Norwegian Air $89 checked bag fee OAK-Stockholm comes with assigned seat and meals

Yesterday’s post on Norwegian Air under $500 USA to Scandinavia fares had a glaring omission on the real cost of travel with this low cost carrier for travel between the USA and Europe. Passengers need to pay the $89 checked bag fee each way if you desire an assigned seat, one checked bag and food or drink.

Internet wifi is free for everyone on board.

Norwegian Air ticket Oakland OAK – Stockholm ARN round trip Sep 6-16, 2014

• Airfare = $560.60 (one carry-on 10kg max = 22 lb. and purse/laptop allowed free of charge).
• One checked bag (20kg max = 44 lb.), seat assignment and meal $178.00.

There is also a 1.99% service charge for credit card payment.

Norwegian Air Hand baggage allowances

You are permitted to carry one item of hand baggage (max 10kg – 55x40x23cm or 22” x 16” x 9”) in addition to one small personal item onboard the aircraft. Your personal item (e.g. small handbag or laptop case) must fit comfortably under the seat in front of you.

Norwegian Air baggage fee rules are fairly complex to determine the actual fee based on city pairs for checked bags and the fee depends on whether your flight is direct or transiting through another airport. To make it easier and less transparent, Norwegian offers a discount package rate for one checked bag and a seat assignment when purchased online in conjunction with the purchase of low fare tickets.

My round trip flights San Francisco to Oslo in September on United Airlines for $541 include one checked bag free. United and Delta with their European airline partners had a fare war with Norwegian Air March to May 2014 for flights to Europe before the summer months and from September into later months.

I may try and take a two week trip from Oakland to Scandinavia and onward to Greece this October on Norwegian Air with 22 pounds of carry-on luggage and a computer. Then again, perhaps the legacy carriers in the USA will have a better deal come up before then where I can check one 50 pound bag for free.

United Airlines SFO-OSL 1st checked bag free.

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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.

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