Earlier this month, we flew from Oakland, California to Stockholm, Sweden with a connection to Oslo, Norway. Yes there were a few things we did not care for but overall the flight and the personal we interacted with were just as good as any other airline. Comparable speaking we would rate our experience with Norwegian equal or above other airlines we have flown international. Even including a checked bag, seat reservation and two “Nice & Tasty” meals the cost was way below what other traditional airlines would charge.
The Plane
The plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. My travel partner who is six feet tall felt he had just enough room. Any taller you might feel a bit pinched. Each seat had its own screen and you can even order snacks and drinks from you seat.
The bad – my seat did not recline, it was broken. Normally this would have bothered me but the seat was comfortable enough to not be a problem. The only thing that I missed was there was no music to listen to, or maybe I just never found it.
The interesting – the airline controls the airflow and lighting. I like to have the air on full while I fly. Something I prefer so that was a bit annoying. I actually got hot during the flight at one point, which I have never had happen before. The lighting was interesting. They use different colors depending on the current circumstances. I must say after flying for 10+ hours when we got to Stockholm I was feeling pretty good, not the “exhausted from flying” feeling you can get. So maybe having them control the lighting and air was not a bad thing. Norwegian may be on to something.
The good – the seat was very comfortable. They had a good selection of current movies and TV shows. The map of “where in the world are you” was great and more interactive. The flight was really smooth. And yes the food was good too. I am a picky eater and was able to eat both the dinner (a chicken and rice dish) and the lunch (turkey sandwich), which was served just before we landed. The meal did include a drink and coffee or tea. If you select the lowest fare there are no complimentary drinks so be sure to get water or a drink before you get on board. Again you can order drinks and snacks for a fee from your seat if needed.
The Personnel
Some good some not so good, pretty normal for most businesses. The counter check-in staff was very helpful and quick. The flight attendants were some of the friendliest/happiest I have seen in a long time. But then we come to the “guy” at the Oslo airport, who was neither friendly nor helpful!
One caveat when we were landing you know how they say what carousel the luggage will be on? Well they only said it in Norwegian, which we did not understand. So when we got to baggage claim we looked at “the signs” for our flight number and it said the bags would be on 4. So we waited and waited and waited. Finally went and talked to the Norwegian counter person there and he said, not in a nice way, “be patient it has only been 20 minutes.” Well I think it was longer than that AND it turned out that the bags were not on 4 but were on “6.” It was a crummy way to end a long flight and an overall great experience. BUT the good part was our bags did make it all the way from California, with a layover in Stockholm to Oslo!!
Online Chat
Before our flight I did use their customer service chat on their website. After reading their website I wanted to confirm a couple of things. I went online and clicked on the “Start Live Chat.” The person was very helpful. The best part was after you are done you could print out your “chat.” I really liked that because if I had had any problems at check-in I could pull out the chat and show it to the person. Fortunately that was not needed, but helped give me a piece of mind.
Nice Option
When we were booking our connection from Stockholm to Oslo we had a choice to choose a length of 2 hours, 4 hours or 6 hours. We went with the 6, which allowed us time to take the express train into Stockholm, go to the old city center, leisurely walk back to the train station and return to the airport. For us, with our flight running an hour late, we only had 5 hours but it still worked. Less time meant we were not able to visit the Noble Prize Museum, hopefully next time. We did have time to enjoy the Christmas market in Stockholm, something I was hoping to see. The layover was an appreciated added bonus that we had not expected when we first talked about going to Norway.
Would We Do It Again
Like any travel experience there were some good and some not so good. Would we do it again – absolutely “yes.” Norwegian Air’s low fare helped make our trip to Norway possible. We felt we received a quality product for the price we paid. When we return to the US next year from Barcelona back to California, you guessed it, it will be via Norwegian Air.
