The announcements keep on coming: more discount ways to fly to and from Europe, with the latest coming from Norwegian, and from a new airline that’s part of the British Air/Iberia stable.
Level, the new airline whose first flights are operating under Iberia’s flag, but with two new A330s, is flying from Barcelona, home of Iberia affiliate Vueling, to Los Angeles, Oakland, Punta Cana, DR and Buenos Aires—one of the first discount operations to South America proper. Level’s fares start from very low, but can creep up with added costs for more comfort, baggage or food. The airline plans to add more planes next year, and possibly more European origin points. Barcelona was picked first because Vueling is expected to feed passengers to Level from its European routes.
Meanwhile, Norwegian, which practically invented the non-stop trans-Atlantic discount market, is adding a second major new initiative in as many months. Starting in November, the airline has announced, it will add flights to Rome from Los Angeles and New York/Newark to Rome, and will add Oakland flights in February. Prices start at $189 from Newark and $229 from California.
That’s on top of flights starting this month between Europe and three smaller U.S. airports, using new 737s. The flights will start with 30 seats empty to allow current 787-800s to have the range for Providence, Hartford and Newburgh, NY, but by August with new 737 MAX planes that will be delivered, all 189 seats will be sold.
