse Air talks about their Boeing 787 fleet in their seat back screens. The fleet, inspired by Viking longships, cements their vision to be the “explorer’s airline”.
I’ll tell you what, after my positive experience, they definitely have a repeat explorer out of me. The only question is, when will I go next?
Norse Airways flies to London and Oslo (seasonally) non-stop from Orlando, and a new route from the United States has just been launched to Rome!
Book flights at Norse Atlantic Airways website: flynorse.com
