I like cheap transatlantic fares as much as anyone (as you’ll know from my JetBlue bargain), but I don’t trust an airline until I’ve stress-tested the boring parts: check-in, baggage, and what happens when the schedule breaks. I’ve got 5 Norse flights under my belt and I’m sorry to say the bad is starting to outweigh the good!
Norse Atlantic sells 787 flights that can undercut legacy carriers by $99-$300, and onboard it often feels better than the price suggests: 32 inches of pitch, seatback screens, power, and crews who generally do their job. The problem is the safety net. The mixed reviews I’ve written myself (and read from others) aren’t about the seat; they’re about Norse’s problematic communications: no phone line, slow email responses, confusing “flight change” alerts, and passengers reporting long lines and delays with zero support. It took 2 weeks for my missing bag to show up and 2 more weeks for an email to arrive from Norse asking if I’d found it.
If your plan is fixed and you can self-rescue, Norse can be a smart play. Heavy hint: fly with hand luggage only. If you need flexibility, it’s a gamble. In this review, I’ll show where the value is real, what fees bite, and the exact scenarios where I’d pay more to avoid the hassle entirely.
Related: My personal review of Norse Atlantic in Premium (with extra photos)
What you’re actually buying with Norse: the ultra-low base fare plus a la carte survival kit (bags, seats, meals)
Norse’s base economy fare is genuinely cheap. I’ve seen London to New York from £280 return during sales, roughly £100 less than Norwegian used to charge and £200-£300 below British Airways or Virgin Atlantic on the same dates. That headline price includes one personal item (underseat bag, typically 40cm × 30cm × 15cm) and nothing else. Want a carry-on roller? That’s £35-£50 depending on route. Checked bag? Another £60-£90. Seat selection? £15 for standard economy, £30-£50 for extra legroom, £500-£900 for premium (which includes bags and meals).
If you want a standard meal (i.e., something hot), it must be pre-ordered (and paid for); otherwise, you’ll be relying on a buyable snack box in economy. There is a hot meal included in premium. If you’re on a budget, bring your own snacks.
Here’s the truth: the moment you add a checked bag, seat selection, and a meal, you’re within £50 of a legacy carrier’s basic economy fare. A lot of people will pay that extra to get some customer service infrastructure. Despite my love of a bargain, I’m tipping into that category myself.
The value proposition is real only if you stick to the base fare and accept the constraints.
Cabin reality check on the 787: seat specs, power/USB, IFE, and what “premium” is (and isn’t)
There’s decent legroom at Norse’s premium seat.
Norse operates Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in a two-cabin layout: 56 premium seats and 282 economy seats. Economy pitch is 32 inches, width is 17 inches, and the seat doesn’t recline more than two inches. I measured it with a tape measure on a JFK-Gatwick flight, and the movement is barely noticeable. Every seat has a seatback screen (11 inches in economy, 12 inches in premium), USB-A and USB-C ports, and a universal power outlet. The IFE library is adequate, roughly 100 films, 50 TV episodes (both of which do get updated regularly), no live map, but the screen resolution is poor by 2025 standards, and the interface lags.
Premium seats remind me of old-school intra-Europe business class, with 43 inches of pitch and 21.5 inches of width, which is genuinely comfortable for a seven-hour crossing, but the seat is a recliner, not a lie-flat. For £500-£900 return, premium includes two checked bags, meals, drinks (including wine and beer), and priority boarding. I tested premium from Oslo to Bangkok (watch my YouTube review), and whilst the recline was sufficient for sleep, the lack of a footrest meant my legs were unsupported.
The last premium meal I had was from Vegas to Gatwick and only chicken was left by the time they hit me. It was dry but serviceable and I feel like the goodies on the tray get sparser and sparser as years go by. Premium is worth the money only if you’re comparing it to a legacy carrier’s premium economy at £1,200-£1,500; it’s not worth it if you can find a discounted business class seat on a full-service airline for £1,000. No Wi-Fi is available on any Norse flight, not even for purchase. That’s a significant gap for anyone who works on the hoof.
The first trust test: check-in lines, gate bag spot-checks, and how early you need to show up to avoid fees
Norse’s check-in opens 24 hours before departure, but the system doesn’t send automated reminders. I’ve flown them around five times now and received zero pre-flight emails beyond the initial booking confirmation.
