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Norwegian Travel Assistant

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Norwegian Travel Assistant 4+

Norwegian air shuttle asa, designed for ipad.

• 4.8 • 14.5K Ratings

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Description.

Manage your trip with Norwegian on the move! Book flights, add Fast Track and other extras, keep track of your travel plans and get important updates about your trip – everything in one handy app. * You’ll have all your travel documents in one easy-to-access spot – both tickets and boarding passes are stored in one handy travel folder * Book flights directly from the travel assistant * Add and keep track of trips that haven’t been booked with your profile * Check in on the go – convenient and quick * Add Fast Track and skip the queues through security – handy when you’re running late or when you just feel like spending your time on other things than standing in line * Travelling with more bags than expected? The travel assistant lets you add extra checked bags easily * Add seat reservations to your flights and make sure you get your favourite seat * Get push notifications with up-to-the-minute info about your flights * Automatic login for faster access to your information and for booking flights * Travel archive with your previous flights * Check if flights are on time with our flight status overview * Offline access – your travel information’s always there when you need it * Passbook support for your boarding passes when you’ve checked in online Help us improve the app! Got tips or suggestions on what we should improve or include in the travel assistant app? We’d be glad to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected]

Version 6.7.2

- This update includes various stability enhancements and bug fixes.

Ratings and Reviews

14.5K Ratings

Antiquated check in system

Did you know that Norwegian cannot transfer your luggage to the next flight when you have booked separately a connecting flight with Norwegian? You have to take out the luggage in Oslo from Bergen and then recheck it again to continue with the same airline!! You also have to go through security again! Who designed this antiquated check in system? All other airlines can do this. Delta, AA, SAS, Southwest etc. it’s time Norwegian accepts there are 2000 century software systems available. I’ll try SAS next time

Fairly happy

I flew from LAX to Bergen, Norway, with a layover and plan change in Oslo. I checked my guitar (Epiphone Les Paul) in a hard case as I couldn’t bring it on the plane due to size. Got to carry it to to the gate at LAX, but had to leave it there. I then did not see it until Bergen, Norway. When I opened the case, the rhythm/treble switch had broken off. I ran around town the next day to find a replacement switch and finally found one for 250 NOKs and had a friend solder it on for free. I paid $93 at LAX to check my guitar as “special luggage” and I thought it would get special treatment. Other than that, the airline is reasonable and efficient and well worth considering.

App and airline are the worst

It would very nice to be able to see past booking even if it already happened. That would be handy when the airline cancels your ticket, ask you to do a refund claim then disappear and the flight information no longer appear in the app. I received an email saying that I will get my refund, it’s been over 2 month now and still nothing. Obviously this airline did not go out of business since I’m receiving email to book my vacation. App is useless, airline with horrible customer service and basically just gives lies to customer to keep them quiet. I prefer dealing with layover with other airline co., than dealing with no stop flight who provides horrible business.

App Privacy

The developer, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Diagnostics

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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Get all of your passes, tickets, cards, and more in one place.

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Airline Loyalty Rewards

Norwegian Air Rewards Loyalty Program Review

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Norwegian.com

Norwegian Reward

• Fort Lauderdale
• Gran Canaria
• London-Gatwick
• Los Angeles
• New York-JFK
• Oslo-Gardermoen
• Palma de Mallorca
• Paris-Charles de Gaulle
• Rome-Fiumicino
• Stockholm-Arlanda
• Tenerife-South

Lounge access provided when purchasing a premium ticket at the following U.S. lounges: New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), Oakland (OAK) & Seattle (SEA).

• Norwegian Air Review – Seats, Amenities & More
• Norwegian Air Baggage Fees

Norwegian Air Overview

Norwegian Air Shuttle (better known as Norwegian Air) is a low-cost airline with a frequent flyer program called Norwegian Reward.

The airline joins the ranks of Ryanair and easyJet in focusing on high-frequency travel for flights both within and to Europe.

Every time you fly Norwegian, stay at a partner hotel, or drive a partner rental car, you earn CashPoints that can be used to book award flights. CashPoints can also be earned through Norwegian’s other list of non-travel partners.

When the time comes to redeem your CashPoints, they can be used for a full or partial redemption for your next Norwegian flight,  extra baggage, seat reservation, cancellation insurance, or booking changes.

Joining Norwegian Reward

Signing up for the Norwegian Air frequent flyer program is free by filling out this online form .

After you sign up, you’ll have the ability to earn and redeem miles not only for Norwegian flights, but also expenses like baggage and seat reservations.

How to Sign in to Your Norwegian Reward Account

Head to the Norwegian Air Rewards login page, where you’ll enter your email/username and password to access your frequent flyer account.

Hot Tip: Award availability can be searched without signing into a Norwegian account since the program uses a revenue-based currency. When searching on the website, it’s important to note that 1 CashPoint = 1 Norwegian Krone (1 NOK = ~$0.11 USD). 

Viewing Your Account Activity

To see the CashPoints that you are earning, you’ll need to log in to your account.

The process to review your CashPoints is easy:

• Log in to your account
• Click “Menu” in the top left of the page
• Click “My Travels”
• Click “View Transactions”

Points Expiration

CashPoints expire every 24 months at the end of the calendar year in which the CashPoints were earned, unless you’re a Norwegian Rewards Card cardholder, in which case, your CashPoints expire every 48 months, doubling the time you have to make a redemption.

Norwegian Rewards Program

Norwegian rewards elite status.

Unlike  American Airlines , Delta Air Lines , and United Airlines , Norwegian doesn’t have elite status within its award program.

Instead, the program rewards flyers by offering a benefit for every sixth flight you fly .

Here’s how the benefits work:

The first benefit of 2% CashPoints kicks in after you fly 6 Norwegian segments. You have access to additional benefits the more you fly — but for the first 6 segments, Norwegian selects this benefit for you.

After your twelfth segment (i.e., second sixth segment reward), Norwegian lets you select from a broader slate of benefits.

The rewards are as follows:

• 2% CashPoint boost on all LowFare tickets, which can be used 5 times. If you choose this Reward every 6 segments, you will earn a 12% CashPoint boost after 48 segments.
• Free Fast Track on all flights.
• Free seat reservation on all flights.
• Free baggage on all flights (must fly 18 segments to be able to choose this benefit).

If you want to dive deeper into the Norwegian Rewards program, everything you need to know can be found by checking out this page .

If you fly a significant amount of Norwegian segments in 1 calendar year, you may want to consider the Limited Edition Rewards.

With Limited Edition Rewards, you have 2 tiers: Premium and Long Haul.

By flying 10 round-trips (20 segments) on a Flex ticket and you’ll earn a Premium seat upgrade for a flight in the following calendar year.

If you double that with 20 round-trips (40 segments) and earn 3,000 CashPoints, you’ll earn a long-haul ticket for a flight in the following calendar year.

For those who fall into these buckets, more information about Limited Edition Rewards can be found on this page .

Value of Norwegian Rewards Benefits

Norwegian is a low-cost carrier, so it’s important to recognize that the benefits offered will not compare to those of major airlines in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

The value of the 6 segment rewards really kicks in when you’re able to select either the Seat Reservation or Baggage benefit.

