Norse Atlantic to start Fort Lauderdale-London flights in May for under $200
Soon, it will be springtime in London, and you’ll be able to fly there nonstop from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport instead of from Miami.
Norse Atlantic Airways, the discount international carrier serving Europe from Florida, said Tuesday it plans to introduce service to London’s Gatwick Airport out of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in late May.
The introductory one-way price from Fort Lauderdale: $192. Tickets went on sale Monday, the airline said in a statement.
The airline, whose U.S. operations are based in Fort Lauderdale, launched service in 2021 and currently flies nonstop to Oslo and Berlin from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The London flights will start from Fort Lauderdale on May 26, and the day before from Orlando International Airport, where the introductory price will be $187.
The flights crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Fort Lauderdale will operate three times a week in May and June, and then four times weekly for the rest of the summer, the airline said.
Flights out of Orlando will operate four times a week in May and June. The airline will go to daily service during the summer peak travel season.
“A visit to The Ritz isn’t out of the question when it comes to budgeting,” the company quipped.
The service represents a revival of sorts for nonstop London service from Fort Lauderdale.
The airport hosted nonstop flights to Gatwick by Norwegian Air in 2014 and by British Airways in 2017. Norwegian unraveled in 2021, filing for bankruptcy, closing its U.S. service and re-emerging as a smaller regional carrier focusing on the Nordic countries and other parts of Europe.
Gatwick, which is roughly 30 miles south of Central London, is the smaller alternative to Heathrow, the city’s main international airport. Heretofore, Miami International Airport has been the principal launching pad for South Florida travelers hopping the pond to London aboard nonstop flights. The airport website lists American Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic as the carriers currently offering service to Heathrow from Miami.
“Norse knows how important trips like this are to travelers, and for many, London no longer has to be seen as a destination that is out of reach,” said Bjorn Tore Larsen, the airline’s CEO.
Neither is Berlin, which became a Norse destination from Fort Lauderdale in December, or Oslo, Norway, which was the first city to be served by the airline from South Florida last summer.
The Florida flights are in addition to Norse’s existing daily service to London out of New York’s JFK International Airport. Larsen said the airline will announce more London flights from other U.S. cities later this month.
Norse operates Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, offering two cabin choices: Economy and Premium with a subset of fares labeled Light, Classic, and Plus. They are classified according to service levels pegged to meals, baggage allowances, “ticket flexibility” and airport and onboard amenities.
