A £540 premium seat vs £360 economy on the new cheap way to fly from London to New York: Travel experts find out if it’s worth upgrading on a Norse Atlantic Airways Dreamliner

Norse Atlantic Airways last appeared on this website when we reported how it landed a Dreamliner on a glacial ‘blue ice rink’ in Antarctica.

Now the new low-cost airline is back, but this time we reveal how two travel experts come out of it The points man have subjected their cabins to an ice-cold analysis on one of the most prestigious routes in the world: London to New York.

Norwegian offers some of the best value fares between Britain and the US and offers two cabins: economy and premium economy.

Points Guy’s Globetrotters film their experiences in both countries to answer the age-old question: is an upgrade worth it?

Read on for the verdicts.

ECONOMY – 3-3-3 CONFIGURATION

Liam paid £360 ($457) for his ticket from London Gatwick to JFK

Senior marketing manager puts the economy cabin to the test Liam Spencerwho paid £360 ($457) for his ticket from London Gatwick to JFK.

On the video, he notes that the cabin “feels absolutely pristine” and that the seats “look damn good.”

He confirmed in an email to MailOnline Travel that the cabin was impressive.

He said: ‘The economy cabin on the Norse Atlantic Airways flight was extremely clean, fresh and spacious.

‘I was particularly impressed with the comfort of my seat, which offered a surprisingly premium feel for a low-cost airline.’

Liam is also quite pleased with the entertainment screen – ‘a great size and pretty damn fast’ – and the seat back, which he concludes from the video is ‘reasonable’.

The food is also received with an approving nod.

The cheap food is received with an approving nod, with Liam opting for a ‘delicious shrimp risotto in tomato sauce’

“The economy cabin on the Norse Atlantic Airways flight was extremely clean, fresh and spacious,” says Liam, who uses a poor man’s business class setup here

The ‘pretty fast’ entertainment screen

Liam said: ‘The food served on board was very tasty and exceeded my expectations. For lunch I opted for a delicious shrimp risotto in tomato sauce.’

Any disadvantages? A few.

Liam said: ‘A major drawback was the lack of WiFi on the flight. For a long-haul trip in 2024, especially with a modern airline like Norse Atlantic Airways, this was an impractical omission.

“And Norse follows the low-cost model of charging for extra amenities. I had to pay $6 (£4.73) for a thin blanket and $6.50 (£5.12) for basic headphones.’

The disadvantages don’t quite end there.

“It took almost twelve minutes for the Norwegian crew to respond to my call bell,” Liam said. ‘This was frustratingly slow given the attentive and friendly service up to that point.’

PREMIUM ECONOMY – 2-3-2 CONFIGURATION

Maz is taken aback by the sheer chic of the premium cabin as she boards the plane and says: ‘I’m not going to lie, I thought I was in business when they took me to this section’

Maz told MailOnline Travel: ‘What stood out for me was the size and comfort of the seat’

Want to put premium economy to the test? Guest reviewer and travel content creator Maz Green (www.instagram.com/where.to.find.me), who paid £540 ($685) for her JFK adventure.

She is surprised by the chic look of the premium cabin as she boards the plane and says, “I’m not going to lie, I thought I was doing business when they took me to this part of the plane (premium economy).”

The overall ups for Maz?

She told MailOnline Travel: ‘What stood out for me was the size and comfort of the chair. Since the industry standard for premium economy seat pitch was 38 inches, Norse’s 43 inches of seating space was impressive. In addition to the abundance of legroom, the 12-inch adjustable seat back was the icing on the cake of a great premium experience.”

“With the industry standard for premium economy seat pitch being 38 inches, Norse’s 43 inches of seating space was impressive,” said Maz

Maz demonstrates some premium economy buttons on the seat on Norse

Maz was ‘very happy with Norse’s gluten-free meal’

Air Smiles: Maz declares that Norse is now her favorite transatlantic airline

Maz, who requires a gluten-free diet, also approved the food offering.

She said: ‘Ordering a special meal on board can sometimes be restrictive, but I was very happy with Norse’s gluten-free meal. Coupled with the warm and attentive service, I left the flight confident that I had found my new airline for future travel to New York from London.”

Any disadvantages?

Maz mentioned just one, adding: “The only downside to my Norwegian flying experience on the Atlantic was the lack of a loyalty program. There is currently no way to redeem traditional frequent flyer points or miles, but hopefully that will change in the future.”

For more information from The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel. Click to see the original TPG Norse Atlantic Airways premium vs. economy video here.

Norse sells some of the best fares between Britain and the US and offers two cabins: economy and premium economy