If you’re buying LowFare domestic and/or long-haul tickets (where a seat assignment and checked bags aren’t included in the cost of your ticket), the Seat Reservation and Baggage benefit can save you some money.

For example, if you’re flying an international long-haul LowFare flight, Norwegian charges $12-$31 for a seat assignment and $90 for a checked bag.

International long-haul includes flights to/from the U.S., Canada, Thailand, Argentina, and Singapore (except flights between U.S./Canada and Caribbean).

Bottom Line: After you’ve flown 12 segments, you’ll earn the ability to waive either the Seat Assignment or Baggage fees, which can save you money on Norwegian Air flights.

How to Earn Norwegian CashPoints

Norwegian Air is unique — instead of earning airline miles as you do with most airlines, you earn CashPoints, which are a percentage of the amount you paid for the flight.

CashPoints can be earned not only by flying on Norwegian Air, but also via hotel stays and car rentals.

Earning Points Through Flying

Norwegian awards CashPoints based on the type of fare that you booked.

For LowFare flights, you’ll earn 2%-5% of the revenue cost of the flight in CashPoints. With Flex tickets, you’ll earn 10% CashPoints.

The Norwegian program is part of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) alliance, joining the likes of Air France-KLM and Lufthansa , but there are no reciprocal benefits (e.g., you can’t use Norwegian CashPoints to book a Lufthansa flight).

Bottom Line: Norwegian doesn’t use airline miles as a currency and instead uses CashPoints, which are earned based on a percentage of the revenue cost you paid for the flight.

Earn Points With Credit Cards

Norwegian Rewards Card cardholders can earn additional CashPoints for purchases they make with the card. The Norwegian Rewards Card earns 2% back in CashPoints for purchases with Norwegian, 2% back on dining and grocery purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.

Norwegian Rewards Card cardholders also receive benefits like priority boarding, no foreign transaction fees, no annual fee, and an anniversary bonus of $100 in CashPoints when you spend $20,000 on the card in a year.

Hot Tip: Earning transferable points with travel rewards credit cards  can be a great way to capitalize if you’re flying Norwegian regularly!

Earning Bonus Points in Other Ways

The main way to earn CashPoints is by flying Norwegian regularly either on LowFare or Flex tickets or by using the Norwegian Rewards Card.

However, the frequent flyer program offers additional ways to earn CashPoints. Using its travel, home and lifestyle, and dining and shopping partners, you’ll have no shortage of options to earn CashPoints.

Complimenting your earnings from flying by spending with Norwegian’s partners can help ensure you always have plenty of CashPoints on hand for an award flight.

Branded and Partnered Credit Cards

Norwegian rewards credit card.

The Norwegian Rewards Card is not like your typical airline credit card — it doesn’t earn redeemable miles, but rather cash-back that you can redeem towards flights with Norwegian Airlines in the form of “CashPoints.”

The Norwegian Rewards Card earns 2% back in CashPoints for purchases with Norwegian, 2% back on dining and grocery purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.

Other benefits of the Norwegian Rewards Card include priority boarding, no foreign transaction fees, no annual fee, and an anniversary bonus of $100 in CashPoints when you spend $20,000 on the card in a year.

Additional Travel Rewards Cards Options

Seeing that the Norwegian Rewards Card is essentially a cash-back card where the rewards are locked into use with Norwegian, there are many other solid travel rewards cards that are worth considering.

When you are dealing with a program that doesn’t partner with one of the major flexible point transfer programs (e.g. Chase or Amex ), it’s important to know what your other options are.

Capital One and Barclays offer credit cards like the Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards Credit Card , and the Barclaycard Arrival ® Plus World Elite Mastercard ® , which earn miles that can be redeemed as a statement credit against the cost of a Norwegian flight.

Here’s a list of the best travel rewards cards , with Capital One and Barclays as the banks you want to focus on.

After being approved for one of these card options and meeting the minimum spend requirement, you’ll be on our way to having enough miles for a free flight in no time!

How to Redeem Norwegian Rewards CashPoints

CashPoints in the Norwegian program are equivalent to cash: you can redeem them for Norwegian flights with no blackout dates and no minimum amount required to use for redemption.

One of the many unique aspects of Norwegian Rewards is that you can use your CashPoints on an array of items including flight tickets (taxes and fees are eligible), extra baggage, seat reservation, cancellation insurance, and booking changes.

Norwegian doesn’t offer business class, but they do sell premium economy tickets on 787 Dreamliner international long-haul flights to/from the U.S., Thailand, Argentina, Singapore, and Caribbean (excluding flights between the U.S. and Caribbean).

Bottom Line: Norwegian is a budget airline offering points that can be great to use on its international long-haul  premium economy  flights.

Partner Awards

Norwegian is part of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) alliance, but that partnership won’t help you much.

This is because Norwegian and the partners in A4E don’t provide reciprocal benefits like you’ll see with the Oneworld , SkyTeam , and Star Alliance .

Therefore, if you need benefits across an alliance, you’ll want to look outside of the Norwegian Rewards program .

Booking Online

Norwegian flights will not show up on online travel agency portals like ThankYou Rewards , Ultimate Rewards , and Membership Rewards because the airline doesn’t participate in the systems that load its flights on to a travel portal.

With that said, you can still redeem CashPoints online by logging into your Norwegian account.

It’s important to note that you’ll only see Norwegian flights when you use the airline’s search engine .

Hot Tip: CashPoints is a revenue-based airline currency that has a fixed value (unlike flexible program points where you can receive varying levels of value). 1 CashPoint = 1 Norwegian Krone = ~$0.11 USD. 

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Barclaycard Arrival ® Plus World Elite Mastercard ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the norwegian air rewards program is it worth it what are the benefits.

Norwegian Air Rewards is the free frequent flyer program of Norway-based Norwegian Air.

The program allows you to earn CashPoints that can be redeemed for a number of items including an award flight.

The benefits that you earn with the program are based on the number of segments that you fly.

For every 6 segments, you earn a new benefit. For example, after your first 6 segments, you earn 2% CashPoints based on the revenue cost of the flight.

The benefits that you can earn include:

• 2% CashPoint boost on all LowFare tickets
• Free Fast Track on all flights
• Free seat reservation on all flights
• Free baggage on all flights

Norwegian doesn’t offer elite status and instead focuses its program towards the budget flyer.

In Norwegian Rewards, who are the partners? Can I transfer miles to them?

The airline doesn’t have any airline partners but is part of an alliance called Airlines for Europe (A4E).

With that said, you won’t be able to use your CashPoints on any flight except for Norwegian Air.

What is the Norwegian Air Rewards login?

You can access your Norwegian account by  signing in here .

Where can I sign up for Norwegian Rewards?

Signing up for the Norwegian Air program is free by filling out this online application .

What is my Norwegian Rewards number?

You can find your Norwegian Rewards number by signing in to your account, looking on your membership card, or through a variety of marketing emails that they send to you.

If you can’t find it there, try using the “forgot my password” tool to reset your account so you can get in. Alternatively, try calling the customer service desk to find your number.

