Norwegian Airlines operates regular flights between London Gatwick in the UK and Boston in the US, which was my destination for a one week leaf peeping holiday not long ago.
I live about half an hour from Gatwick so when I found out how cheap Norwegian was in comparison with the other airlines I booked my flight with them to Boston straight away! I paid £344 return for the flight to Boston from Gatwick, which was by far the cheapest I ever paid for a flight to the US!
The Norwegian flight departed at 1650PM from London Gatwick and arrived at Boston’s Logan airport at 1905PM.
Norwegian’s Brand New Dreamliner
It was Norwegian’s brand new Dreamliner aircraft with the bigger windows, larger legroom and more comfortable seats, not to mention the amazing screens.
I was totally taken aback by the cleanliness of the aircraft and how easy it was to use everything. I was travelling mega-light with only a rucksack and I did not order any food either as I thought £50 for food per direction was a bit pricey for me in comparison to how much the actual flight cost.
There was also no need to book checked-baggage as I was only flying to Boston and New York City for one week for a nice leaf peeping road trip around New England and the Niagara Falls.
Tip: book in advance and travel light to make the most bang for your buck! You really don’t need that much garb with you and there are plenty of low cost laundrettes in the US to wash your clothes!
Finding London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport is very well connected to downtown London and much of southern England. You can take the Gatwick Express train direct from London Victoria or Brighton.
Many National Express bus services also arrive here from Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, Heathrow, Stansted Airport and a plethora of other directions. If you live in the local area there are also plenty of public service buses such as the 420 from Sutton.
Taxis can cost a lot of money but after midnight you might find that a taxi is your only option. You can also pre-book a private hire car to save a bit of money, but you will need to arrange your arrival time in advance as the drivers don’t like to pay for extra parking.
Entering London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport has two terminals and Norwegian’s flights depart from the South Terminal. It is also here where the railway station is so if you are coming by train just walk up the stairs and into the terminal.
Checking In With Norwegian
I was carrying hand luggage only and I checked in online so I basically wizzed through the security checks and waited for departure.
I decided to get some food from Pret-a-Manger before boarding the flight so I would not need to spend any money on-board. In retrospect it was a bit pointless as the on-board food on Norwegian did not cost that much more – anyhow, the Pret food was very tasty too!
Boarding The Norwegian Plane
We boarded the plane on time and started moving away from the terminal building like clockwork! I thought the boarding process was pretty quick and smooth and people seemed to know what they were doing.
The other passengers got on quickly too and everyone seemed to know where to place their luggage as well. It was a relief not to have to wait for the slow people to board and just get on with it!
Luggage Allowance On Norwegian
Norwegian charges extra for the luggage you take on board, but it all depends on the type of ticket you buy. Say you want the cheapest, no frills ticket like I did, then you will need to shell out an extra £50 per direction for a 20kg bag. You can add checked baggage to your ticket up until 6 hours before departure.
Otherwise just follow the instructions in the image below, which I took from Norwegian’s website.
On-Board The Norwegian Flight to Boston
There was plenty of space for my luggage on board the Norwegian Dreamliner and I also really liked the ambient lighting. The windows were massive compared to other aeroplanes and the legroom was very generous in comparison to other long-haul flights.
The system to order food also impressed me very much: you go on the on-board computer and pick whatever you want then pay right there using your credit card.
This will send a message to the back of the plane where the stewards will prepare your food or drink and bring it to your seat! It was a very well oiled operation and worked like an army!
There was also free wifi on-board which was quite fascinating although I decided not to use it as I enjoy just getting away from it all while in the air! Call me strange and old fashioned!
Norwegian On-Board Toilet
The toilet was clean with a big mirror and a soap that functioned as an air freshener – like two in one!
Overall Impressions
I totally enjoyed the flight and I still keep bringing it up in conversation. I actually cannot wait for my flight to Los Angeles in September which will also be on a Dreamliner at a cost of only £425 return! Bargain!
More Pictures
