On my recent trip to London, I had the freedom to book any flight I wanted. When I travel with Sharon, I have to follow certain guidelines, such as avoiding certain airlines (like Spirit and Ryanair) and unacceptable routes (she doesn’t want to fly out of our way “…just to get a plane that has a seat that reclines an extra 2 inches.”). It’s also difficult to find award space for two people compared to one, making it challenging to get certain flights as our dates and destinations aren’t flexible. However, during my solo trip, the only person I needed to please with my reservation was myself, which was a different experience.
I managed to find a seat in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class from Orlando to London Heathrow. I wanted a lie-flat bed for the red-eye flight to London, but I was willing to take a regular seat on the way home as I usually won’t sleep on a daytime flight. There were no non-stops available for award flights, which meant I’d have to connect or pay for my flight. While I had many connecting flights to choose from with points, there was one option that intrigued me. I could fly non-stop from London Gatwick with Norse Atlantic. This was the option I chose.
Here’s my experience flying from London to Orlando in Norse’s Premium Cabin on a 787 Dreamliner.
Norse Atlantic 783
LGW-MCO
Premium Class
Norse’s fleet consists of 787 Dreamliners. Not to be confused with Norwegian Air Shuttle, Norse Atlantic was born from the ashes of Norwegian’s Trans-Atlantic service. In fact, many of Norse’s planes are leased from Norwegian who now focuses on flights in Europe.
However, it’s easy to confuse the two because Norse’s planes kept the same layout as Norwegian’s 787 Dreamliners. There’s a large economy section and a Premium Cabin. Like most low-cost carriers, Norse offers several options when booking your flight. There are three different price levels for each cabin, six options in total.
I booked a Premium Light fare because I still hadn’t decided whether to bring a checked bag. The one-way price was $450, which isn’t bad for a seat that ended up being better than Premium Economy on a competing airline.
Check-In At Gatwick Airport
Norse Atlantic flies from Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal. This was convenient as I took the Thameslink train from London, and the station is at the South Terminal. Passengers leaving from the North Terminal have to take a shuttle when arriving by train.
I’d read horror stories about the lines at Gatwick Airport when checking in for a Norse flight. This is because the airline doesn’t offer any type of online check-in option. Every passenger has to check in at the counter. Passengers speculate this is so the airport agents can inspect their bags, checking for ones that are over the size or weight limits.
I arrived early but not as early as planned and was ready for the worst. Since I was flying in Premium Class, I’d have a separate line, but I was worried. It turned out I had nothing to worry about.
I walked up to the counter and checked in with a pleasant agent. She asked about my carry-on bags, which were my Travelpro rollaboard and Pacsafe backpack. She provided me with a tag indicating my larger bag was approved cabin baggage.
Boarding The Plane
As I was early, I took the opportunity to do some last-minute shopping and grab a bite at The Grain Store. My flight was leaving from Gate 25, which was at the absolute end of the South Terminal.
I didn’t leave the restaurant until shortly before the boarding time. Since it took a while to get to the gate, I arrived just as they were calling for Premium Cabin passengers. I’m glad I didn’t get there early as the waiting area reminded me of a train station or bus terminal.
Norse Premium Cabin
I walked down the jetway to the plane. Upon boarding, I turned left to my seat, 2D. Since I booked a Premium Light fare, I paid an extra $60 for a seat assignment. Norse’s Premium Cabin has a 2-3-2 layout, and I didn’t want to be stuck in a middle seat for the 8+ hour flight home.
Waiting at the seat was an eye mask, blanket and pillow.
The IFE screens were located in the armrests and needed to be stored for takeoff and landing.
For my flight, the Premium Cabin was only about 1/3 full. I asked if I could move across the row to a section of empty seats, and the flight attendants said I could but would appreciate it if I waited until after we took off.
One thing to note about Norse Atlantic is that their planes do not offer Wi-Fi. You’ll be offline for the entire trip.
We received a pre-departure beverage. I chose the orange juice.
The seats on Norse’s 787 Dreamliner Premium Cabin were very comfortable. And while they weren’t lie-flat, they did have a decent recline and plenty of leg room.
Seat controls were basic with one lever to recline the seatback and another to extend the legrest. 
There was a different lever for the footrest.
Food Service
There are two meal services on Norse Atlantic flights and Premium Cabin passengers have both meals included in their ticket price. Economy passengers can purchase meals in advance or on the flight. While I had just eaten at the airport, I tried the meals to see how they were. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
It wasn’t much in the way of presentation, with everything served on a single tray and the meal fresh from the oven.
The gnocchi were passable, and the sauce was a bit overspiced. The best part of the meal was the dessert, a cheesecake with a cobbler-ish topping. The meal wasn’t like I had on Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, but it was more than I expected from a low-cost airline.
The second meal came out as were approaching the US. This was a cold salmon plate. The highlight was the chocolate bar. The salmon was OK and the salad wasn’t very good. If I had to choose a meal, I’d take the first over the second.
Final Thoughts
Would I fly Norse Atlantic again? Definitely.
I have different needs for a daytime flight home from London than a red-eye flight. I’m less worried about having a seat that’s made for sleeping when I’ll be awake for most of the flight. But even on a TATL flight from Florida to London, you’ll only have a limited time to sleep, and a comfortable reclining seat might be a better option than a restrictive lie-flat seat.
All of these are personal preferences, so the most I can say is that I wouldn’t avoid Norse just because it’s a low-cost airline. I know the lack of Wi-Fi is a deal-breaker for some (Note from Sharon: I would be one of them), but I was able to get work done offline. The IFE has a decent selection of movies to keep you occupied.
If you pay extra for the Premium Cabin, you’ll get an experience that’s the same or better than premium economy on other airlines that fly across the Atlantic.
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