When do miles post in Norwegian Rewards?

You can review the activity in your Norwegian account using the following steps:

• Login to your account
• Click “My Account” at the top
• Scroll down to “CashPoints History” on the left

It normally takes 14 working days after the transaction data has been received by Norwegian for CashPoints to become available for use by the Member.

When do Norwegian Rewards CashPoints expire?

​Your CashPoints are valid until the end of the second year after you made your purchase.

For example, CashPoints for a flight purchased/paid for on July 1, 2022 are valid until December 31, 2024.

When do the Norwegian Rewards benefits expire?

Reward benefits expire 12 months after the month in which a member no longer has enough qualifying flights for the reward to remain available to him or her.

Is there a Norwegian Airlines credit card?

Yes, frequent Norwegian Airlines flyers can apply for the Norwegian Rewards Card. The card earns 2% back in CashPoints for purchases with Norwegian, 2% back on dining and grocery purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.

In Norwegian Rewards, what is a segment?

A segment is the take-off and landing of 1 flight. For example, if you fly from Washington, D.C. (DCA) to Dallas (DFW) to Miami (MIA), that’s a total of 2 segments.

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About Michael McHugh

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Michael took his first international trip in 2013 with friends to the Bahamas. Although he didn’t travel much in his younger years, on that trip, he caught the travel bug and has been hooked ever since.

Michael first caught wind of the points and miles game in 2014 while at a bar in Washington, DC where the conversation amongst friends was quickly derailed because of an alert on a friend’s phone about a mistake fare.  That’s where the love affair with points and miles began.

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How to Fly Norwegian Air

See recent posts by Ricky Radka

You’ve seen the super low sales posted here for $99 (or less) one-way flights to Europe on Norwegian Air. Sure, the price is on point, but what can you actually expect from an airline offering such unbelievably low fares. What’s the catch?

Tips for Traveling on Norwegian Air

Named the world’s best long-haul low-cost airline, Norwegian has been a game changer in the transatlantic marketplace over the last couple of years. By offering prices at nearly half the going rate on routes controlled by big players like British Airways and Air France, Norwegian Air has won over thrifty travelers looking to save some coin on their trip to Europe.

While there are certainly savings to be had, you can also run up your tab pretty quickly if you begin to add-on ancillary items on top of your base fare. A full-service flight it’s not, and while the carrier isn’t for everyone, I found my flying experience on Norwegian to be better than expected.

Here are some tips and insights from my recent trip on Norwegian to give you an idea of what to expect.

Once you've been lured in by the discounted fare deal,  you'll soon find that along with that low price comes little else. Norwegian's most promoted and cheapest fare options fall into the airline's "Lowfare” category. These entry-level tickets only allow for a carry-on piece of luggage up to 22lbs/10kg and a seat on the plane. Which seat? You’ll have to find out at check-in because seat selection costs a whopping $45 extra (for just a standard economy seat, even middle seats!) unless you bump up to Lowfare+.

Norwegian is heavy on the upsells but I decided that for my travel needs, and wallet, it made the most sense to take whichever seat was assigned to me and then separately add on a piece of luggage instead of paying the 90 dollar difference with the Lowfare+ option.

You'll find that $45 seems to be Norwegian's go-to price point for add-ons. Alongside this exorbitant fee for seat selection, it's what the carrier charges to order a meal and for a piece of checked baggage. In my opinion, no airline food or seat selection is worth that amount, but $45 one-way for a checked bag is a deal considering what competitors charge. Basic Economy baggage fees from carriers like American, Delta, and United to Europe now start at $60 one-way, giving Norwegian the advantage in this aspect.

A week before I was set to fly, Norwegian began to inundate my inbox almost daily with bids to upgrade to its Premium cabin. While I found the tool and sliding scale fun to play around with the first time, ultimately these offers didn’t seem worth the extra expense.

My Booking Tips: Use Norwegian’s low-fare calendar to find the cheapest price options quickly and to see which days the airline operates. Purchase the "Lowfare" option and skip seat and meal selection, as they are way overpriced.

Try to travel with carry-on baggage only, but if you require checked luggage, $45 one-way is a solid deal compared to competitor fees. If you’re checking bags, make sure to pre-purchase it online. Rates at the airport can cost double.

If you are comfortable navigating the website site in its native Norwegian language, (or using Google Translate), you can often find prices cheaper than what is displayed with the USD conversion. Make a cost comparison and pay for your flight in NOK with a free foreign transaction fee credit card and you’ll find yourself with an even cheaper ticket.

At the Airport

Once ticketed and ready to go, I noticed a few things during check-in and boarding. I was unable to check-in online or via the app for my Boston (BOS) to Paris (CDG) flight and was required to check-in with the airport staff. Norwegian’s flight network in the U.S. is expanding but still quite limited, therefore they usually only have one set of agents working on that particular flight. The upside is there isn't a ton of people trying to check-in for a myriad of flights all at once, just the Norwegian service departing at that time.

Knowing I’d have to manually check-in at the desk and drop off luggage, I arrived at the airport two hours before departure. There was a small line of customers already waiting, but the staff was efficient, and the line moved quickly. Unlike most airlines, Norwegian caps its checked luggage weight at 44lbs/20kg instead of 50lbs/23kg. I weighed my bag before leaving for the airport and knew I was pushing it. When I plopped it on the scale, it tallied 21.5kg, but the kind agent who checked-in my wife and I didn't seem to bat an eye. It was the same weight on the return flight from CDG to BOS with no issues either.

Despite the flight being nearly full, the gamble of not purchasing seat assignments paid off. We got issued seats next to each other no problem. Our carry-on luggage was never weighed, and the whole process took roughly 15 minutes before it was time to head to security.

After security is prime time to prep for your flight, Bring a refillable bottle and top up on water. Grab a quick meal if you haven't already eaten before arriving at the airport, and take advantage of the more extensive selection of snacks and other necessities at the terminal than what will be available for purchase on the aircraft.

My At-The-Airport Tips: Be aware that Norwegian doesn’t usually allow for online check-in for transatlantic departures, so allot the necessary time. If you’re able to bypass this, you will often be sent back to the check-in desk for a verification stamp. Don’t stress if your baggage is slightly overweight., On both my flights, it wasn’t a problem. The same goes for carry-on luggage. Bring a standard sized bag that isn’t bursting at the seams, and it probably won't get weighed. At least, that was my experience.

Agents will try the best to accommodate seat assignments, so again, skip paying extra for seat selection. Before boarding, make sure to fill up a water bottle, bring/buy snacks, and eat a full meal shortly before departure to avoid needing to purchase food and beverages onboard.

My flights were aboard Norwegian’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner models, which provide a 3-3-3 across cabin layout (Norwegian also flies 737s on some routes, which I will touch on later). In economy, most seats are nearly identical with a 31-32 inch seat pitch, except for bulkhead and exit rows seats that offer extra legroom. If you do decide it’s worth the $45 for seat selection, these are your best options and get claimed first. Row 38 doesn’t have a window, which is good for those who don’t care for a view and prefer a flat surface to rest against.

