Saturday, April 19, 2014

JFK - OSL Onboard Norwegian Air's new 787 Dreamliner to Europe. A Flight Report.

Along with being an architecture student, I am also a big aviation nut. So I truly scrutinize and observe every little detail on my plane journeys. For me, the plane ride is just as fun as the destination itself. Inspired by the aviation enthusiast website, airliners.net, today, I am authoring my first ever flight report.

As was planned, I was going to take Norwegian Air's flight from New York JFK to Oslo. Part of my excitement with this flight is the fact that Norwegian is using brand new Boeing 787's in its transatlantic flights.For those unfamiliar with this particular plane, it is one of the newest model of planes in the sky today. From a passenger standpoint, they feature larger windows, nicer cabins, amongst others.

01 | 23 | 2014

It is widely believed and recommended on tourist guides, that the cheapest way to get to JFK Airport is by using the Subway / Bus to an AirTrain Station in either Howard Beach or Jamaica Center and then pay the $5 to complete the journey to the airport. This is not the cheapest way. Forgive me for being a cheapo, but number crunching was the theme of this trip, so here we go. The cheapest way to get to the airport is by taking the B15 or Q10 bus- it'll take you directly to the airport. These buses are normally taken by airport employees and locals however, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone hauling a lot of baggage, as its only a normal bus. For what should be a 30 minute drive, it took me nearly 2.5 hours to get from my Sheepshead Bay home to JFK. Being cheap definitely needs patience.

On to the pictures! 

 
On the Q10 to JFK



Terminal 5


Recently, I've found it to be of time saving and a good habit to check the flight status of my flights online before I actually make the trip to the airport. This way, if there's any delays, I could better spend my time doing something else instead of being stuck in the airport. From my love of aviation, I also knew from news that Norwegian has been having problems with their 787 planes and they were constantly delaying flight for maintenance reasons. As luck would have it, my flight was 3 hours delayed today. 

The good thing about going to the airport at the last minute; no lines at all in the check-in desks.


Norwegian Air Check-In


The friendly agent gave me my preferred window seat and gave me a suprise. Meal vouchers! Because our flight was heavily delayed, Norwegian decided to compensate each passenger $16. The agent was telling me that buying food landside would be cheaper than airside, the only drawback of course, is any drinks couldn't be taken past TSA.


Boarding Pass + Meal Voucher


Birthday champagne for my travel buddy :)


Boarding


Welcome!




First impressions were good. The plane feels very new, the seat was comfy and wide enough, the AVOD had lots of shows in it and luckily, I did not have a neighbor. This is going to be a good flight.


Legroom Shot


AVOD


Bad Maintenance


My inflight meal


Family Guy


Beverage Service


787 Wing flex over Europe


After nearly 7 hours, finally descending into Oslo.


White everywhere!


Oslo  Gardermoen Airport


Welcome to Norway!


What did I think of my first time flying with Norwegian? They were definitely a low cost airline, no question about that. Except for your seat, everything else from blankets, pillows to soft drinks were for sale. Even after taking quite a few flights of theirs, I am still not sure whether I would be charged if I asked for water. :)) However, given that they were easily the cheapest option, I wouldn't hesitate to take them again in the future. 

I want to congratulate Norwegian Air for changing and revolutionizing transatlantic air travel. More low cost airlines needs to start flying long haul! Today, only Norwegian provides low cost travel to Europe from the US, and they currently only fly to Scandinavia. However, from June 2014, they will start flying to London from various cities in the US. I say more power to them!

As I wait curbside for my flybussen express bus to the city, I feel the first few breezes of the Norwegian winter. This is going to be one chilly vacation. Brr... 

Stay Tuned.