Budget startup Norse Atlantic Airways adds 2 US routes to Berlin

A week before its eagerly-anticipated launch, Norse Atlantic Airways is announcing a new destination to add to its growing route map.

The Norwegian ultra-low-cost long-haul airline will launch flights from the German capital's new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Daily service between BER and JFK begins on Aug. 17 with one-way introductory fares of $120. Thrice-weekly service between BER and LAX begins on Aug. 19 with one-way introductory fares of $138.

BER is a unique choice for Norse. The airline is widely viewed as a successor to Norwegian Air's long-haul division — even operating the same Boeing 787 Dreamliners that Norwegian did — and Berlin becomes its first destination in Europe to have never been served by Norwegian. Norse previously announced flights from Oslo Airport-Gardermoen (OSL) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

Berlin is something of an underserved market from the U.S., with most traffic between the U.S. and Germany using one of Lufthansa's hubs, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) or Munich Airport (MUC). United Airlines is the only airline currently serving the U.S. from Berlin, with a daily flight to its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), a flight that will compete against Norse's new flight at nearby JFK. Berlin's former Tegel Airport (TXL) was once a hub for Air Berlin, which served both JFK and LAX at various points until its demise in 2017.

Norse's CEO emphasized the underserved nature of the market.

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"We are very excited to announce these two new routes from Berlin to New York and Los Angeles," Bjorn Tore Larsen said in a statement. "For far too long the vibrant and culturally diverse city of Berlin has been subjected to poor direct transatlantic connectivity. Our extremely competitive fares and direct flights will allow customers to now finally enjoy affordable and convenient travel between Germany and the U.S."

Related: I just booked a $129 flight to Europe from JFK. Here's how I did it

Norse's flight to Kennedy departs BER at 7:20 p.m. and arrives at JFK at 10 p.m., all times local. The return flight departs at 12:30 a.m. and arrives at 2:25 p.m.

For its LAX flight, timings vary depending on the day of the week.

Norse offers both an economy class in a 3-3-3 configuration and a premium class with recliner seats in a 2-3-2 configuration featuring 43 inches of pitch. TPG will be on board Norse's inaugural flight from JFK to OSL next week, so stay tuned for more about the Norse experience.