The Dreamliner’s cabin structure provides ample room for overhead baggage. Middle row storage bins recess into the ceiling providing an airy cabin with a spacious feel. The extra storage space reduces the need to jostle to find overhead room even when the flight is nearly full, making for a much more civil boarding process.

My biggest surprise was that each economy seat had a new touchscreen monitor in the headrest including a USB input and free IFE, including a limited but perfectly acceptable amount of movie and TV options, as well as a moving flight map and other info (most airlines are removing this amenity).

I quickly learned the reason for this. The seat back screen is the epicenter for all in-flight purchases. Prices are consistent with what other airlines offer and much more cost effective than pre-ordering a meal. Soft drinks and water are $3 each, beer is $4.50 - 6.50, and most wine and liquor is $6.50, all on par or cheaper than U.S. domestic flight prices. Sandwiches and snacks are $7 - 9, headsets cost $3, and blankets are 5 dollars — all very reasonable. Swipe a credit card, and you can make in-flight purchases at any time throughout the flight with the option to start a tab. Duty-free purchases are also made through the touch screen-shopping portal.

Norwegian does offer a premium cabin, but I've yet to try it and can't offer any insights into it for the sake of this review.

My Onboard Tips: Seats are generally the same as other international carriers but thinly lined and not as cushioned. Don’t forget your own headphones, pillow, scarves, or other garments to serve as a blanket if needed. The IFE entertainment selection isn't as large as other carriers, but there is indeed enough to keep you busy. So, no need to fret if you didn’t load up your laptop or iPad.

As with many airlines, seats toward the back tend to fill up last, so you’ll have the best luck of finding empty seats or a row to spread across in that section of the aircraft. Charge up your phone or device using the USB to have a full battery when you reach your destination.

Overall Experience

I was pleasantly surprised by my Norwegian Air experience. The online booking process is pretty straightforward and alerts you that you won’t be receiving any extras when purchasing the "Lowfare" option. I found that those who did buy meals received standard meh airline grub not worth writing home about. Check-in was streamlined and efficient, and faster than comparable international service.

Although I had known the airplane was a newer Boeing Dreamliner, I was impressed with the choice of free in-flight entertainment and simple navigability of the touchscreen monitor that Norwegian offered (as many other low-cost carriers do not provide free IFE or charge extra to access it). Ordering snacks via the seatback monitor was efficient and timely. The standard economy provided a decent amount of legroom, and I never felt cramped or boxed in due to the airplane’s generous headroom. Both my flights departed on schedule and arrived safely on time or even earlier than slated, which is what I value the most when flying. My bag was on the carousel shortly after I passed immigration on both legs of my journey.

Things to Take into Account

Both my flights on Norwegian went smoothly, but that isn't always the case. Norwegian's low-cost model and fleet leave little room for error regarding delays and cancelations. Any technical or weather issues can cause a logjam in the airline’s network, which has earned the airline a reputation for having a higher rate of cancelations.

Due to its spotty flight calendar, departures aren’t always daily. If a flight does end up canceled, you may get stranded for a day or two until the next scheduled service.

Or you'll be offered an alternative trip that may require extra connections or layovers. If you are using a Norwegian flight as part of a larger itinerary, leave a generous amount wiggle room on either end in allowing onward connections on other airlines.

It is also worth noting that Norwegian is helpful in providing free hotel accommodation during these rare instances and, if applicable, customers can use EU Regulation 261/2004 to claim up to €600 if the flight qualifies for delay or cancelation compensation.

Since Norwegian is not a member of any partner alliances and doesn’t codeshare with any other airlines, the carrier is hesitant to rebook you on another airline and will often only let you rebook on a future flight on Norwegian or receive a refund. If pressed, they will rebook you on a competitor airline, but you will need to be persistent. Norwegian’s call center is often be overworked during major storm cancellations and getting through requires quite a lot of patience.

Norwegian also operates 737 models that feature a three by three layout, which is similar to that of domestic carriers like Southwest. Those Boeing 737 flights are limited by range any are only used on flights from Providence (PVD) and Newburgh (SWF) to destinations in Ireland, UK, and Scandinavia. These aircraft will feel more cramped than Dreamliner and do not provide amenities like seatback entertainment. They are a great low-cost option for those cities, but may not be worth the savings and hassle for those in Boston or New York City to travel to.

Norwegian makes for a great budget-friendly alternative once you’re aware of its pricing model and practices. Even then, be prepared with your own food, drinks, headphones, and sleeping items (if needed), and you can have the same experience as flying on a traditional full-service carrier without requiring to pay for the name brand. I would certainly fly with them again if the need arises.

See all of our current fares on Norwegian Air

Check-in image by Sorbis, Woman in Front of Flight Board image by Ekaterina Pokrovsky via shutterstock.com

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Air Reservations

If you plan to fly to your port of embarkation, you must decide whether to arrange airline tickets on your own or use the AIR/SEA program offered by Norwegian. Here are the main considerations to help you with your decision.

Advantages of Arranging Your Own Airline Tickets The main advantages of securing your own airline tickets are that you will be able to select the airline you fly and you will have some control over the timing and routing of your flights. You may wish to fly a particular airline to use frequent flier rewards, or to earn frequent flier miles, or because that carrier has nonstop service to your port city. If you arrange your own airline tickets you will have more control over these variables. If you utilize Norwegian's AIR/SEA program, you may be given an air schedule with an overnight flight, multiple connections, and in some cases, a forced overnight stay at your expense.

Advantages of Using the AIR/SEA Program The main reasons to let us book your air at the same time you reserve your cruise -- through Norwegian's AIR/SEA department -- are convenience, better access to flights that make easy connections to your ship, and added protection in the event of a flight or sailing delay or cancellation.

Norwegian meets their AIR/SEA passengers at the airport and transports them to the pier. These transfers are frequently free of charge, but even if a charge is levied it is typically less than what you would pay if you arranged your own transfers.

Norwegian monitors the status of flights carrying their AIR/SEA passengers, and will sometimes hold a ship past its scheduled departure time to wait for guests arriving on a delayed flight, but only if that flight was booked through Norwegian.

Norwegian reserves large blocks of seats on flights that make easy connections to their departing and returning cruise ships. These flights traditionally experience high load factors and you could have difficulty getting a low fare -- or a seat at any price -- as an individual, particularly for departure ports like Anchorage, Barcelona, Rome, Tahiti and Vancouver. On busy days like Saturday and Sunday, you might have to fly into your port of embarkation a day early if you book your own tickets, adding a day's meals and lodging to your cost.

And finally, sometimes unexpected things occur that affect travel plans. Flight delays or cancellations, changes in cruise ship arrival or departure times, and cancellation of sailings altogether, are some of the things that can force you to rebook at a later time or date or seek a refund for your airline tickets. If any of these things should happen before or during your vacation, you will not be eligible for assistance from the cruise line if you arranged your own airline tickets. However, if we secure your tickets through the cruise line's AIR/SEA program, some cruise lines will assist you in working with the airline to make alternate flight plans, help you catch up with your ship at the next port, or apply for a refund. Your cruise counselor will verify the details of each cruise line’s AIR/SEA program at the time of booking.

