I should stress that I am strictly an economy passenger. I'm a poor artist these days!
So I was looking for a keenly-priced direct flight from London to Cape Town (definitely not wanting to fly via the Middle East, thank you). The reasonable pricing was the attraction of Norse Atlantic, which only started flights to Cape Town in October 2024.
Economy or not so Economy
The above notwithstanding, when I booked with Norse Atlantic, I didn’t go for the most basic passenger class. I went for ‘Economy Classic’, which meant I paid a bit extra and was consequently allowed one item of check-in baggage (as opposed to just cabin baggage) and received a main meal (more about that below).
It was a long time ago now when I booked (late September 2024) so I struggle to remember the exact details, but I recall that I paid extra to reserve my seat of choice (an aisle seat in the central three-seat bay for the overnight outgoing flight, so only one person could disturb me getting up during the night, and a window seat for the return daytime flight).
I also paid GBP15 extra for a second light meal (breakfast) which consisted of a wrap with embarrassingly stringy melted cheese (teeth having no effect on it!), a chocolate chip muffin and a drink (I was cheeky, I asked for fruit juice AND tea).
Communication please
In the days leading up to your flight, you don’t really hear from Norse Atlantic - except emails to try and sell you an upgrade to your ticket. In fact, you are invited to bid for the "lucky" chance of an upgrade, and invited to provide your payment details at the same time. (No, didn't fall for that one.) There is no Norse Atlantic app. I’m used to receiving some sort of reminder in the 48 hours or so before flying, so it was a bit disconcerting not to hear anything. I kept logging in on the website checking whether they wanted anything more from me, and they did - to add my country of birth to my passenger information. I received no notification of that requirement though! So their communication could be better.
The Check-in Experience
At check-in - Zone D in London Gatwick South Terminal - there was a long snaking queue.
It took me over half an hour to get to a check-in desk. I pitied the woman with a very tired small child. I knew I was in the right place though - all the other South Africans around me! And the counter staff, once you got there, were relaxed and friendly.
Comedy or Thriller
The interior of the Dreamliner aircraft presents well - pale cloud colours, new, not battered and scuffed like some British Airways planes I’ve been on in recent years! And everything works.
The entertainment screens are quite small. I heard a small child wail: “There are no good movies, Mom!” (There was also no music on offer.) I did struggle to find anything to watch. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but I avoid any in-flight movie with too complicated a plot, because sometimes the dialogue is difficult to follow with less than optimum audio (and there are no subtitles).
In the end I watched ‘Dave’ from the 1990s again (hilarious) with Kevin Kline playing the US President’s double and Sigourney Weaver playing the First Lady. (My late partner Tony got to know Kevin Kline, because the actor came to stay at Tony’s country house hotel in Wales.) I also watched ‘Best in Show’, a fictional big dog show providing rich comic opportunity. And lastly, I watched ‘Mother’s Instinct’, a thriller with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, which became slightly more stressful to watch when Passenger Announcements kept interrupting the final minutes of the film as we got closer to landing in Cape Town. I thought I could predict the end of the movie, but it didn’t go the way I expected. I won’t spoil it for you!
Paying for things that are normally free
The stewardesses included two white South African ladies in their 60s. I like to see older ladies employed. This pair seemed to enjoy the job.
The most bizarre thing though is the fact that one has to pay for things that are normally handed out for free. So I paid USD 2 for headphones compatible with the socket provided.
I didn’t want to pay USD 6.50 for a blanket. I’ve got a couple of airline blankets at home already. (I thought I would just retrieve my thermal jacket from the overhead locker and put it on after my meal. In the end, I didn’t need to.)
One had to order drinks and pay for them by card. I didn’t. I had brought a small hip flask half full of whisky, but in the end I didn’t feel like drinking alcohol. Just as well, because there was a general announcement that consuming one’s own alcoholic drinks is strictly forbidden! (I have to say that that wouldn’t have stopped me, though.) I suppose things could quickly get out of control if people started swigging their vodka bought before boarding at duty-free shops.
Water by law
One even has to pay for a bottle of water. Again, I didn’t, because they were selling quite large bottles of water and I did get fruit juice with my meal. However, I became concerned about getting dehydrated during the night. I reckon that if one got up and went to the galley and asked for a cup of water, they would not be able to refuse one, by law. It just seems petty not to provide passengers with a small bottle of water for the night, for their wellbeing. My sister (who often travels internationally for work) reckons that Norse Atlantic do not yet understand long-haul flights. They really do not want medically incapacitated or hangry passengers!
No frills or just inefficient?
The above petty sales of small items I assume are in accordance with the Norse Atlantic ‘no frills’ airline ethos. I do find myself wondering if they will continue with this approach, though. The effect of it was that the stewardesses were run ragged taking payments and trying to attend to all the different orders from different seats dotted around the plane, and it seems very inefficient.
No-one, surely, is duped into thinking that the airline is able to cut the cost of the flight by not providing you with headphones and some water, and not lending you a blanket!
Who serves shrimp on an airline?
My main meal (included as an ‘Economy Classic’ passenger, and served at 23:30 after three hours of flying) consisted of some sort of mild chicken curry with rice (which was tasty) and a small orangey chocolate pudding (that I was sure was going to cement my innards solid, but which I ate anyway).
The alternative main meal was something with shrimp. Shrimp!! Who serves shellfish on an airline? Allergies!! I would never risk eating that and I’m not even allergic to shellfish. It’s just made me ill too often, if it’s a bit off.
A non-alcoholic beverage was included too, so I had orange juice diluted with water. (I usually have vodka with orange juice on a flight, and then a small bottle of white wine with my meal.) It felt weird to be eating my meal when many others around me weren’t.
Manspreading and a battered baguette
In the morning, the arrival of my cheesy wrap evidently reminded the young man in the middle seat next to me that he was hungry, and he reached for a battered Prêt baguette he had stashed in his backpack in the overhead locker. Overnight, he had been unable to contain his substantial frame in the narrow confines of his seat (manspreading) but I felt sorry for him and decided to indulge him. Okay, you can have the armrest, and your knee can jut into my legroom space, and so what if there is actual physical contact (for which he apologised, but I told him he had done very well in such a small space!). After all, I have had some stranger’s child sleeping in my lap overnight on a flight before!
Overall the Norse Experience was good
Apart from the above-mentioned petty sales of small items, which I hope they will phase out if they have any sense, the Norse Atlantic experience was good. Nice aircraft, friendly staff, food not bad, very convenient direct flight. I will fly Norse Atlantic again. Well, I have to, don’t I? I have a return flight. Haha.
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