Norwegian route restart may indicate demand for air travel in Europe is coming back
On Wednesday, low-cost carrier Norwegian announced plans to reintroduce short-haul flying outside of Norway as of July 1 — at least eight months earlier than originally planned. That is a hopeful sign demand for air travel may be returning in Europe faster than airlines had anticipated during the height of the coronavirus crisis.
Norwegian, the third-largest low-cost airline in Europe after Ryanair and EasyJet, will restart key routes to and from the U.K. airports of London Gatwick (LGW) and Edinburgh (EDI).
Beginning July 1, Norwegian will operate flights from Gatwick to Oslo (OSL) seven times per week and to Copenhagen (CPH) six times per week.In Scotland, Edinburgh will see two return flights per week to both Oslo and Copenhagen.
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In April, Norwegian announced a grim outlook. The airline said that it planned to keep its European short-haul operations and long-haul operations grounded until at least April 2021. The restart of some flights announced on Wednesday does not include long-haul flights, which remain on hold until at least April 2021.
Wednesday’s decision to increase the number of short-haul routes has come due to increased customer demand across Europe.
“Feedback from our customers has shown that they are keen to get back in the air and resume their travels with Norwegian beyond the current domestic services that we have been operating,” Norwegian CEO Jacob Schram said in a statement.
As of July 1, a total of 12 Norwegian aircraft will be returning to the skies, joining the eight that have remained in service to operate 13 domestic routes in Norway.
The airline has introduced enhanced safety measures to protect the health of passengers and crew including the mandatory wearing of face masks for passengers over the age of six. To help with social distancing, passengers will be asked to keep as far apart as possible during boarding and deplaning, and middle seats will be the last to be allocated. The airline is also advising passengers to place their hand luggage under the seat in front to reduce time in the aisle while boarding, and there will be no catering on board to minimize contact between passengers and crew.
As of July, Norwegian will operate a total of 76 routes from its hubs across Scandinavia to popular destinations across Europe including Spain and Greece.
The move is a huge boost for London Gatwick Airport. During the peak of the pandemic, the airport had seen several of its largest carriers pull service. EasyJet completely grounded its operations from the airport and British Airways closed its base, as did Virgin Atlantic.
While the airport has reopened its North Terminal, it will still struggle to return to full operation while major operators like BA and Virgin remain totally committed to Heathrow.
Elsewhere in European aviation, Ryanair will be making a comeback as of July 1, as will British Airways, which is planning to fly a total of 29 long-haul routes in the same month. EasyJet has already recommenced some scheduled domestic flights within the U.K. as of June 15.
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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.