Norwegian Airlines Low Cost Career in Premium Long haul

[Boringchap]

Good morning and Blessed Christmas to everybody!

 

Norwegian Airlines, an award winning European low-cost carrier, started operations in Singapore (flying London Gatwick to Singapore) back in late 2017 but they have since announced that they are stopping their flights to Singapore in Jan 2019.

 

Had an opportunity to fly with Norwegian, London Gatwick to Singapore, in their Premium cabin.  You can think of Norwegian like Scoot - their core product is in Economy low cost, but they offer a premium cabin on some flights, especially in their long haul ones, and they also operated the Boeing 787.

 

This flight was from London Gatwick to Singapore.  The full flight review video is below.

 

Take note, the flight was from London Gatwick, and not London Heathrow.  That morning, we took the Gatwick Express train from London Victoria station to London Gatwick airport. 

 

Norwegian has its hub at Gatwick, so the check-in lines were crowded.  As we were in Premium, there was a dedicated line for Premium passengers.  Unfortunately, one of our bags exceeded 20kg, so we had to do some instant repacking.  Tip - weigh your heaviest bags first.  After that little hiccup, we got our boarding passes and lounge invites, and were on our way.

We headed to security, and we could use Fast Track (called Gatwick Premium).  There was still a line for Gatwick Premium, but it moved much faster.  Remember to put all your liquids in the clear plastic bags that they provided.

 

MY LOUNGE - HOME OF NORWEGIAN

From the security area, it was a very short walk to the lounge.  The lounge that Norwegian uses at Gatwick is called My Lounge, Home of Norwegian.  Fascinating, I didn't know that Norwegian had its own lounge.

 

After spending about 1.5 hours in the lounge, it was time to board. The walk to Gate 34 took about 15 minutes, so give yourself ample time.

Boarding was very smooth.  Once aboard, the cabin crew served a drink (water or orange juice, no alcohol).  Pushback was on time. Even though the single runway was pretty crowded - we managed to take off in good time.  We were blessed to have departed from Gatwick shortly before the recent drones incident, where the airport was pretty much shut for 3 days!  Thank God we got home safely and quickly before that drama. 

 

Check out the full pushback and takeoff video:

 

As this was a day flight (departing Gatwick at 1050hrs), I didn't expect to be sleeping much.  Shortly after takeoff, the drinks service began. Stewardess came around to offer drinks.  In Premium, beer, white wine, red wine, water are complimentary. However, if you wanted spirits, you would have to pay.  You can order from the touch-screen. See 3:15 of the video for the prices.

LUNCH WAS SERVED - 3 CHOICES
After drinks were served, the meal cart came along.  As there were no printed menus, the stewardess had to tell us the options.  There were 3 options for lunch - beef, chicken and fish (salmon).  I chose the salmon with risotto, while my wife took the chicken dish.  Both were very good.  The meals were served in a fairly large box, with disposable cutlery.  There was a small side salad and dessert.  The main course portion was of a decent size and I certainly was full after eating it (including a warm bun).  Food was tasty, no complaints.

After lunch was cleared up, the cabin lights were dimmed, and most passengers tried to catch a nap.

SEATS
The Premium seats were comfortable.  We were right in front, and I was in 1J, window seat.  Let's be clear, this is not a lie-flat bed.  But the seats and space were very comfortable.  I noticed that in the Boeing 787-9, the configuration in Premium was 2-3-2, i.e. only 7 seats abreast.  When fully reclined, the seat was very comfortable, and I certainly managed to snooze.  Norwegian provided a comfy blanket, but no pillow, so bring your own if you need a pillow.

MID FLIGHT SNACK
About 5 hours before landing, when the plane was somewhere over the Indian sub-continent, cabin light were increased slightly, and a cabin crew came around handing out chicken wraps as well as water.  I guess this was the mid-flight snack.  The wrap was tasted ( I ate it all up!)

BREAKFAST - 2 HOURS BEFORE LANDING
The scheduled landing time in Singapore was 0730hrs (local time). Singapore was 8 hours ahead of London.  About 2 hours before landing, cabin lights came on, and I could smell the food being warmed up at the galley.  Not long after, the meal cart came out and breakfast was served.  There was no choice - we were all given the same box, which contained
About

Overall, I found the service to be efficient, and even pleasant.  Would I fly with Norwegian on Premium again?  Why not? The fares were competitively priced and I think worth the money for a long-haul flight. The other perks at Gatwick like dedicated check-in line, Fast-Track at security as well as Lounge access were awesome too, and added to the Premium experience.  Recommended.

On a personal note, as I live in Singapore, I find it a pity that Norwegian has decided to end her long-haul service in early 2019, after only flying to Singapore for a very short period of time.  I'm glad I managed to fly on this award winning airline during her short stint in Singapore.  I hope Norwegian comes back!

 

EDIT

Sorry, typo in the title.

Should be low cost carrier and not career.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Boringchap