Find cheap Norwegian flights

Norwegian is a low-cost airline and Scandinavia’s second largest airline. Launched in 1993, Norwegian is the largest airline in Norway and the fourth biggest low-cost airline in Europe. It previously had long-haul subsidiaries that connected Europe with the US, but these went into liquidation in January 2021.

Now, the airline focuses on the European market, offering extensive routes across the continent. Some of the most far flung locations in Scandinavia include Evenes in Norway, the gateway to the stunning Lofoten Islands, and Rovaniemi in Finland, home to Santa Claus himself.

Why should you consider Norwegian?

Norwegian has an extensive roster of flight routes across Europe. While the airline is famed for reaching the most remote corners of Scandinavia, it also flies to more popular destinations like Portugal, Spain and Italy. Norwegian also flies to cities in Turkey that are in the Middle East, like Istanbul and Bodrum.

Its range of destinations makes it a go-to low-cost carrier for winter and summer holidays alike. Norwegian flies to the year-round sun that Rhodes in Greece offers and the remote, unique landscape of Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. If you haven’t heard of Svalbard, go and look it up after reading this guide – it looks magical and is high up on my travel bucket list.

Fares and baggage allowances

Norwegian offers three fare options – LowFare, LowFare+ and Flex. LowFare is perfect for the budget-conscious traveller who likes to pack light. This fare includes your seat ticket and underseat baggage – this must be no bigger than 30x20x38cm and weighing a maximum of 10kg. Remember, while many low-cost carriers in Europe offer a budget option with underseat luggage allowance, each airline’s size restrictions for this differ.

LowFare and LowFare+

LowFare+ includes a traveller’s seat, an underseat bag and an overhead cabin bag measuring 55x40x23cm – but the total weight of these two items mustn’t go over 10kg, which can be a little tricky even for the most elite packers amongst us. Luckily, this fare comes with 23kg of checked baggage allowance too.

For both LowFare and LowFare+, name changes for flight tickets and rebooking flights costs £60 plus the sum of any fare difference. It’s important to note that neither of these options are refundable, so be sure your plans are concrete before making your booking or you risk losing your entire flight cost.

Flex fares

The clue is in the name – Norwegian’s Flex fare offers the most flexibility of all its options. Flex allows travellers to have the same underseat and overhead cabin size allowance but with a 15kg weight limit, plus two 23kg checked bags. This is a great option for passengers whose plans may change, as well as those that like to pack for every weather imaginable.

With Flex, tickets are refundable and it’s free to change the name on a booking or the flight itself – you just need to cover the difference if your new flight has a higher fare. Flex is also the only tariff that includes fast track and priority boarding, so if you like to get on the plane before everyone else and settle in, this one’s for you.

Seats and legroom with Norwegian

As a low cost carrier, there aren’t first class or premium economy options when flying with Norwegian, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have a budget experience. The seats are comfortable with enough leg room for my 5ft 11in frame to sit without my knees touching the seat in front of me – I’ve often wondered if this is because Scandinavians are famously tall, as other low cost airlines have much less legroom.

For those looking for a little more comfort, extra legroom seats are available for an additional fee. There are usually around 15 seats of this kind available per flight – three at the front and 12 in the center of the aircraft – so be sure to book your flight as soon as possible if this is a non-negotiable for you.

If you’re keen to pick when you’re sat or, like me, want to avoid the dreaded middle seat, seat selection is available at the time of booking. For those travelling on the LowFare tariff, seat reservation is available for an extra fee per person, per flight. Standard seat reservation is included for LowFare+ passengers, and any seat reservation is covered as part of the Flex tariff – including extra legroom seats.

Wi-Fi connection

As Norwegian doesn’t cover long-haul routes, there aren’t in-seat screens to enjoy films or TV shows during your flight. However, Wi-Fi is available on almost every Norwegian route, which is rare for a European low-cost airline. I’ve found it’s a great option to squeeze in some extra holiday planning while I’m en route to my destination.

All passengers can access Surf, which offers 15 minutes of WiFi for free – this option has limited internet speed, so I would only recommend this for catching up on emails or sending quick messages to loved ones. It’s not quite good enough to scroll on social media or watch videos on YouTube, for example.

For those looking for a better connection, Stream Limited offers 30 or 60 minutes of WiFi at a premium speed, with the length of time offered depending on your route. Stream Unlimited does what it says on the in, giving you unlimited premium speed WiFi for your whole flight. Both of these are available for a small fee, dependent on your route.

To use Wi-Fi on board, connect to the network called “Norwegian Internet Access”. Open your browser and the portal should then load automatically – but if it doesn’t, search for norwegianwifi.com (737-800). Select the Wi-Fi package that works for you, and you’ll be browsing in no time. It’s bad news if your flight is on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, though – Wi-Fi isn’t yet available on this aircraft type.

Food and drink on board

Meals, snacks and drinks are available to buy on board Norwegian flights. For international flights longer than two hours 15 minutes, travellers can pre-order meals. A meal consists of hot food and a dessert, with beverages like soft drinks, beer and coffee available to buy on the flight. As someone who’s a bit of a skeptic when it comes to plane food, I’ve been impressed with Norwegian’s food options.

I can vouch for the pasta bolognese, which comes with a mini chocolate doughnut for dessert. While I would usually eat before a flight, this was a great option for me when I didn’t have time for my usual pre-flight routine. There is also a great range of snacks available to buy on board, including crisps, pastries and sweets. For those looking for a light meal, try the paninis and wraps.

Norwegian reward scheme

Norwegian Reward is the airline’s loyalty programme and unlike similar schemes by competitors, it’s free to join. Passengers who sign up earn CashPoints, which can be used against future purchases with Norwegian and earn you added benefits like free baggage and fast track. One CashPoint is equivalent to the value of 1 Norwegian Krone – when converted to Euros, 10 CashPoints is about €0.90.

While this may not sound a lot, they soon add up. You earn 1% CashPoints on all LowFare tickets, 2% for LowFare+ and 5% on Flex tickets. These CashPoints can be used against the cost of flights, seat reservations, in-flight meals and more. As it’s a free programme to join, it makes sense for every passenger to sign up and make the most of the benefits up for offer.

When it comes to claiming your CashPoints against a purchase, simply insert your reward number into the relevant box when making your booking – your reward number can be found on your Norwegian profile. CashPoints are valid for the year in which they earned, plus two extra years. For example, CashPoints gained from a booking made on October 1 2024 are valid until December 31 2026.

My flights with Norwegian

I’ve flown with Norwegian many times over the past decade and will continue to do so thanks to the easy experiences I’ve had. I was a frequent flier for its long haul routes before they went into liquidation, utilizing the wallet-friendly routes between the UK and both New York and Los Angeles. Now, they are my go-to when I head to Scandinavia and I’ll always check in on fares for Norwegian flights to southern Europe, too.

In the past year, I’ve flown with Norwegian from London Gatwick to both Stockholm in Sweden and the Danish capital of Copenhagen, with both trips offering comfortable, no-drama journeys with friendly cabin crew and affordable fares. Next up with Norwegian, I have my eye on a trip to Tromsø, a city in Norway situated above the Arctic Circle and famed for being one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.