The bottom line : Ask your Vacations To Go cruise counselor to quote air from the cruise line and compare that rate to the best rate you can find calling airlines directly. If the rates are close, you're probably better off letting us book your airline tickets through the AIR/SEA program.

Everything You Need To Know Before Flying Norwegian Air with Kids

• Published on October 14, 2018
• by The Mom Trotter
• in Airline Reviews , Reviews , Travel

This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a commission if you make a purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. This helps offset the costs of running this blog & I appreciate your support. Please see my  privacy & disclosure policy  for more.

Table of Contents

Norwegian Air is a Norwegian airline that offers low cost flights to many destinations all over the world such as Asia, Europe and the United States.

Norwegian Air started operating in 2002, launched U.S. operations in 2013 and has been flying all over since then with a fleet that consist of several Boeing 737’s and 787 Dreamliner’s .

In 2018 Norwegian Air won the Skytrax Awards for “The World’s Best – Low-Cost, Long Haul Airline.”

Flying Norwegian Air with Kids

In order for Norwegian Air to remain a low-cost and affordable airline for families, it is important to note that the price of inflight meals, luggage and seat selection vary depending on the ticket fare that you purchase.

There is an option to add all the in-flight necessities to your flight, however it will change the price of the airfare.

On our most recent Europe trip, I flew Norwegian Air with kids from Los Angeles to Copenhagen on The 787 Dreamliner . We spent a few days in Copenhagen , then Billund visiting the Orginal Legoland Theme Park , then on to London, Pisa , Morocco and then finally Barcelona .

We then flew from Barcelona to Los Angeles on Norwegian Air with kids. Both of the Norwegian flights we took were amazing and we had absolutely no issues. Read below for “ Everything You Need to Know Before Flying Norwegian Air with Kids .”

Purchasing Tickets When Flying Norwegian Air With Kids

The Norwegian Air website is very user friendly, hence easy to purchase tickets when flying Norwegian Air with kids. When searching for tickets, start by choosing your departure airport labeled as “fly from” and where you are heading to labeled as “fly to.”

After entering both departure and arrival airport, a drop down will appear prompting you to enter your travel dates. If you don’t know your travel dates, or you are flexible with travel and want to purchase the lowest possible fares, then instead of entering a date click the “Show Low Fare Calendar” option.

This will show you a whole month of the outbound and return flight prices. You can then pick the cheapest day to fly on which will usually appear in red.

Pro Tip: If you aren’t sure where you want to fly to, visit the Destinations Page or view the Route Map to give you an idea of places you can fly to from your departure airport and how much it will cost you.

Different Fare Types When Flying Norwegian Air With Kids

Norwegian Air offers two types of cabins, Economy Cabin and Premium Cabin. Each cabin has different fare types. The Economy Cabin has three fare types; LowFare, LowFare+ and Flex and Premium Cabin has two fare types; Premium and PremiumFlex.

Premium Cabin – In Norwegian’s Premium Cabin you’ll have more leg room to stretch (up to 55in / 140cm), complimentary drinks throughout the flight as well as a 3-course premium dinner and breakfast.

You’ll also be able to reserve seats, get 2 free checked backs and enjoy Fast Track service and lounge access where available. The difference between Premium and PremiumFlex is that Flex offers free changes and is refundable.

Economy Cabin – In Norwegian’s Economy Cabin you enjoy up to 46in of legroom. You can take a lot at the chart below which gives you an accurate description of what comes with each three economy cabin fares.

Pro Tip: You can save the most money by choosing the LowFare option. Both premium cabin and economy cabin have seats equipped with a touch screen tv as well as charger ports.

Making Seat Reservations When Flying Norwegian Air with Kids

Norwegian Air’s Lowfare ticket does not include seat reservation. If you are flying with young children and you’d like to be seated together, make sure to reserve your seats at the time of booking and at the latest up to 6 hours before your flight departs.

The price for seat selection will vary from $12 to $45 depending in the flight. A seat reservation is included in all other Norwegian Air ticket fares so make sure to reserve your seat before you check in online for your flight.

Pro Tip: A limited number of bassinets is available for infants, so make sure to call as soon as you book your flight and reserve a bassinet for your infant. This will allow your baby to sleep comfortable on the flight as needed and for your hands to get a break.

Entertainment When Flying Norwegian Air with Kids

When flying Norwegian Air with kids, it is important to know that all seats are equipped with seat back entertainment on an interactive touch screen that tour kids will love.

You can watch TV shows, movies, play games, control audio and video and even order snacks, food and drinks as well as shop on the interactive touch screen.

Pro Tip: Pack additional items to keep your kids entertained during flights , and download their favorite shows on their tablet just in case they don’t want to watch what is on the seat back entertainment.

In Flight Meals And Drinks When Flying Norwegian Air With Kids

If you purchase a LowFare ticket, in-flight meals and drinks are not provided when flying Norwegian Air with kids.

If you purchase a LowFare+ ticket, Flex, Premium or PremiumFlex ticket when flying Norwegian Air with kids, then you will be served meals and drinks on board.

When purchasing your ticket, you will have the option to select adult and/or kids’ meals for each passenger. Meals will be served during select meal times on board.

There is an inflight menu with drinks, snacks and more located on each seat back touch screen television. You can scroll through the menu, order what you need and pay with a credit card and a flight attendant will bring it to your seat.

Pro Tip: If you purchase a LowFare ticket, because you will not be getting any food, snacks or drinks in flight, make sure to pack meals and drinks for your kids.

If you purchase a LowFare+ ticket and you have picky eaters, make sure to pack food for your kids. Also pack enough snacks for the flight as you can never have too many snacks for kids. You can take food through TSA.

Baggage Requirements When Flying Norwegian Air With Kids

Hand Baggage – All tickets on Norwegian Air include one carry-on bag size 55x40x23cm and one small personal item size 25x33x20cm such as a purse or laptop bag or small backpack.

• LowFare, Lowfare+ and Premium – Your max combined carry on weight can be 10kg / 22lbs
• Flex, PremiumFlex – Your max combined carry on size should be 15kg / 33lbs

When flying Norwegian Air with kids, there is no hand baggage restriction for infants, so make sure to pack enough baby food, milk formula and more for the flight. For children who have their own seats, the baggage allowance is the same as above.

Pro Tip: You will be charged between $65-$200 depending on the flight if you exceed the carry-on bag requirements for your ticket class, so make sure that you pack light and plan to do laundry as needed.

Checked Baggage – Make sure to note the amount of checked baggage that your fare class is allowed so that you don’t over pack when flying Norwegian Air with kids.

• Lowfare – No bags included
• Lowfare+ – One 20kg / 44lbs bag
• Flex, Premium and PremiumFlex – Two 20kg / 44lbs bags

Even if you don’t purchase a seat for your infant under 2 years old when flying Norwegian air, they are still allowed up to 5kg / 11lbs of checked baggage packed in your bag or their own separate bag.

Pro Tip: Save up to 50% on baggage prices by ordering baggage online up to 6 hours before your flight.