I’ve found Norse online check-in really problematic and more than once I’ve ended up having to check-in at the airport, even when I’m taking hand-luggage only. Do you see how that could be a deal-breaker? I really don’t want to stand in a long line for economy while the check-in agents take every opportunity to weigh your cabin bag. Despite the fact that I checked the permitted measurements, measured my bag and weighed it twice, I always feel like I’m trying to get away with something.
With its bag weighing policy, Norse Atlantic has become the Ryanair of transatlantic flights.
At Gatwick, Norse operates from the North Terminal, and the check-in desks open three hours before departure. I arrived two hours before a morning departure and found a 40-minute queue and the weighing scales in action. However, the enforcement is inconsistent. Some passengers with oversized bags were waved through, others were stopped. It depends who you get at check-in. But the risk is real. If you’re flying Norse, arrive three hours early, check in online the moment the window opens, and measure your bag with a tape measure before you leave home. The gate staff are not empowered to waive fees, and there’s no phone line to escalate disputes.
Accommodation at London Gatwick Airport
Luxury ($$$): Sofitel London Gatwick - Offers direct covered walkway access to Gatwick North Terminal check-in. [check availability & prices →]
Mid-Range ($$): Hampton by Hilton London Gatwick Airport - Located within walking distance of Gatwick North Terminal. Includes breakfast. [check availability & prices →]
Budget ($): Travelodge Gatwick Airport Central - Accessible by 24-hour shuttle bus from both Gatwick terminals. Provides basic accommodation. [check availability & prices →]
Norse Atlantic: how they manage problems
Fun to see the Norse Fort Lauderdale route on one of my earlier trips, now sadly defunct!
Norse has no customer service phone line. The only contact method is email, and response times are slow. My Vegas-Gatwick baggage query was a nightmare and I reckon I got my bag back only because I had an AirTag and kept emailing its location (their poor labelling system meant JetBlue took my bag, thinking it was one of theirs).
At the airport, Norse contracts ground handling to third parties, and staff quality varies wildly. At JFK I encountered polite, efficient agents; at Gatwick I watched a passenger with a missed connection be told to “sort it out yourself” with no rebooking assistance. On one documented flight, 30 passengers’ bags were lost, and when customers reached a human by phone (through a partner airline’s number), they were hung up on twice.
Norse’s official complaints process is unresponsive; passengers report submitting formal grievances and receiving no acknowledgement. This is the critical gap: if your flight is delayed, your bag is lost, or you need to change your booking, you are functionally on your own. If you fly Norse, you must be prepared to self-rescue: book travel insurance that covers delays and cancellations, carry a credit card with trip protection, and have a backup plan for accommodation and rebooking.
Do not assume the airline will help you.
Delays, misconnects & lost bags
Norse’s operational reliability is inconsistent. I’ve had some delays and most airline forums report that 2-4 hour delays have not resulted in meal vouchers, communications or rebooking assistance.
If you’re connecting onwards from a Norse flight, build in a minimum six-hour buffer. Norse will not protect you on a missed connection to another airline, and you’ll be liable for the cost of a new ticket.
I know I’m going on about it, but with lost baggage, Norse’s track record is poor. I recommend travelling carry-on only if possible; if you must check a bag, photograph the baggage tag, keep all receipts for essentials purchased during a delay, and file a Property Irregularity Report immediately at the destination airport.
Norse is legally obligated to compensate you under EU261 for delays over three hours (£220-£520 depending on distance), but you’ll need to pursue the claim yourself through a third-party service like AirHelp or Resolver. Do not expect Norse to proactively offer compensation. The airline is trustworthy only if you define “trustworthy” as “will probably get you there at a low price, but will abandon you if anything goes wrong.” For fixed itineraries with no tight connections, that’s acceptable. For complex travel or time-sensitive trips, it’s a risk I wouldn’t take.
For a slightly more upbeat review of Norse, watch my Oslo to Bangkok experience on YouTube.
LGW Pre-Flight Planning & Ground Transportation
Reduce friction on your travel day with Norse Atlantic (as you might find quite enough stress during the check-in process), by pre-booking your journey to and from London Gatwick airport.
Gatwick Express Tickets: Book Gatwick Express tickets - For reliable transfer between London Victoria station and Gatwick Airport, avoiding potential traffic delays. [check availability & prices →]
Private Transfers to Gatwick: Arrange private car transfers to or from Gatwick - Offers a fixed price and pre-booked service for those who prefer not to use public transport before or after a long flight. [check availability & prices →]