Norwegian Airlines | premium class review

If you've ever flown Norwegian Premium, you'll recognize this trademark from the inside of the box in which meals are served. I recently flew from Bergen, Norway to Oakland, California, connecting at London Gatwick. Here's a review of my day with Norwegian Airlines.

Bergen (BGO) to Gatwick (LGW). I arrived at the Bergen airport two hours early, way too early as it turned out, but it relaxes me when I'm not rushed. Checked in at a kiosk, printed and attached my baggage claim, and dropped off my bag. Note: there are no "Priority" bag tags, and my bags certainly did not receive priority service. Loads and loads of bags preceded mine at baggage claim in Oakland. Security was quick at 7 a.m., and passport control took place later as I entered the gate area. Note that you should make any purchases before going through passport control. The flight to London was on-time and non-eventful. Note that nothing is complimentary on intra-Europe flights except in-flight WiFi! Want water, peanuts, or a snack? Everything costs extra.

I had a scheduled 3 hour layover at Gatwick. First, a note that security here is so much better than Terminal 5 at Heathrow — no long, snaking lines. Once through security, however, the signage for connecting flights is poor; had to ask at an information desk which way to go for Norwegian flights. Once in the correct terminal, I checked into the No.1 Lounge at which Norwegian Premium passengers enjoy free access. (Priority Pass members likewise get free admission). Quite a nice lounge with a small buffet, some killer brownies, espresso machines, and a menu of hot meal options you can order at the bar.

Gatwick (LGW) to Oakland (OAK) departure experience. Norwegian wants you at the gate a ridiculous amount of time before departure, so I complied. Once at the gate, we waited. And waited. At one point, the two unsold Premium seats were offered to any takers at 250£, and I saw two guys run up to the desk waving their arms. SOLD! Then we waited some more. Finally they let us board. There was an inordinately long wait past the scheduled departure for reasons that weren't made clear. Once we pushed back, there was a problem with the tractor not disengaging from the plane, so we waited some more. Once that problem was solved, the taxi and take-off were quick. Gatwick is a small airport, and taxi times are short.

Norwegian Premium flight experience. The bottom line is that $750 represents a fabulous value for what I received.

The seat. Better than your typical domestic first class seat, it's wide, reclines 40º, and has an extendable footrest. Not lie-flat, but it's a pretty comfortable way to spend a long daytime flight when sleep is not your goal. Each seat has a video screen with USB charging slot as well as a power receptacle. The selection of movies and TV shows was OK, not great, and I mostly watched Netflix and Amazon movies previously downloaded to my iPad. You're provided with a nice blanket but no pillow, so bring along an inflatable neck pillow if those work for you.

The seat did have one downside... the arm rests were hard at the points where your elbows contact with them. Here's a photo of the center console. My right elbow rested on the metal hinge at the back of this console, and it was pretty hard. My left elbow likewise rested on the metal piece at the back of the arm rest.

The food. The meal was fine. I chose salmon for lunch, and it was tasty, filling, and nutritious without pretending to be gourmet (which it was not). My one complaint concerns the presentation. The meal is handed to you in a box. Flip the lid open, remove the aluminum foil cover from the hot dish ... and then experience how crowded the tray table becomes. The opened box is deeper than the tray table and just about as wide. There is no place to place the foil cover and the various lids. The box contains a small plastic fork, knife, and spoon and a small paper napkin. Speaking from experience, it's easy to spill food from the small fork, have it miss the small napkin, and land squarely on one's shirt.

How does Norwegian Premium compare with a true business class? The legacy airlines provide much more comfortable lie-flat sleeper seats and better meal service when flying business class over the pond. BUT ... if you're going westbound and don't need to sleep, then Norwegian represents a phenomenal combination of value and comfort. I'd definitely fly them again, going westbound. What about an eastbound red-eye flight? I'd probably pay the bucks for a better night's sleep.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

a first class fantasy

World traveler Will Allen recently blogged about his experience flying Emirates Air in First Class. It was a decidedly mixed review. Once onboard one of their new 777s with the latest in furnishings and electronics, Will was favorably impressed. Comfortably ensconced in his first class suite, the service was impeccable. Great food, Dom Perignon champagne, caviar if you're flying the right time of day, 500+ on-demand video channels, and attentive flight attendants, even during the overnight hours.

But landside, Will reported an entirely different story. Apart from a good First Class lounge in London, the experience elsewhere was disappointing. Dedicated First Class check-in lines somehow lacked personnel to process the first class passengers. Crowded First Class lounges in Dubai and Jo'burg had inadequate seating. Chaotic boarding procedures prevailed in the Dubai hub; there was no priority boarding, or even boarding by rows, but an everyone-for-himself rush to the gate when the doors opened.

That got me to thinking about a new class of First Class air. I call it Premium Door-to-Door First Class. Fantasize about a first class experience that begins the moment you leave home ... and lasts until you arrive at your destination. Parts of my fantasy are cobbled together from ideas and products currently being offered, and other parts are just a wistful "what if?"


Precisely two hours before flight time, the private limousine provided by your airline arrives at your front door. No run-of-the-mill limo driver, this is a Customer Service Manager specially trained by the airline. She or he inspects your travel documents and does a passport check if you're flying internationally (no more leaving home without it!). Using a special handheld computer device, not only are you are checked in but your boarding passes are handed to you and luggage tags are printed with PRIORITY labeling and attached to your bags. All before you leave your front door!

Your luggage is put into the trunk of the limo, and you will not have to handle it again until you arrive in your destination hotel room where it will be waiting for you.

You are driven to the airport and taken to a special First Class Terminal (such as the one that Lufthansa now has at the Frankfurt airport). While a skycap takes your bags from the trunk, you are met by another airline agent who escorts you directly into the First Class Lounge; remember that everyone being driven here has already been checked in. TSA security checks take place as you enter the lounge, and biometric information is taken and saved to expedite your security formalities in the future. Once in the lounge, there will of course be complimentary computers, wireless internet access, complimentary food and beverages, and comfortable seating.

First Class passengers will be boarded ten minutes before the plane is actually ready to push back. As Lufthansa is already doing at Frankfurt, you will be driven directly to the plane. Once you are strapped in, the flight departs.


The fantasy continues... Upon arrival, the baggage of Premium First Class passengers will be taken off the plane first and sent ahead to the First Class Terminal. Arriving First Class passengers will be driven to the special terminal. If this is an international arrival, special immigration and customs agents will be stationed there to process the arrival. You will be whisked into your waiting limousine and driven to your hotel. Your limousine driver/customer service manager will be in touch with the hotel en route so that, when you arrive, you will already have been registered. You will be met at the door by a hotel manager (and your baggage by a sky cap) and escorted directly to your room. Of course, as a Virtuoso client, you will enjoy a complimentary upgrade!

So what do you think about my fantasy? The crucial element in what I have described is the human element. Airlines would have to hire and train thousands of new employees to care for their Premium, door-to-door First Class passengers. This would be an expensive undertaking, but bear in mind that I'm not talking about a product that is priced like today's first class, nor do I have in mind a product that you can upgrade to from coach or business. I'm talking about a premium product that adds real value to the flying experience and that would be priced accordingly.

Many upscale travelers want the ultimate luxurious experience when they leave home on a special trip. They pay top dollar for every other aspect of their voyages. I imagine there would be a good market for Premium Door-to-Door First Class.



If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.