Fly to New York for £255! Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic Airways offers bargain plane tickets as it launches flights to the Big Apple from Gatwick from August (but you will have to pay extra £111 to check in a bag)
- Norse Atlantic Airways will begin flights from the London airport on August 12
- The Norwegian airline is offering transatlantic return tickets for a bargain £255
- But anyone looking to check in a standard bag would need to pay an extra £111
A new airline is selling tickets plane tickets for flights from London to New York for a bargain price of £255 with the caveat anyone looking to check in bags could have to pay an extra £111.
Norse Atlantic Airways is commencing flights from Gatwick Airport to JFK Airport on August 12 at less than half the price of current transatlantic flights on those dates.
But passengers will have to travel extremely light to take advantage of this, as the airline is charging fees of £55.50 to check in a ‘standard’ 23kg bag, meaning the depending on how much luggage you’re taking the price could go up.
The new airline is charging fees of around £20 for carry on bags up to 10kg in weight, and around £48 for ‘light’ checked bags weighing up to 15kg.
Even with the extra fee to bring the bag onboard, the flight is still hundreds of pounds cheaper than other flights to New York, with the next cheapest from Gatwick costing more than £600.
It is also more than £100 cheaper than an anytime return train ticket from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, which would set you back £369.40 for a journey leaving on that same date.
Norse Atlantic Airways is launching its first flights from June 13, with the first flights from Gatwick to New York leaving on August 12
Daily flights on the route will use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which can carry up to 344 people across the Atlantic.
It is set to offer flights to other US destinations shortly, with the first confirmed destinations being Oslo in Norway, London in the UK, as well as Fort Lauderdale, Los Angles, New York and Orlando in the United States.
The Norwegian airline is set to start operations on June 13, and comes as ticket prices rocket as the price of fuel goes up and demand for flights increases.
The airline industry is trying to get back on its feet after a torrid couple of years, with the Covid pandemic causing some airlines to go bust and many to lay off staff.
The new flight is hundreds of pounds cheaper than the next cheapest flight to the Big Apple from the UK
Norse Atlantic Airways is looking to succeed where Norwegian Air Shuttle failed.
Norwegian operated transatlantic flights with low fares but axed its long-haul operations in January 2021 due to heavy losses.
It was founded by Bjorn Kjos, who resigned as chief executive in July 2019 and holds a minority stake in Norse.
Bjorn Tore Larsen, boss of Norse, said: ‘We are very pleased to now be able to welcome customers looking to book great value flights between London Gatwick and New York JFK.
‘Customers now have an affordable option allowing them to book a last-minute trip or a holiday of a lifetime with an airline that offers choice and flexibility.’
The launch of Norse flights from Gatwick will be a major boost for the West Sussex airport, which has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
It closed one of its two terminals between June 2020 and March due to the collapse in passenger numbers.
People looking to travel to New York could be delighted by the new service, although they will have to pay extra to check in their bags
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Norse Atlantic Airways to Gatwick.
‘It’s always great to see a new tail on the airfield but the arrival of a new airline following the turbulent past two years for the industry, and one that will be offering fantastic long-haul routes across the Atlantic, is particularly exciting news.
‘Passengers across London and the South East will now be able to benefit from another transatlantic service from Gatwick, with Norse offering excellent value for money for those flying out for a dream holiday, or important business trip, to New York, one of the world’s most famous and dynamic cities.’
How much is a flight to New York?
Norse Atlantic Airways hopes to capture the market for cheap flights across the Atlantic from the UK.
But how does it compare to other options available in the UK?
These are the cheapest direct flights to New York from the UK:
Norse Atlantic Airways
London Gatwick to JFK New York – £255
Jet Blue
London Gatwick to JFK New York – £614
Aer Lingus
Manchester to JFK New York – £624
British Airways
London Gatwick to JFK New York – £685
Virgin Atlantic
London Heathrow to JFK New York – £724
American Airlines
London Heathrow to JFK New York – £750
Delta Airlines
London Heathrow to JFK New York – £920
United Airlines
Edinburgh to Newark New York – £1,007
These prices are for basic economy tickets, with extra charges for additional carry on bags and for items that have to be checked in.
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