Booking Flights with Norwegian

[beastlet]

I've always booked my own flights, and was wondering if you book with Norwegian do you get crap flights? Do you get no seat assignment so your family is spread across middle seats all over the plane? Do you have 3 stops en route?

For a just-booked Iceland/Greenland cruise I tentatively chose the Norwegian flights. Flying 3 people to Reykjavík from the US west cost for $1800 seemed like a deal that can't be beat. But I'm pretty worried about how terrible the flights will be, especially as it's a long trip.

[IAcruising]

It would seem the bazillion threads on this topic have fallen off the first 5 pages.

 

Simple answer: You get what you pay for. 

 

Book your own flights.

 

7 minutes ago, beastlet said:

Flying 3 people to Reykjavík from the US west cost for $1800 seemed like a deal that can't be beat

 

Yes, a deal that can't be beat. Buyer beware.

 

[beastlet]

10 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

It would seem the bazillion threads on this topic have fallen off the first 5 pages.

 

Simple answer: You get what you pay for. 

 

Book your own flights.

 

I searched "Norwegian flight" and got a zillion results that weren't relevant. They should make one a pinned topic.

I guess time to start figuring out what the best credit card is miles to Reykjavík is.

[zqvol]

20 minutes ago, beastlet said:

I searched "Norwegian flight" and got a zillion results that weren't relevant. They should make one a pinned topic.

I guess time to start figuring out what the best credit card is miles to Reykjavík is.

Read the terms and conditions. Many people love what they get on international flights. 

[julig22]

26 minutes ago, beastlet said:

I searched "Norwegian flight" and got a zillion results that weren't relevant. They should make one a pinned topic.

I guess time to start figuring out what the best credit card is miles to Reykjavík is.

search for BOGO

 

I have used NCL many times, I'm fully aware of the terms and the savings are worth it for me.

I've flown to Reykjavik once, from Reykjavik once, through NCL both times. Direct flights on IcelandAir from/to Seattle. I don't fly from a major hub, so flight 1 of their 3-flight max for international flights will always be to a hub. I have a Norway/Iceland cruise in a few months, no flights assigned yet.

NCL does not assign seats - that's done directly through the airline. So if you go to the airline website, hopefully you can get seats that you like - should be able to pay to upgrade within the economy cabin if you want more legroom.

[beastlet]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

 

NCL does not assign seats - that's done directly through the airline. So if you go to the airline website, hopefully you can get seats that you like - should be able to pay to upgrade within the economy cabin if you want more legroom.

 

If they don't assign seats and you get your tickets 30 days in advance, I assume that means 3 separate middle seats. When I buy my own tickets I pick the seat right away. Or were you able to get decent seats? 

[L1211]

I’ve used it only once and may have gotten lucky.  Pay to go in early!  And you can add any status you have to whatever airline they pick (if applies of course).  My problem is that I book two cabins for my family and NCL still hasn’t figured out how to do that with one reservation like other cruise lines.  So, they can then split your family on flights…. Needs to be a big bargain (which at times it really is!). Good luck and report back…

[destar]

I like selecting my flights, I pick the most direct and most convenient time for me. We normally fly in a day before, so definitely don't want be checking in at a hotel at 02:30 in the morning. I may pay a little more, I'll consider that an insurance.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I've read way too many horror stories about what happens if things go *wrong* with a cruise line air program...not just NCL.  I prefer to be in control of my own destiny...and if that means "make my own mistakes" then so be it.

[julig22]

You pick your own seats with the airline. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had a middle seat. And to add to that, normally you have the opportunity to pay to upgrade within economy to preferred seats. Some airlines will also let you pay to upgrade to business but that is up to the airline and your status with the airline. 30 days to get your flight info is pretty late - I think the latest I've ever gotten mine was 45 days.

 

Policy is a maximum of 1 layover for domestic flights, 2 for international. No overnight layovers. Are there exceptions - rare, but it happens.

No arriving in the middle of the night, unless it's due to an airline delay. NCL doesn't make the airline schedules. Will you get the most convenient, most direct flight? maybe, maybe not. Will you be leaving at 6am - maybe. Will you be on a red-eye - maybe. 

