FLYING NORWEGIAN AIR: ECONOMY CLASS REVIEW
Flying Norwegian Economy Class
I love flying to new destinations but when it comes to buying a flight, I hate being priced out by an airline ticket! Scouring tickets online, I almost decided not to fly to South America until I stumbled upon Norwegian Air where direct flights to Buenos Aires started as low as £320 one-way. But is it worth it?
Squeezing into seats with little to no legroom and having to pay extra to take luggage, I had to find out.I had heard about Norwegian Air a couple of years ago but thought they were too good to be true. I mean, $200 or something ridiculously cheap to fly from Europe to the US? There has to be a catch. Right?Come prepared!
I've never flown business class before. Paying extra to fly in Premium Economy just to squeeze in a few extra hours of comfort was a no-no. At 158cm tall, I can't justify the need for extra legroom space. I find it relatively easy to sit cross-legged and sometimes curl up into a ball. Nevertheless, 14 hours non-stop still had its challenges.
The main piece of advice I would give you is to come prepared! Norwegian Air does not provide pillows or blankets so bring your own. It can also get a little chilly, so definitely bring a sweater with you!The most basic fare does not include snacks, drinks or luggage, so bring your own food and pack light! And don't forget headphones for in-flight entertainment. The London to Buenos Aires flight is overnight, so after a good dinner before boarding, you shouldn't have to worry about a meal until arriving in Buenos Aires.
With 79cm of legroom, had it not have been for the free middle seat, it would have been a pretty uncomfortable journey trying to sleep on an overnight flight. The seats don't recline much and they are a little hard to sit on for that length of time.
The Pros
This was probably one of the first long-haul flights where I arrived with little to no jet lag. I normally get really thirsty on flights however with more humidity on the plane, it wasn't as dry and felt more comfortable for the long duration.
The check-in process was probably the easiest and quickest and took around 3 minutes. You didn't even have to queue up at the counter at Gatwick Airport. Simply scan in your passport on the machine, print off your boarding pass and luggage label and send through your luggage yourself.
The seats were configured 3-3-3 in economy class. I found this more comfortable than the 3-4-3 on a lot of long-haul flights. There was plenty of space in the overhead bins for your carry on. USB ports were available for charging your device.
For the budget traveller, Norwegian Air is a total game changer, I'm mean can you really argue with the price of their flights?!
Food + Drinks Service
Norwegian Air: Economy flight review
On a long-haul flight, Norwegian provide two meals + snacks and drinks for those that are flying on a LowFare Economy + flight. The food was good but nothing amazing. I would have preferred to have bought my own food on board however as I needed to check-in my backpack, I opted-in for the Economy + fare. The vegetarian option had a lot of veggies and chickpeas with salad and fruit on the side.
Was it worth flying Norwegian Air in Economy Class?
Yes!! It was the cheapest route I found from Europe to South America and even after paying extra for the LowFare economy + flight! It wasn't the most comfortable, but it got me from A to B on a direct route in a safe, clean aircraft with no issues at all.