Things to Know When Flying Norwegian Air With Kids

• The lower cabin altitude on the Boeing 787 helps reduce jet lag.
• There is WiFi on select Norwegian Air flights.
• Pillows and blankets are not offered free of charge, so make sure to take yours or plan to purchase it on board.
• Each infant and child up to 11 years of age is allowed to check in one car seat and one stroller free of charge.
• Scooters are allowed on board in the overhead compartment.

• You can check in online up to 24hrs before your flight as well as at the airport. There is no fee for airport check-in or printing your boarding pass at the airport.
• At the airport, flight check-in will be at the kiosk. Your boarding pass and bag tags will print after you are done checking in. Once you attach it to your luggage, you will head over to the bag drop area and drop it off.
• Sign up for a free Norwegian Air account and earn cash points on every Norwegian flight that you take.
• Pro Tip: Sign your kids up for a Norwegian Air account also – there’s no age limit and it’s FREE!

Overall our experience with Norwegian Air was amazing and I can’t wait to fly them again next month. The flight attendants were great, the food on board was yummy, and the flight was smooth.

I got a really good deal on one way tickets to London in December for $12.40 – YES by using the Free Skyscanner App and Skyscanner , so we’ll be flying Norwegian Air with kids again.

This post was sponsored by Norwegian Airlines, however all opinions expressed are solely my own.

Hey Fam, I’m so glad you’re here! I am an entrepreneur and travel enthusiast who is passionate about sharing an alternate way of living surrounding travel, homeschooling, parenting and financial independence, with a mission to inspire other families.

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1. What is Upgrade Advantage Air? Upgrade Advantage Air allows eligible passengers on chartered flights the opportunity to bid on an upgrade to Premium Economy or Business Class.

2. When can I bid? Eligible passengers will receive an email invitation from Norwegian Cruise Line to participate and may submit an offer to travel in a higher class between 45 and 14 days prior to the flight departure.

3. Do invitations apply to both Inbound and Return flights? Invitations will list each eligible flight separately. All flights will be considered independently. NCL cannot guarantee that both flights will be upgraded.

4. Is the offer amount individual or for the entire reservation? The offer amount is a one-time charge per person. Any offer submitted will apply to all passengers on the reservation.

5. Does the upgrade include any additional perks? Should you be upgraded, you would enjoy the full Premium Economy or Business Class experience on the flight for which the bid was awarded.

6. What happens if I am part of a group or traveling with another reservation? Each offer is considered individually, and NCL cannot guarantee that all reservations traveling together will be upgraded, if any. Under the circumstance that all reservations are upgraded, NCL cannot guarantee that all the upgraded seats will be close together.

7. Can I reject the upgrade after it is accepted? No, once your bid is accepted, your card will be charged immediately, and the upgrade amount paid is final and non-refundable.

8. Can I choose specific seats of the upgrade cabin? No, your seat location will depend on availability. NCL cannot guarantee a specific seat assignment within the upgraded class.

9. Can I modify or cancel my offer after I submit it? You may modify or cancel your offer up until 14 days prior to departure, provided that your offer has not already been accepted by NCL and provided your credit card has not been charged.

10. When will I know if my offer got accepted? Your offer can be accepted anytime from the moment it is submitted up until 14 days prior to departure. Passengers may be notified via email of the result of their bid(s) at any time between submission and 14 days prior to departure.

11. What happens if my offer is not accepted? If your offer is not accepted, you will not be charged any additional amount, and you will stay in the class you originally booked.

12. What happens if I purchased travel protection? If you have Norwegian's Travel Protection on your current booking, you will be automatically charged to cover the upgrade cost. If you have travel protection via your travel professional, please contact them to add your upgrade to your coverage.

13. Will there be any additional fees? Depending on the flight itinerary, additional taxes may be applicable to the upgrade charges, if the upgrade is awarded. Any applicable taxes for the air upgrade will be charged automatically once the payment for the upgrade is taken.

14. How can I change the credit card I used to submit an offer? In order to change the credit card number, you will need to cancel and re-submit your offer(s) using the new payment information.

15. Is the offer amount I am submitting additional to the cost of my original reservation? Yes, any amount you offer for an upgrade is in addition to the cost of your original booking.

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NCL Air. - BEWARE and Be Aware

By CrusinCousins , May 24, 2022 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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CrusinCousins

We are long time customers of NCL.  Many of our cruises have been on the line, but our last sailing with them may be our upcoming Panama Canal sailing.

Here is a brief explanation of our recent experience with NCL air and reasons for you  to be aware and to fully understand how they are currently operating the department before you consider using the service:

1) The flight to Miami was cancelled by JetBlue on the day of the flight.  Several attempts were made to contact the emergency number at NCL.  Calls were never answered!  Finally, after a “hold” for over an hour, near midnight, the equivalent of an “answering service” answered and took our information.  She said we were “protected” and that NCL would make things right after the cruise.  They could/would not provide any information for new flights, etc.

2) We booked flights on our own to ensure we would arrive in Miami before departure, as most flights were quickly filling up.

3) The luggage finally arrived after we departed the ship at our first port, following two sea days.  After two complaints about the lack of support from the air department, customer service agreed to provide a bit of compensation to purchase items of clothing to use until the luggage finally arrived.  We had to “beg” for the funds, they were not forthcoming.

4) At the conclusion of the cruise, we contacted NCL air to receive a refund for the additional funds we were required to pay for the flights to get to the port on time.

5) NCL had no intention to refund us for the additional payments we made to replace the flights that they had booked for us.  After two repeat contacts with their customer service department, following the cruise, they finally agreed to refund to us half of the airfare we had paid with the original booking.  We provided proof of the funds paid directly to American Airlines, but they would not budge to increase the refund to the amount we paid.  They used the “cop out” that we should refer to our cruise insurance for the additional amount.

6). We contacted two levels above the regular Guest Relations department with no success.  They are insistent that there is nothing further they will do for us.

So, please be aware that in addition to all the other issues associated with NCL air, these are yet additional reasons to avoid the service unless you are fully aware of the lack of service and commitment that they are willing to provide.   - No assistance on the day of travel, even though an emergency number is provided, it is unlikely that your call will not be answered 

- If you decided to take matters into your own hands, you may be able to successfully book last minute replacement flights, but don’t expect NCL to support you with anything other than a minimal reimbursement of only half of the fare paid, if your flights were only impacted in one direction.  You will not be compensated for the amount you are deserving of unless you have more success with their senior management then we did.

BEWARE and Be Aware…. NCL Air is a very questionable operation of the business!    

Happy Sailing!

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A few questions-

Did you have insurance?

Were you flying on the date of departure?

Who actually had your luggage?

