Passengers who purchase the lowest priced tickets on Norwegian’s short-haul European flights will soon have to pay extra to bring a case into the cabin, unless it can fit under the seat in front of them.
The new regulations will take effect from February 2020, according to the Danish aviation website check-in.dk. Customers who have bought tickets before the changes are introduced will not be impacted, the airline insists.
Previously, Norwegian allowed all passengers regardless of ticket type to bring a cabin bag of up to 10kg on board free of charge. There were no restrictions on placement. The new rules still allow for a bag of 10kg, as long as it is small enough. The change brings Norwegian into line with many of its European low-cost competitors such as Ryanair and WizzAir.
Norwegian’s communication director Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that their business model is based on “freedom of choice,” a concept that proved the basis for the new regulations.
Norwegian’s fare system explained
Of course, Norwegian’s change in strategy from growth to profitability is what is really behind the change. The new regulations are likely designed to encourage more passengers to upgrade from a LowFare ticket to the pricier LowFare+ ticket. The pricier option currently includes a free checked bag of up to 20kg, along with free advanced seat reservations.
At the time of writing, the LowFare+ option is typically 10-20% more expensive on tickets at short notice, but can be substantially higher on the cheapest advance fares. On a typical Oslo to London flight in late February, a one-way LowFare ticket is available for €26.03. But passengers choosing a LowFare+ ticket must pay €56.03.
Norwegian also offers a Flex ticket, which includes two checked bags, advance seat reservation, fast track security access and the ability to change or refund the ticket. On the same flight as above, the Flex ticket is €110.93.
More changes ahead
The airline has also announced an increase in the weight restriction on checked luggage from 20kg to 23kg. Also, customers with a Flex ticket will be able to carry 15kg of cabin baggage instead of 10kg.
After an incredible year of change in 2019, it seems unlikely that these will be the last changes Norwegian will make. The airline surprised some industry analysts by surviving 2019, and new CEO Jacob Schram faces a formidable task to implement the profit-first strategy.
There are other obvious areas that could face changes. Norwegian still offers free Wi-Fi to all its passengers regardless of ticket type, for example.
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