Norse Atlantic Airways plans US flights to Athens

Norse Atlantic Airways announced on Wednesday its latest service between the U.S. and Europe, with bookings open right away and a limited-time promo deal available.

Beginning this summer, the European low-cost carrier will fly between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Athens International Airport (ATH) in Greece.

Norse will operate the route up to five times weekly between May 30 and Oct. 26, flying with its Boeing 787 Dreamliner — the only aircraft in its fleet.

The new route to Greece will be the sixth European destination Norse will serve nonstop from JFK. Other Norse routes from JFK include flights to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) and Oslo Airport (OSL) in Norway.

A growing route map

In announcing the new Athens flights, Norse executives cited growing interest among U.S. travelers in visiting Greece.

“We believe this route will not only cater to the demand for travel to Greece but will also create opportunities for cultural exchange and business collaborations between these two vibrant destinations,” Bjorn Tore Larsen, Norse founder and CEO, said in a statement.

The new route complements the airline’s growing U.S. route map. By July 2024, the carrier will serve a variety of city pairs, including flights to six European airports from six U.S. airports, according to scheduling data from Cirium.

Between June and July, the number of seats Norse will offer between the U.S. and Europe will be up 57% from those same months in 2023, Cirium data shows.

What to expect with prices

For much of the summer, you can expect to pay anywhere from $900 to $1,000 round trip for an economy flight from New York to Athens.

This is certainly steeper than what you’ll typically pay to fly from the U.S. to, say, London aboard the carrier … albeit for a longer flight to Greece.

In announcing the new route, Norse advertised fares starting as low as $249. However, we only found prices that low after the busiest summer period, in September and October (and generally only in one direction).

Searching late-September flights between New York and Athens, there are a handful of outbound flights that start at $249 one-way for an economy ticket.

Combined with the return trip, the base fare comes to around $496 round trip.

Keep in mind that with Norse being a low-cost carrier, the lowest fare doesn’t include bags or seat selection. By selecting a fare that includes a full-size carry-on (and checked bag), our round-trip total comes to $656.

Additionally, you’ll pay at least $25 one-way for seat selection.

Norse also offers a premium cabin generally reminiscent of a premium economy experience on other airlines.

For our September round-trip flight, a Premium Light fare starts at just over $1,400.

Bottom line

Norse Atlantic continues to expand its service to the U.S., with flights from New York to a half-dozen cities in Europe planned by mid-2024.

Though the carrier isn’t part of a major global airline alliance, this new route to Athens should allow New York travelers direct access to the popular Greek city.

Once there, it would be easy enough to book a flight to Santorini or another destination aboard another European low-cost carrier.

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