Norse Atlantic hints at its plan for London Gatwick, suggests 6 new US routes
Norse Atlantic Airways has some ambitious plans for London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
The long-haul, low-cost airline that began operations last week said in a filing on Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Transportation that it plans serve six more U.S. airports, in addition to the previously announced service to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
From Gatwick, Norse is planning service to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO). "Soon after," it also plans to add flights to Ontario International Airport (ONT) east of Los Angeles, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Chicago-Rockford International Airport (RFD) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), according to the filing.
Perhaps the most interesting city in the filing is Rockford. The airport — about 85 miles northwest of Chicago's Loop — has long pitched itself as a reliever airport to Chicago's busy airports, Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW). It's lacked scheduled international service since April 2015, when Frontier Airlines ended service to Cancun (CUN), Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Punta Cana (PUJ), according to Cirium schedule data. Notably, the airport last year wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of Norse's initial U.S. DOT application.
Norse's filing was to win approval for its new UK subsidiary to begin operations in the U.S. Norse's indirect predecessor, Norwegian Air's long-haul division, was known for having multiple air operator certificates (AOC) to take advantage of different labor and operating laws in different parts of Europe. Norse's filing states that it needs to open a UK subsidiary because of Brexit, and that it currently does not plan to file for any other AOCs. Norse's limited-time service between its base at Oslo Airport-Gardermoen (OSL) and Gatwick is to allow for Norse to operate its first few months of flights between Gatwick and Kennedy as fifth-freedom flights while it gets its UK certificate up and running. A fifth-freedom flight means that Norse is allowed to operate flights and sell tickets on service between its home country, Norway, a second country, the U.K. and a third country, the U.S.
Norse expects to receive its AOC from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority "in the next few weeks," the filing said. It aims to begin U.S. operations on the UK AOC in late 2022. Norse plans to use eight Boeing 787-9s for the operation.
Related: First look: Norse Atlantic Airways' inaugural flight from New York on the Boeing 787
Norse has inked an agreement with the British Airline Pilots Association to create union pilot jobs for its U.K. subsidiary. The subsidiary will also be part of Norse's deal with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA to hire U.S.-based flight attendants and recognize a union for them.
In a statement to TPG, Norse acknowledged the filing and promised more details soon.
"We can confirm that we have submitted an application to the US DOT as part of the process of setting up our UK based AOC," Norse said. "Further details will be announced in due course following the completion of this process."
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.