Copyright metro
Norse Atlantic only began flying in 2022 (Picture: Pawel Gradek) On a recent trip to the US, Metro’s Lifestyle Editor, Kristina Beanland, was a guest of Norse Atlantic, flying Gatwick to Los Angeles in Premium Economy. This lesser-known airline might not have the luxe reputation of some of its transatlantic competitors, but from friendly staff to sleep-inducing seats, 11 hours went by quicker than expected. But is it worth the expense? Here, Kristina gives her verdict for anyone considering a slice of the slightly higher life. Kristina, over to you. The background: When I boarded a flight with Norse Atlantic to try out their Premium Cabin, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve been lucky enough to take several flights this year – many of them long haul – and with other, perhaps more well known airlines, I knew what I was getting. The roomy seats in Premium Economy (Picture: Kristina Beanland) Emirates has the best airplane food (I stand by it), with cabin crew that look like models. While Ryanair is, of course, no frills with terrifying baggage rules – but hey, it gets you there. When it came to Norse though, I hadn’t really heard of it. The carrier was actually only founded in March 2021, and began operating flights between Gatwick and New York in August 2022. It still has just one UK base, with around eight or nine flights departing per day. When I asked friends and family, few people had even heard of Norse, much less travelled with them. But, after almost 11 hours in Premium Economy, it soon became clear that we’ve all been sleeping on this lesser-known airline. Making myself comfortable (Picture: Kristina Beanland) What’s the vibe? When you board a Norse aircraft, it’s all grey and blue interiors, a nod no doubt to the chilly landscape of Norway, where the airline hails from. If Frozen had an airline, I guess this would be it. Cabin crew wear cool blue outfits, and the TVs dotted around the cabin show images of the Northern Lights. But while the aesthetic might be icy, the reception is far from it. I’ve been on 14 flights so far this year, and the Norse crew were by far the friendliest I’ve flown with. Despite serving a full cabin, they were friendly, and happy to stop and have a chat too, asking about upcoming holiday plans and complimenting that pre-trip manicure – all important when you’re stuck in a flying tin can for more than an entire working day. @arrivingandthriving Cheaper than economy on BA, Virgin and AA – is it worth it? #fyp #foryou #viral #norse #norsepremium #norseairlines #xyzbca #tiktoktravel #norsereview #budgettravel #budget #premium #businessclass ♬ Farcry 3 Music – 🦊🎄KingSam🎄🦊 A passenger behind me had a dog on board and realistically, this is probably extra work for the staff, but you’d never have known it, if the enthusiasm they showed for the little guy was anything to go by. The fact they seemed to genuinely like each other helped too. It kept the vibe on board light and fun. Ok, tell us about the seats. So, the seats felt about as wide as any other Premium Economy, I’d travelled on (they’ve got a seat width of 19.5in, the same as Emirates, and fraction larger than British Airways’ 18.5in). The roomy reclining seats were a stand-out feature (Picture: Norse) But the stand-out feature here is the recline. Norse have a seat pitch — that’s the distance between your seat and the row in front of you — of 43in. That’s five inches more than BA, and still three inches more than Emirates. This means that there’s plenty of space to recline, and while you’re obviously not lying completely flat, you definitely notice that you can go pretty far back. I usually hate flying overnight, but thanks to the seats, coupled with the foot rest, it made for the best sleeps I’ve ever had on a red eye flight. The blanket was also thick and fleecy – so you don’t feel like you’re trying to sleep under tissue paper – nor was the cabin set at Baltic temperatures, as so many are. You also get given an eye mask. I appreciated the cosy blanket (Picture: Justin Lambert) How was the food? I’m one of those weird people that enjoys airplane food – but not all inflight meals are created equal. I opted for the chicken with mash (the other meal choice was salmon with pumpkin mash), and it was actually pretty good. The meat wasn’t dry, and the mash was creamy. I also liked that it came with a pomegranate salad, so I could kid myself that I was getting some kind of nutrition. The bread roll was hot and fluffy too. I was very pleased with my plane food (Picture: Norse) As well as a pre take-off orange juice, throughout the flight you can also order (paid for snacks) as well as some complimentary soft drinks and alcohol. The fact that orders are all done via your TV screen direct to your seat was a nice touch, meaning you don’t have to try and stop busy crew as they run up and down the aisles. Any downsides? Okay, so the inflight entertainment isn’t great. I love watching new releases I didn’t catch in the cinema during a long haul flight, but the selection was very limited and the latest films they had were the likes of Better Man (which came out in cinemas in December 2024) and Woman Of The Hour (launched on Netflix in September 2023). So, my advice would be to go prepared with a phone or iPad loaded up with your favourite shows. You can order food direct to your seat (Picture: Norse) So, how much does it cost? A one-way flight to Los Angeles with Norse in October, with a 23kg checked bag, starts from $388 (about £286) for an economy ticket (although ticket prices will fluctuate). For Premium Economy, the ticket price jumps to $865 (about £638). Yes, it’s double the price, and if you’re looking for a long-haul bargain, you obviously wouldn’t opt to spend so much more. However, compared to other airlines, this is a cheap Premium Economy ticket. If it’s within your budget — and you’re travelling long haul — I’d seriously think about stumping up the cash. This article was originally published on September 13, 2025, and has been updated. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
