We are living in the age of budget travel. There are so many choices among budget airlines worldwide offering dirt-cheap fares. 

The market between the United States and Europe is one of the busiest and most competitive, but one airline serving this market stands out.

Today we will cover Norse Atlantic Airways, one of the newest entrants to the long-haul, low-cost market, and all you need to know about them.

Who is Norse?

If it wasn't obvious by the name, Norse Atlantic Airways is a Norwegian low-cost airline with its headquarters in Arendal, Norway. It began operations in 2022, essentially replacing the once-great Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Low-cost airlines tend to operate differently than their full-service counterparts. Therefore, while major legacy airlines might have one or two primary hubs, Norse does not concentrate its entire operation out of one city.

Norse has operating bases in Oslo, Norway (OSL), Paris Charles de Gaulle, France (CDG), London Gatwick, England (LGW), Miami, Florida (MIA), and New York Kennedy (JFK).

The carrier operates an all-Dreamliner fleet with 12 Boeing 787-9s. Five of those aircraft are based in Gatwick and fly for Norse's British subsidiary, Norse Atlantic UK.

Onboard Experience

All of Norse Atlantic's aircraft formerly flew with either Norwegian Air Shuttle or its British subsidiary, Norwegian Air UK. The aircraft retained the interiors from their time with Norwegian.

Being a low-cost airline, do not expect much when it comes to the onboard experience. Norse offers a "Premium" cabin with recliner seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Depending on the aircraft, there are either 35 or 56 Premium seats.

The majority of Norse Atlantic's Dreamliners have economy class seating with some extra legroom seats here and there. Depending on the plane, there are either 282 or 309 seats all in a 3-3-3 layout.

Each seat features a personal entertainment screen, a USB-A charging port, and a universal power outlet. Unlike some other long-haul low-cost airlines, the inflight entertainment is free for all passengers. The carrier has announced intentions to add WiFi to its planes, though this is still a work in progress.

Premium class passengers are provided complimentary inflight meals along with blankets, pillows, ear plugs, and eye masks. Economy class passengers can receive up to one free meal, however, this depends on the fare type passengers book.

Speaking of, Norse Atlantic offers the following fare types. There are two main groups (Premium and Economy) with three subgroups:

• Economy Light
• Economy Classic
• Economy Flextra
• Premium Light
• Premium Classic
• Premium Flextra 

The "Light" fares are the most restrictive. The "Economy Light" fare only allows one personal item per person and no free meals. Furthermore, both "Economy Light" and "Premium Light" fares will warrant a $200 fee if passengers want to change flights.

The other fare types have various benefits and changes as you move up the scale. Only the "Flextra" fares come with seat selection, while all "Classic" fares include carry-on and checked luggage along with meals. Premium tickets get two meals while Economy tickets get just one on flights longer than six hours.

Norse will generally be the cheapest option on any of the routes they serve when compared to their competitors. It's not hard to see why.

You might find one-way fares for as low as $129 in Economy and $329 in Premium, more than a fraction of the cost of Norse Atlantic's full-service counterparts.

At the end of the day, if you are looking for long-haul travel on a budget and know how to succeed with low-cost airlines, Norse Atlantic might not be a bad option.