Regardless of the debate on NCLs responsibilities, better planning could have helped avoid trouble.

sorry for your problem, but it only goes to show you that  you should never, ever use ncl air service. some folks swear by it, some at it! while it sounds like a terrific deal, look what happened to you.  the only time i ever even thought about using this service, i found out that its the lowest seats available, and to upgrade on your own, the costs was even lower than the ncl fare.

we like to go in a few days earlier, and stay in the city from where we are departing. ncl only allows this for 1 day prior (i believe) . 

we live in los angeles, and if we're departing from either miami, tampa or new orleans, i take the red-eye. nothing special i want to see in either tampa or miami. we get  to the airport, grab a cab to the port and voila! we're there

also, next time if you give ncl another chance, check the fare to ft lauderdale. sometimes its cheaper and only about 30minutes or less from the port in miami.  finally,if you paid by cedit card, i would contact them and file a dispute claim

MidCitiesMan

33 minutes ago, grozzy1 said: A few questions- Did you have insurance? Were you flying on the date of departure? Who actually had your luggage? Regardless of the debate on NCLs responsibilities, better planning could have helped avoid trouble.

Other than not using NCL air, how could they have planned any better? Be specific. 

44 minutes ago, grozzy1 said: Regardless of the debate on NCLs responsibilities, better planning could have helped avoid trouble.

What are you talking about????  

The OP booked their flights through NCL....NCL should have gotten them to the port and not ghosted them.

MsTabbyKats

1 hour ago, grozzy1 said: A few questions- Did you have insurance? Were you flying on the date of departure? Who actually had your luggage? Regardless of the debate on NCLs responsibilities, better planning could have helped avoid trouble.

Isn't the point of NCL Air to avoid "planning".

To add to this, we have been waiting for 3 days for NCL to contact us to reschedule our flights due to us getting Covid. Saturday we were told we would hear from them Monday or Tuesday. Nada. Two other people told us yesterday and today. Nada. It is almost 7pm in Miami so I’m writing today off.   

I filed a BBB complaint a bit ago. 

1 hour ago, MidCitiesMan said: I filed a BBB complaint a bit ago. 

I fully support holding NCL accountable (and really, business in general), but BBB might be the most meaningless rating possible. Frankly, I'd consider a chargeback with your CC at this point.

GeezerCouple

46 minutes ago, NoahtheRed said: I fully support holding NCL accountable (and really, business in general), but BBB might be the most meaningless rating possible. Frankly, I'd consider a chargeback with your CC at this point.

How many people here on Cruise Critic checked with BBB when you booked your first cruise on any particular cruise line?  

Or checked in some years later to see how the reviews were more recently?

1 hour ago, NoahtheRed said: I fully support holding NCL accountable (and really, business in general), but BBB might be the most meaningless rating possible. Frankly, I'd consider a chargeback with your CC at this point.

You are right, it won’t save any future customers. But it will likely get the attention of someone at corporate. And heck, it’s not like I have anything but time right now.   

The chargeback would hurt my travel agent, not NCL. The agent has been helpful. 

1 hour ago, MidCitiesMan said: You are right, it won’t save any future customers. But it will likely get the attention of someone at corporate. And heck, it’s not like I have anything but time right now.    The chargeback would hurt my travel agent, not NCL. The agent has been helpful. 

Your payment was directly to your travel agent, and not to NCL?

If we make arrangements through a travel agent, the agent passes our charge information to the actual travel vendor (cruise line, airline, hotel...) and the charge goes through the vendor, not the travel agent.

I could not agree more about NCL air.  Our flight on our transatlantic was delayed over 2 hours due to mechanical issues causing us to miss our connecting flight.  NCL air offered no assistance whatsoever.  They told me all the flights into Newark were booked and maybe I could join the ship in Halifax which was the first port. They said I would have to book it myself and pay for it though.  I ended up finding a flight into New York (that is where our ship was sailing from) and got the last two seats on the plane.  I called NCL air again and told them and that we may be a little late due to traffic.  She said they would not hold the ship for us and if we were not at the port one hour before the ship sailed, we would be denied boarding. I was shocked at the lack of support.  We made it but our luggage did not. I will say Guest Services on the Getaway was wonderful.  They gave us t shirts, toiletries, free express laundry, $200 on board credit to buy clothes with, and made arrangements to pick up our luggage in Halifax. We are very experienced cruisers but this was our first NCL cruise. We booked it for the itinerary. I doubt we will ever sail this line again.  It is a false sense of assurance they promise you that if you book your air through them, they will make sure you get on the ship.  

Montanagirlalways

So NCL uses Jet Blue now for the free air they advertise?

Doesn't Jet Blue have some responsibility here, too? We were booked on American when the flight we were on was delayed. It would leave after the time the second leg of our flight was to have left. American rebooked us on a non-stop to our final destination. 

(AA had sent a text at 2 AM, which we didn't see until we were on the 4:30 AM shuttle to the airport. We were a little stunned, but the counter lady at AA was very efficient and rebooked us on the non-stop.)

2 hours ago, Montanagirlalways said: So NCL uses Jet Blue now for the free air they advertise?

It varies depending on the markets. Some friends of ours are on Delta for their flight to Honolulu while my wife and I are on Alaskan to Seattle. 

11 hours ago, mollie jo said:   I could not agree more about NCL air.  Our flight on our transatlantic was delayed over 2 hours due to mechanical issues causing us to miss our connecting flight.  NCL air offered no assistance whatsoever.  They told me all the flights into Newark were booked and maybe I could join the ship in Halifax which was the first port. They said I would have to book it myself and pay for it though.  I ended up finding a flight into New York (that is where our ship was sailing from) and got the last two seats on the plane.  I called NCL air again and told them and that we may be a little late due to traffic.  She said they would not hold the ship for us and if we were not at the port one hour before the ship sailed, we would be denied boarding. I was shocked at the lack of support.  We made it but our luggage did not. I will say Guest Services on the Getaway was wonderful.  They gave us t shirts, toiletries, free express laundry, $200 on board credit to buy clothes with, and made arrangements to pick up our luggage in Halifax. We are very experienced cruisers but this was our first NCL cruise. We booked it for the itinerary. I doubt we will ever sail this line again.  It is a false sense of assurance they promise you that if you book your air through them, they will make sure you get on the ship.      

Where does NCL promise to get you on the ship? 

14 hours ago, GALSews said: Doesn't Jet Blue have some responsibility here, too? We were booked on American when the flight we were on was delayed. It would leave after the time the second leg of our flight was to have left. American rebooked us on a non-stop to our final destination.    (AA had sent a text at 2 AM, which we didn't see until we were on the 4:30 AM shuttle to the airport. We were a little stunned, but the counter lady at AA was very efficient and rebooked us on the non-stop.)

You got lucky.  We flew AA in September and after getting on plane but mechanical issue popped up, best AA could do was 30 hours later even though a Delta flight one gate over had seats.  Nope, cant do that.

13 hours ago, reeinaz said: Where does NCL promise to get you on the ship? 

When you book a package with them, the whole point is you give the cases to NCL at the airport and the next time you see them they are in your room.

35 minutes ago, Trimone said: When you book a package with them, the whole point is you give the cases to NCL at the airport and the next time you see them they are in your room.

I thought the point of purchasing discount air with NCL is to get cheap flights and deal with potential poorly timed flights. It’s not like folks are paying a premium to make things easy. I’m curious about the lost luggage, which airline lost it and why is it NCL’s responsibility?

12 minutes ago, mjkacmom said: I thought the point of purchasing discount air with NCL is to get cheap flights and deal with potential poorly timed flights. It’s not like folks are paying a premium to make things easy. I’m curious about the lost luggage, which airline lost it and why is it NCL’s responsibility?

