Norwegian Is Pulling out of Hartford, Reducing Transatlantic Frequencies to Edinburgh
Less than one year after Norwegian Air launched transatlantic service from three new, smaller airports on the East Coast, the company says it's cutting one of the airports altogether. On Tuesday, the low-cost carrier announced that as of March 25, 2018, it's suspending its only nonstop flight out of Hartford's Bradley International Airport (BDL), which offered service to Edinburgh (EDI) on its Boeing 737 aircraft.
Following the news that the Scottish government postponed a reduction on air passenger taxes, Norwegian issued a statement about the reduction in frequency to EDI — including eliminating it altogether from BDL. In full, Norwegian said:
"Following Norwegian's launch of affordable transatlantic routes from the US to Edinburgh last year, the prospect of a reduction in air passenger taxes meant we had been planning for continued future growth to Scotland. However, the postponement of such reduction was therefore deeply disappointing and has led us to reduce capacity to Scotland, including cutting the Hartford service and reducing frequencies from other US airports."
In the announcement, Norwegian said that it would reconsider the choice to reduce frequencies to Scotland if the government wants to rethink its air passenger taxes. If Scotland does reduce the air passenger taxes, Norwegian says that the move would open up more low-cost options.
"Whilst this route cut means that Norwegian will currently not be offering any service to/from Bradley International Airport, the airline is continuously reviewing other opportunities in Hartford as we have seen great potential in this market," Norwegian said.
For both Newburgh (SWF) and Providence (PVD), which also operate to EDI, Norwegian is reducing frequencies in lieu of eliminating service altogether. The cut in weekly frequency between PVD and EDI is due to the same Scottish air passenger tax decision. We've reviewed Norwegian's transatlantic 737 service and found it to be adequate for the relatively quick jump across the pond, but it remains to be seen if passengers will continue flying these single-aisle aircraft or whether they'll begin to drift back towards larger airports that feature flights with larger widebody aircraft.
In addition, Norwegian has announced that it's suspending service on its route between Providence (PVD) and Bergen (BGO), as the route is not performing well. Instead, it will allocate those 2x weekly flights to double its frequency to Shannon, Ireland (SNN). Beginning this summer, Norwegian will operate 4x weekly service between PVD and SNN.
For both the EDI cuts in service, as well as the BGO service ending from PVD, Norwegian said that it's informed passengers who were affected and offered alternative flights or full refunds if they wish to cancel their reservation.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.