 

No, NCL will not guarantee to fly groups together anymore. It's not that they can't figure out how to do it, it's because of the way they buy bulk tickets, it's too difficult. They have a Premium Air department that would book you together on the flights you choose but you pay prevailing rates, just like the other cruise lines. But you don't get the BOGO rates.

 

Things do go wrong with NCL flights, just like they go wrong for the other passengers on the same flight.  It's not a matter of who booked it. I've had flights cancelled and contrary to popular belief, you can call NCL -there is a special # to call for assistance.

 

Have there been glitches with my NCL flights - yes. And the airlines made it right. 

Did NCL ever mess things up - yes. And NCL made it right.

 

And NCL will actually pay you $25 to book a flight that arrives 1 or 2 days early. Same deal for leaving 1 or 2 days post-cruise. But you have to ask BEFORE they send you your flight information.

[cruiseny4life]

My husband and I have used the NCL BOGO program twice. Once domestically. Once international. Domestic was Delta and we were able to pick our seats, at no additional charge once the tickets were issued and we were able to login to Delta's website. We would have been able to upgrade to First Class if we had wanted to pay the price. 

 

On the international flight, we had Delta from SYR to JFK, then Air France to BCN. We picked our seats on Air France, including upgrading to a better location in the main cabin (economy). There were no paid upgrades to a different class. We did choose our Delta seats, but for some reason that selection disappeared. We were assigned seats an hour before the flight left at the gate. Seats together, in Delta Comfort Plus at no additional charge. 

 

We could have been separated on that Delta flight. I live with him. We would survive 90 minutes apart. I know some spouses/families can't, so if you want seats next to each other, do not use NCL BOGO Air as you might not have the option to book your seats.

 

As for us? If the price is right, we'll continue booking NCL BOGO Air. And, be sure you actually read through the comments of those that used NCL BOGO Air. In this thread alone, a majority of posters have "heard" it's terrible. Don't listen to them. They literally have no experience with the program.

 

Be sure you read the Norwegian's Flight Booking Service page that provides the Air Standards. Then, re-read it. Be 100% sure you're flexible and willing to go with what you receive! Most people (not all) that are upset with NCL's BOGO Air are upset, because they didn't understand something contained in the Air Service Standards. 

 

Here's a link to the page: https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

 

Take a look at this post (granted, it's from 2023) but I believe the poll results and comments speak for themselves:

 

 

Edited April 2 by cruiseny4life

[DCGuy64]

On 3/29/2024 at 10:37 PM, beastlet said:

I've always booked my own flights, and was wondering if you book with Norwegian do you get crap flights? Do you get no seat assignment so your family is spread across middle seats all over the plane? Do you have 3 stops en route?

For a just-booked Iceland/Greenland cruise I tentatively chose the Norwegian flights. Flying 3 people to Reykjavík from the US west cost for $1800 seemed like a deal that can't be beat. But I'm pretty worried about how terrible the flights will be, especially as it's a long trip.

We've only done NCL's air once, and it was great. No problems whatsoever, and it was cheaper than we could have done on our own. I don't know where you live (you say west coast but that could be Los Angeles or a small town in WA or OR). That matters, because I have read on here people who aren't well served by airlines, who got great deals through NCL that they couldn't on their own. But people who live in or near large cities can often do better by booking themselves. And then there are people who want to be in control of their own arrangements, even if that costs them more money. $1800 r/t from the west coast to Reykjavik for 3 people sounds pretty good. One thing you can do is go to airfare booking websites and do dummy bookings to see how many stops the average airline does. In our case, we flew nonstop from DC to Miami. We had one stop on the way home, but it was only an hour layover. Depending on where you live, 2-3 stops might be the norm, for instance. I have a good friend who flies a lot, but she lives in a small town in MT. Any place she goes involves (usually) at least 2 stops on the way to Europe, for instance. So it just depends. One thing to note is that if you end up booked on an airline with whom you have status (like we do on AA), you can upgrade your seats and get checked baggage for free. However, you typically won't know who you're flying with until 45 days before the cruise.