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Norwegian Keeps Expanding With More US Routes to London and Paris

Julian Mark Kheel
Julian Mark Kheel
Contributor
July 05, 2017
•
3 min read
IMG Norwegian Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 cabin 2
Norwegian Keeps Expanding With More US Routes to London and Paris
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The low-cost carrier Norwegian is on an expansion tear and shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. The airline announced today it plans to launch new routes from several additional US cities to London Gatwick (LGW) and Paris (CDG) in the spring of 2018. The new routes include two brand new US gateways for Norwegian — Chicago (ORD) and Austin (AUS).

The new routes and city pairs bring the airline up to a total of 57 transatlantic routes from 15 US cities. The airline has already begun selling tickets on all five of the new routes, which are as follows:

  • Chicago (ORD) to London Gatwick (LGW) — begins March 25, 2018, with 4x weekly service. Fares start at $174 one-way in economy.
  • Austin (AUS) to London Gatwick (LGW) — begins March 27, 2018, with 3x weekly service. Fares start at $249 one-way in economy.
  • Oakland/San Francisco (OAK) to Barcelona (BCN) — begins April 10, 2018, with 4x weekly service. Fares start at $229 one-way in economy.
  • Boston (BOS) to Paris (CDG) — begins May 2, 2018, with 4x weekly service. Fares start at $149 one-way in economy.
  • New York/Newark (EWR) to Paris (CDG) — begins February 28, 2018, with 6x weekly service augmenting the airline's existing daily service to Paris from New York (JFK).

In addition to the new routes, Norwegian is also adding two weekly flights to its service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Paris.

The extensive new service comes on top of a number of previous expansions by Norwegian. The carrier has now added seven US cities to its network within the last year, often focusing on the West Coast with cities such as Denver (DEN) and Seattle (SEA). It has also announced additional US routes to Rome (FCO), Barcelona (BCN) and Bergen (BGO) in Scandinavia just in the first half of 2017 alone. Recently the carrier also rolled out plans for increased service from the US to the French Caribbean and will be launching flights between London and Singapore (SIN) this fall, which could allow US East Coast travelers to connect in London enroute to Asia.

Norwegian's first two 737 MAX 8 aircraft were delivered to the airline last week.

After a short delay, the airline just took delivery of its first two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which it intends to utilize on some of its routes between the US and Europe. Norwegian will be the first carrier to utilize the narrow-body 737 MAX on transatlantic flights, which cost significantly less to operate than its wide-body 787 Dreamliners. The increased competition from the carrier's ultra-low fares has driven prices significantly downward on transatlantic routes, as legacy airlines now routinely offer sales on round-trip US-European itineraries at sub-$400 levels.

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Even though Norwegian is a low-cost carrier, our TPG staff has found flying the airline to be a generally solid experience. TPG Editorial Director James Cury was a passenger on the inaugural Norwegian 737-800 flight from Newburgh (SWF) to Edinburgh (EDI) and was pleased with the airline's smooth boarding process and friendly staff. TPG Assistant Editor Brendan Dorsey flew Norwegian to Martinique (FDF) in the French Caribbean and wrote that he'd "definitely be looking for more opportunities to fly it" in the future.

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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.

Pros

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  • 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.