Norwegian Air Shuttle is adding direct flights between London Gatwick and both Seattle and Denver in September of 2017. The new flights will connect Norwegian’s European network with two more cities, thus growing their American network. The award winning European low cost carrier announced the new routes on April 5, 2017. Neither Seattle or Denver will have daily service, but if Norwegian is successful it is likely frequencies will increase, or better yet, maybe Norwegian will add service to other European hubs!
Norwegian Air Shuttle Seattle Service
Service to Seattle makes sense as Norwegian’s ties to the region have grown immensely over the last several years. With an all-Boeing fleet of 737s and 787s, Norwegian has ties to the Seattle area. New Service to Seattle makes sense. Beyond the fact that Norwegian is buying tons of Boeing planes, Seattle is a growing metorpolis. Seattle Tacoma International airport is the fastest growing airport in the United States and is now the 9th busiest airport in the US. Norwegian Air’s Seattle service will add upon several other new foreign carriers’ new service to Seattle. Other new airlines such as Volaris, Xiamen, Eurowings, and Virgin Atlantic started serving Seattle recently.
Norwegian Airlines will serve Seattle four days a week from London Gatwick. Service begins Sunday September 17, 2017.
| Depart | Arrive | Days |
| London Gatwick (LGW) 9:50 am | Seattle – Tacoma (SEA) 11:45 am | Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday |
| Seattle – Tacoma (SEA) 1:45 pm | London Gatwick (LGW) 6:55 am | Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday |
Promotional fares on this new route start at just $199 each way for basic economy. This is easily about $100 cheaper each way than current fares on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Norwegian will compete with both full service carriers on this route, although Norwegian serves Gatwick whereas Virgin and British both fly to Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic flies daily to Seattle and British Airlines serves Seattle 12x weekly. Can the Seattle – London route handle the added capacity or will the legacy airlines suffer? Time will tell!
Norwegian Air Denver Service
Denver International Airport will see new service from Norwegian one day before service to Seattle begins. Service will also be on the 787-9, but Denver will only see service two times a week. Denver has less competition to London than Seattle does.
Norwegian Airlines will serve Denver two days a week from London Gatwick. Service begins Saturday, September 16, 2017.
| Depart | Arrive | Days |
| London Gatwick (LGW) 9:50 am | Denver (DEN) 12:40 pm | Tuesdays, Saturday |
| Denver (DEN) 2:40 pm | London Gatwick (DEN) 6:40 am | Tuesdays, Saturday |
Norwegian will only compete with daily service from British Airways on the Denver – London Route. Basic economy fares also start at $199 one way.
Norwegian Fares are Unique
Remember when flying Norwegian Air Shuttle that you are flying a low cost carrier. Norwegian fare structure is similar to other low cost carriers such as Spirit or the basic fares now offered by the US majors. Norwegian has a fee for everything. Check baggage, food, and beverages will all cost you more. Although the base fare is only $199, that fare does not include luggage, seat assignment, or the other items which once were “basic”.
First things first, when flying Norwegian know additional fees can add up quickly. If you think you’re getting a good deal, beware Norwegian added fees are not cheap. A seat selection is $45 each way and a meal is equally expensive at $45! Snacks and drinks can be purchased on-board for slightly cheaper, but still expect to pay between $4 and $20 for food and alcohol. Checking a bag also does not come cheap. Luggage fees start at $65 for a direct flight and go as high as $130 for a connecting flight! Buyer Beware, basic fares are cheap but anything beyond the transportation will hit your wallet hard! Fees add up quickly!
To avoid some fees, consider the Premium cabin. Norwegians Air Shuttle does offer a premium cabin with cradle business class seats. The seats do not recline flat, but they do provide extra space, more room, and a better flight experience. The lowest fares in Norwegian’s Premium Cabin to London from both Denver and Seattle start at $839 one-way including taxes. Admittedly, Premium Cabin base fares are cheap in compassion to other airlines, but are more expensive than economy. The up side, premium fares include add-ons such as a dedicated check-in counter, additional luggage allowance, fast track security, lounge access, priority boarding, along with complimentary meals and drinks.
New competition and new routes to Europe and London is always exciting news. Norwegian is quickly becoming a leader in flights between Europe and North America and is constantly driving down the cost along with breaking monopolies on routes. The airline now offers 48 transatlantic flights from 13 U.S. cities. Norwegian Air Shuttle new flights to London allow connections to Scandinavia, Spain, Central Europe and beyond.
Have you flown Norwegian Airlines long haul? What are your thoughts?
