AIRWAYS TRAVELER
14 The author had to fully extend his arm to touch the back of the seat in front of him , which gives an idea of the huge distance between the rows in Norse ’ s Premium Economy cabin
15 Food presentation was far prettier than Frenchbee ’ s . But portions were minimal and the taste was poor , save for the minimalist smoked salmon and potatoes salad
16 London Gatwick is Norse ’ s major hub , with flights to New York ( JFK ), Miami , Las Vegas , Los Angeles and Cape Town .
Cabin service started about 45 minutes into the flight , while we were flying over Las Vegas , and I was able to distinctly spot the Strip from 30,000ft . No hot towels were handed out , but a cart fully loaded with soft drinks , wines , spirits , and water made its way along the aisle .
While sipping an ice-cold beer , I began looking around , noting that the IFE screen was not in the seat in front , but stowed inside my seat ’ s right armrest ( which partly explained why it was smaller than Frenchbee ’ s — 9 ”, instead of 12 ).
But , while the screen was smaller , the legroom was much
17 I noticed some inconsistency in providing passengers with ‘ sustainable ’ wooden cutlery , while at the same time using plastic glasses
14
manual adjustment of the seat ’ s back and leg rest . With both fully extended , the seat was almost flat , which proved very comfortable during the night hours of the flight .
15
more generous . At 43 ”, Norse ’ s Premium Economy leads all airlines in this category . Compared to Frenchbee , I had as much as seven more inches of space for my legs .
I had found a pillow and blue blanket on my seat ( both without plastic bag protection ) but there had been neither headphones nor a vanity kit , not even in the back of the seat in front of me , which featured a pocket large enough to stow the blanket and a few personal items .
A universal power plug was located in the front part of the console separating the two seats on the side of the cabin , while a USB port was to be found under the IFE screen , along with a headphone socket . Two levers positioned on the front edge of the left armrest enabled the
The Purser — who introduced himself as John — announced the dinner menu on the PA system . The main course choice was chicken with veggies and rice , or three-cheese ravioli . I opted for the chicken , which came with a very small smoked salmon and potato salad and a piece of cake . A few years before , I had appreciated the fancy food packaging of the Norwegian Premium Economy dining service ; so , I was disappointed by Norse ’ s dull version , which consisted of three small white boxes of some recyclable material and wooden cutlery placed on a plastic tray covered with a paper napkin .
34 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com