Norwegian Introducing Larger Premium Cabin With Less Legroom on Its 787s
After a year of strong growth, with a 11% increase in passengers last November from a year earlier, Norwegian made a big announcement Tuesday, with the introduction of a new premium cabin layout on its Boeing 787s.
The airline will introduce a larger premium cabin on its new 787-9s, increasing the size 60% over the old premium cabin. The new seats will look the same but will actually have less legroom than the current design, from 46" of pitch to 43". A Norwegian spokesman told us that the configuration on the airline's new 787-9 Dreamliners will feature 56 premium seats and 282 in regular economy for a total of 338 seats.
Right now, Norwegian's premium cabin is similar to that of a premium economy product, or older business class recliner seats — featuring a 2-3-2 layout, personal TV and footrest. Norwegian's 787-8 currently has 32 premium seats and its 787-9 has 35 premium seats. TPG reviewed premium class and enjoyed his experience.
The new premium cabin will be installed on the next 20 787-9s that Norwegian will start taking delivery of in February. 10 of the 787s with the new cabin will operate on routes originating from London's Gatwick airport (LGW).
The airline also said that it will "begin to rollout inflight Wi-Fi on long-haul routes that will keep passengers connected in the skies." Although Norwegian didn't provide much detail, the carrier only operates 787s on its long-haul routes, except for some 737s, which already feature Wi-Fi. It's unclear how long it will take to equip its wide-body fleet with in-flight internet and what type of system the aircraft's will feature, although last summer the carrier did say that it will offer free Wi-Fi on all its routes within one year.
Being a low-cost carrier, Norwegian prices its premium product competitively and if you want to save even more money you can actually book through the Norwegian version of the website, which can sometimes save you up to 20%. TPG recently discussed the trick when he appeared on NBC's Today Show last week.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app