Inaugural Dates Announced for Primera Air's Launch Across the Atlantic
Back in July, we shared the news that Nordic airline Primera Air is headed across the Atlantic. At the time, we knew that the first of the routes would launch in April, but we didn't have dates for the first flights. Now we've got the details.
Newark (EWR) Routes
Newark will be the first of the two US gateways to get an inaugural Primera Air flight, with daily service to London Stansted (STN) beginning April 19. Here's the timetable:
- PF 41 — London Stansted (STN) 5:55pm Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 9:20pm Arrival
- PF 42 — Newark (EWR) 10:50pm Departure ⇒ London Stansted (STN) 11:00am+1 Arrival
EWR will get its second and third daily flights starting May 18. On that day, daily flights will launch to both Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Birmingham, England (BHX):
- PF 21 — Paris (CDG) 6:50pm Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 9:40pm Arrival
- PF 22 — Newark (EWR) 11:10pm Departure ⇒ Paris (CDG) 12:35pm+1 Arrival
- PF 51 — Birmingham (BHX) 5:45pm Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 9:00pm Arrival
- PF 52 — Newark (EWR) 10:30pm Departure ⇒ Birmingham (BHX) 10:30am+1 Arrival
Boston (BOS) Routes
Boston will also get a Primera Air flight to Europe on May 18, but unlike the Newark routes, Primera Air won't serve Boston daily. The inaugural route will be to London's Stansted with 4x weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) operating on the following schedule:
- PF 43 — London Stansted (STN) 5:00pm Departure ⇒ Boston (BOS) 8:10pm Arrival
- PF 44 — Boston (BOS) 9:40pm Departure ⇒ London Stansted (STN) 9:30am+1 Arrival
The next two Primera Air flights will launch in June. First, a flight to Paris' Charles de Gaulle (CDG) will begin June 21. The 3x weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) will operate with the following schedule:
- PF 23 — Paris (CDG) 5:30pm Departure ⇒ Boston (BOS) 8:05pm Arrival
- PF 24 — Boston (BOS) 9:35pm Departure ⇒ Paris (CDG) 10:45am+1 Arrival
Finally, the sixth transatlantic Primera Air route will launch June 22 to Birmingham (BHX) — 4x weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) will operate at the following times:
- PF 53 — Birmingham (BHX) 5:15pm Departure ⇒ Boston (BOS) 8:15pm Arrival
- PF 54 — Boston (BOS) 9:45pm Departure ⇒ Birmingham (BHX) 9:30am+1 Arrival
Aircraft and Cabin
Primera Air is joining the growing trend of sending narrowbody aircraft across the Atlantic. In addition to the 757 — a staple on smaller transatlantic routes — Norwegian recently launched 737 MAX flights across the pond. Now, Primera Air will join with a fleet of eight brand new Airbus A321neos.
These aircraft will be fitted with four rows of 2-2 "Premium" class seats (16 total). According to Primera Air's website, these seats will come with:
- A meal
- A Comfort kit
- An individual bottle of water
- Electric and USB sockets to charge your computer and devices
Behind Premium, there are four rows of extra-legroom "comfort" economy seats and 27 rows of 3-3 arranged standard economy seats. These seats come with "USB sockets to charge your devices" and it seems like not much else.
Although some of Primera Air's photos seem to have an in-flight entertainment screen, it doesn't seem like there will be any provided entertainment options, as the airline "encourage(s) you to take your own devices to keep yourself entertained." However, the aircraft will be fitted with Wi-Fi.
Both cabins will have a "high quality buy-on-board selection of great items at great prices." I guess we'll have to wait until April to see exactly what that means.
Fares
This is where Primera Air is starting to turn heads. While it might be a no-frills economy experience, the airline is clearly aiming to compete on base price. Primera's form of basic economy is called "Light" and only allows one carry-on bag of up to 22 pounds. These fares start as low as $99 one-way, but fares for bundled packages aren't nearly as cheap:
The add-on fees add up from there, starting with checked baggage starting at $45 one-way:
And seat selection fees starting at $40:
Plus pre-ordered meals mostly running $40:
Bottom Line
Primera Air launches nonstop flights to Europe in mid-April. There are six routes with tickets already for sale, from Newark (EWR) and Boston (BOS) to Birmingham (BHX), Paris (CDG) and London (STN). While you'll probably see a lot of advertisements for $99 fares, make sure you do the math to determine the full cost of the flight.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.