I think they’ve turned back time, my original cruises with NCL they picked you up from airport, and if you had a late flight put you in a hotel for the day. We had choice of flights at booking, both local and good time slots 

wil e coyote

I think (but don't have any data to back it up) that the flights NCL arranges DO go smoothly for most people. So what about when they don't?

It seems there is a fundamental assumption for some underlying the NCL Air discussion that goes something like this: "Since I am booking my air travel through NCL, it is an extension of my cruise, so NCL should help make sure it goes smoothly." I can see the logic of this thought process - after all, if you paid NCL and they set up the flights, and it is so you can go spend money on their ship, shouldn't they have some interest in getting you on the ship? What I have NO insight to is whether NCL looks at it this way. These posts (and others) would suggest that NCL either doesn't see it that way or cannot consistently carry it out. There could be lots of reasons why NCL wants to help with flight support, but cannot - from internal staffing problems, to airline staffing, and other factors.

I have used NCL Air in the past, and other times I have booked my own flights for a cruise. I'm a frequent traveler, so even when someone else books my flights, I know how to work the system if something goes wrong. But I realize not everyone knows how to do that.

My takeaway from all this is that even when NCL arranges the flights for you, you're really on your own to get on the ship (and especially to get home.) So be aware! Forewarned is forearmed.

Ugh. I really am leaning away from accepting the NCL Air after all the stories I've heard in the last year. I have my own Delta BOGO I can use. Given the current state of the airline industry, third party just doesn't seem to be the way to go, even when traveling the day ahead. 

I haven't used NCL Air before (other than our first cruise in 2000). Can I get the flight offer and then turn it down? With our small airport, I'm tempted to see what they offer and if it's a great schedule (something I usually can't get with my Delta BOGO), I might be tempted.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the airline industry on-time percentage is about 77% right now. So if you are on connecting flights and have a tight connection, there is a 20%-ish chance that you will miss it no matter who booked the flights. That is just a fact of life right now.

I'd prefer it if NCL recognized that and booked flights with ample connection items given the current state of the industry. From what I have seen, they don't always. That is really my biggest complaint about using them.

33 minutes ago, wil e coyote said: I think (but don't have any data to back it up) that the flights NCL arranges DO go smoothly for most people. So what about when they don't? It seems there is a fundamental assumption for some underlying the NCL Air discussion that goes something like this: "Since I am booking my air travel through NCL, it is an extension of my cruise, so NCL should help make sure it goes smoothly." I can see the logic of this thought process - after all, if you paid NCL and they set up the flights, and it is so you can go spend money on their ship, shouldn't they have some interest in getting you on the ship? What I have NO insight to is whether NCL looks at it this way. These posts (and others) would suggest that NCL either doesn't see it that way or cannot consistently carry it out. There could be lots of reasons why NCL wants to help with flight support, but cannot - from internal staffing problems, to airline staffing, and other factors. I have used NCL Air in the past, and other times I have booked my own flights for a cruise. I'm a frequent traveler, so even when someone else books my flights, I know how to work the system if something goes wrong. But I realize not everyone knows how to do that. My takeaway from all this is that even when NCL arranges the flights for you, you're really on your own to get on the ship (and especially to get home.) So be aware! Forewarned is forearmed.

Transfers are included with U.K. bookings 

35 minutes ago, weltek said: I haven't used NCL Air before (other than our first cruise in 2000). Can I get the flight offer and then turn it down?

The deadline for booking the cruise and requesting date deviations is 75 days.  I imagine if you're before final payment, any changes made after final payment may be subject to the refund terms for cancellation after that date.

42 minutes ago, weltek said: I'm tempted to see what they offer and if it's a great schedule (something I usually can't get with my Delta BOGO), I might be tempted.

You don't know what flights they'll put you on until 30-45 days before the cruise, well after any opportunity to cancel the offer.

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8 passengers got stuck in port after a late return. What to do if you miss your cruise.

A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers was left behind after returning late to their ship in Africa.

Eight guests missed the last tender back to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. They were on a tour not organized through Norwegian.

Two guests, Jay and Jill Campbell, told South Carolina’s ABC 15 News their tour went longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port, and the captain declined to let them board despite numerous attempts to reach Norwegian. At one point, they said, the island nation’s coast guard took them to the ship on a boat but told them to return to shore.

“The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us, and then go on the way," Jay Campbell told the outlet.

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“When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol,” the Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.”

Since then, the passengers have been scrambling to catch up to the cruise. Here’s what to do if you get stranded during a stop and how to minimize the chance of being left behind:

What happens if I don’t get back to my cruise in time?

Cruise lines warn guests they may get stuck if they don’t return to the ship by the stated all-aboard time.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” the Norwegian spokesperson said.

Cruise ships are on tight schedules while in port, said Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants. “So if they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she said. “It could be that there's another (ship) coming in. It could be (that) people aren't going to be there to be working on the pier.”

The Campbells told ABC 15 News that they traveled through six countries for 15 hours to reach Gambia, where the ship was due to stop on Monday. However, the vessel was unable to dock due to low tides. Norwegian said it made the change “due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage.”

“While we share in our guests’ disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority,” the spokesperson added.

The cruise line authorized them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.

Kuther recommended guests who miss their all-aboard time contact the cruise line to let them know and reach out to their travel agent – if they have one – who can help handle the logistics. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to assist them.

Are travelers responsible for added expenses?

Travelers who do not board their ship in time are generally responsible for getting themselves to the next port of call, according to Kuther.

Travel insurance won't be much good in that scenario, either.

"Typically travel delay coverage/missed connection coverage is due to a delay of a common carrier such as an airline delay or cancellation for a covered reason which causes you to miss your cruise/tour departure," Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. "An excursion supplier not getting you back to your cruise in time is typically not covered."

The Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line is reimbursing the eight guests for their travel expenses from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kuther stressed that kind of compensation is “definitely the exception to the rule.”

How to avoid getting stranded

When choosing a shore excursion, Kuther said it’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port. Travel agents can help guests find those options, or they can ask operators about their policies directly when booking.

Just in case something does go wrong, travelers should bring a credit card or debit card so they have a way to cover any costs they might incur. Kuther typically recommends bringing an ID “because you don’t want to be carrying around your passport,” but if travelers are going on a private excursion without that kind of guarantee, it’s a different story.

“You probably should have your passport with you because you're going to need it to get on a flight to get to the next port, especially if it's in a different country,” she said.

At the very least, it’s a good idea for travelers to have a photo of their passport on hand, and share a copy with someone back home who is easily reachable.

Story continues below.

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She also recommended they make sure their phone or watch is set to ship time rather than the time of the destination, which may be different (the all-aboard time will be on ship time). “So many people get confused with that,” Kuther said.

To be safe, she suggested guests get back to the ship an hour early if they’re exploring on their own or on a self-booked excursion in case they hit traffic or face other issues.

“It's one of those things like, it's not a problem until it's a problem,” Kuther said. She urged travelers not to expect the ship to wait. “If they can, I'm sure they will, but I would never tell someone, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected]