Norwegian Air, the biggest airline in Scandinavia, was named as the World’s Best Long-Haul, Low Cost Airline by Forbes in 2018. The airline currently serves almost 100 destinations across Europe and US – and flies mostly their 787 dreamliner for the long-haul flights.
Norwegian 787 Dreamliner
The airline made headlines in the US when it first introduced it’s long-haul flights connecting major cities in Europe and USA. For example a round-trip economy fare between Los Angeles and Barcelona could go as low as USD 299. No other airline could offer a price this low. Bear in mind though, these low cut fares usually do not include all the additional costs such as baggage fees, in-flight meals and seat selection.
Since I couldn’t find any award seat availability on numerous airlines (including British Airways, Swiss, KLM, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines) on the date I wanted, I decided to search for a paid ticket instead.
Deciding which flight to take from Amsterdam to New York, didn’t take long after a quick Google Flight Search. The first few flight results showed all low cost airlines and it really was a great deal to find such low cost fares in economy between the two continents.
Economy Fares from AMS to JFK
Considering it will be an 8-hour flight, I was very curious in trying Norwegian Premium Class since it cost about half of a business class seat.
Premium Fares AMS to JFK
BACA JUGA : Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi and JFK Airport
BACA JUGA : Falling in Love with Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy
BACA JUGA : Solusi Traveling, Modem Wifi untuk 10 Negara
Check-in and Dreadful Boarding Experience
There was practically no line at the Premium check-in counter while the Economy line was packed with at least 25 people in the queue.
Boarding pass marked with ‘SSSS’ – requires pre-boarding security check
While the check-in process was quick and easy, my boarding pass was randomly selected for a pre-boarding security check, marked on the boarding pass with SSSS code.
This was a dreadful process as my priority boarding turned out to be a waste, because I had to wait around at the boarding area while getting my bags checked while all other passengers have boarded the plane. So getting this SSSS doesn’t mean you’ll get special treatment, but your boarding process will be especially slow.
Dedicated priority lane had no use at the end thanks to ‘SSSS’
Taken to the aircraft on a bus
You know you’re flying a low-cost airline when they have to whisk you away to the aircraft on a bus.
The Cabin and Seats
Premium Cabin 2-3-2 Seating Configuration
Premium Cabin Seat 1G & 1J
The premium cabin has a 2-3-2 seat configuration, with a total of 35 seats in the front cabin while Economy class has a total of 309 seats.
The premium seat is an angled seat – complete with leg and foot rest – with a pitch of 117 cm and a seat width of 49 cm.
I’d avoid at all cost sitting in the middle seat (E) because it would feel like sitting in Economy in between 2 people.
Norwegian Seat Map 787
My seat was 2J and it was a great window seat with a very generous legroom.
Spacious Leg Room
The IFE system is hidden inside one of the armrest and has a very decent screen size. There was a wide selection of Box Office movies including hundreds of other videos of popular cinema. The 8-hour flight didn’t feel that long after all since the entertainment system will keep you entertained.
Earphones
What I love about this is their ordering system for food, beverages and duty free items that can all be done through the IFE. I thought this was very convenient and efficient, well-aligned with the brand.
I tried ordering some snacks and drinks, my order was served within 5 minutes of finalizing my order, which was great!
Inflight Meal
The packaging and serving wasn’t exactly a business class experience but I thought it was a fun way of presenting inflight meals.
The overall service was very courteous and prompt, definitely didn’t feel like flying a low-cost airline.
Final Words
Would I fly this again?
Definitely, as long as I don’t get a random pre-board security check again!
This is definitely a great way into flying an affordable premium cabin without having to pay the hefty business class price tag. My favorite part of flying Norwegian is price, generous legroom and overall service.
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