Low-cost carriers often advertise rock-bottom fares only to add fees that erode those savings, but Norwegian Air is taking steps to distinguish itself from other budget long-haul airlines.
Beginning in January 2019, Norwegian introduced free WiFi on select transatlantic flights. The carrier has provided free WiFi on many European routes since 2011, but this marks one of the first times a low-cost airline has extended complimentary in-flight internet service across an ocean.
The WiFi offering is tiered. The Basic level is free and supports common online tasks like reading and replying to email, sending messaging app texts such as iMessage and WhatsApp, and browsing social media. Passengers who want to stream video can purchase the Premium package, which costs $14.95 for three hours and delivers the higher bandwidth needed for services like Netflix or YouTube.
Initially, the complimentary service will be available on Norwegian’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft operating between Boston (BOS), New York (JFK) and London (LHR).