I upgraded to premium economy on an 8-hour Norse Airlines flight. It surpassed my expectations in so many ways.
I'm typically a loyal Delta flyer, but I experienced sticker shock when I saw the prices of its last-minute economy flights back home.
So, although I don't usually fly with budget airlines, I found myself researching flights on Norse Atlantic Airways.
The Norwegian airline is known for having affordable transatlantic flights, and its nonstop options to get me back to the US were hundreds of dollars cheaper than what I'd seen elsewhere.
So, I paid $670 for an eight-hour flight in premium from Paris to New York City. (From there, I'd take a cheap flight home to Texas.)
Although I was skeptical about the low prices — my premium Norse seat was still way cheaper than a similar flight in Delta's economy section — I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
My ticket came with priority check-in, which I loved
I chose to upgrade to a premium ticket because economy didn't include amenities I wanted and would otherwise have to pay out of pocket for, like meals and a checked bag.
Fortunately, my premium ticket even came with priority check-in, which I was very grateful to have.
When I arrived at my gate at Charles de Gaulle, the check-in line for my flight looked incredibly long. Instead of waiting with the masses, I used my status to quickly board the shuttle bus to the plane.
I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious my seat felt
Norse doesn't have first-class cabins — its Boeing 787 Dreamliners are divided into premium and economy.
Walking to my seat didn't take long, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw how spacious my premium-cabin seat looked.
The seat pitch is 43 inches and the width is 19.5 inches, much larger compared to the 31-inch seat pitch and 17-inch width in economy class.
My seat was so comfortable that I had no issues relaxing. I also had tons of extra legroom, though not having enough is rarely an issue for me at 5'1".
Still, it was nice having so much space that my feet didn't even accidentally kick my bag, which was tucked under the seat in front of me.
In premium, the in-flight entertainment screen could be pulled out from the armrest. On it, Norse offered an assortment of movies, TV shows, and music. I opted to watch "Gilmore Girls."
The screen was easy to maneuver, and I liked that I could tuck it away when I wasn't using it.
The flight had fairly standard amenities — but I couldn't reach some of the seat controls
The flight attendants came by and handed everyone in my cabin a complimentary set of headphones, earplugs, an eye mask, and a soft Norse blanket.
I didn't have to pay for my sodas, water, wine, or two in-flight meals since they were included in my premium upgrade.
At one point, flight attendants even came by the premium section and offered to top off my wine, free of charge. It was such a nice touch.
Although the spacious premium seats provided plenty of room for me to curl up and nap, I couldn't reach the buttons to control the fans or reading lights.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to reach the call button from my seat, either.
I also had to ask for help retrieving my carry-on when the plane arrived in New York.
On other airlines, I've been able to stand on my tip-toes to grab my luggage, but I would have needed a stepladder to grab my things from Norse's bulkheads.
None of that was a major issue, but it's something worth keeping in mind if you're a similar height.
I'd fly internationally with Norse again — and I'd stick with my upgrade
All in all, the low-cost airline impressed me. I was especially grateful I'd splurged for a premium ticket, even though economy ones were hundreds of dollars cheaper.
The extra space alone (not to mention the checked bag, food, drinks, and priority check-in) made the upgrade well worth it.
Prices may vary (especially for last-minute bookings), but I'm still impressed that my upgraded Norse Atlantic ticket cost me less than what I'd have paid to fly Delta in economy.
Plus, my overall experience was more pleasant than I expected.
My seat felt pretty top-notch for a low-cost carrier, and I commend the entire staff for being so friendly, helpful, and welcoming throughout the flight.
However, I won't be committing my loyalty to Norse Airlines anytime soon. It has a limited selection of routes, no direct flights to my home airport in Texas, and no frequent-flyer rewards program.
So, for now, I think I'll stick with Delta and rack up miles for future rewards — but if I end up needing another short-notice international flight, I'd definitely fly premium with Norse Airlines.
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