Okay so last summer I figured, hey, everyone’s raving about deals on Norwegian business class, right? Especially those short hops they call “shuttle” flights within Europe. Sounded fancy without totally breaking the bank. My goal? Find out if they’re actually worth it, and which routes make sense to splurge on. Ended up booking a few different legs to see the differences.
The First Step Was Just Figuring Out What Exists
I hit the Norwegian website, obviously. But honestly? It felt messy. Wasn’t super clear which routes actually have this “shuttle business” thing. Ended up just plugging in random dates between big cities to see what popped up with the business option. Found flights like Oslo to London, Bergen to Oslo, Stavanger to London… but it’s hit or miss depending on the specific route and time of day.
Booking the Tickets – Expectation vs Reality
Alright, picked three routes to test:
- Oslo to London: One of their main routes. Booked this one hoping for a proper “business class” feel.
- Bergen to Oslo: Super short, like barely an hour. Curious if business class makes any sense at all on this.
- Stavanger to London: Longer than the Norwegian domestic hop, shorter than Oslo-London. Wanted to see the middle ground.
Booking was kinda frustrating, gotta say. The prices jumped around like crazy depending on when I looked. And clicking through, you gotta really watch the extras – the cheap fare might say “Norwegian Business,” but it often didn’t include checked bags automatically! Nearly screwed that up. Lesson learned: pay attention during checkout, seriously.
The Actual Flight Experience – Where Things Got Real
Alright, time to fly. Biggest takeaway? Manage your expectations. This ain’t Qatar Airways business, folks.
First up, Oslo to London. Got lounge access at Oslo Airport. Cool! The lounge was okay, nothing amazing, but free coffee and a quiet spot beats the main terminal chaos. Priority boarding happened. Onboard… it’s just a regular plane, you guys. Economy seats crammed together. But wait! They blocked the middle seat in my row! That’s basically the whole “business” perk on many shuttles. Three seats, you get the window and aisle, middle empty. Legroom felt normal, maybe a tiny bit more? Got a snack box and a drink. Fine for the money, but “business class”? Nah. Good enough for the price on a longer shuttle leg if you really want that seat buffer.
Then Bergen to Oslo. Wow. Super short flight. Priority boarding? Faster walk onto the plane, but honestly, boarding a small plane like that takes like 10 minutes regardless. Zero lounge access on the Bergen end. The blocked middle seat? Felt kinda pointless overkill for a 45-minute flight where you barely sit down before landing. Used the business lane at security in Bergen (handy!), but the flight itself… total waste of extra cash for “business.” Should’ve just bought economy plus an extra sandwich. Felt dumb.
Stavanger to London was in-between. Slightly longer flight. Got the lounge in Stavanger (small, basic). Again, blocked middle seat was the star. Made a noticeable difference for comfort over like 1.5 hours versus the super short hop. Price point on this one wasn’t terrible compared to the standard fare. Worth it if you hate being crammed.
So Which Route Won? My Totally Subjective Verdict
After actually flying these?
Avoid business class on the really short domestic hops like Bergen-Oslo (or similar). Just not enough time to enjoy any perk, and no lounge access at the small airports. Waste of money. The security fast-track alone doesn’t justify it.
Oslo-London and similar “shorter” international routes like Stavanger-London are where the “business” deal might make sense. Why? Primarily the blocked middle seat. You get actual personal space for the flight time, which matters more over 1.5-2 hours. Getting lounge access at the bigger airports (like Oslo or London) is a solid bonus for pre-flight chilling or getting work done. If the price difference isn’t crazy compared to regular Premium (which sometimes includes a blocked seat too? check!), it can feel worthwhile for the extra comfort and lounge.
Overall, would I do it again? Yeah, maybe on that Oslo-London run if the price was right. But I stopped thinking of it as actual “business class.” It’s basically just paying extra for a guaranteed window or aisle seat and an empty seat next to you, plus some airport perks. Anything shorter than about 90 minutes? Forget it. Not worth the hype or the cash. Felt like I paid for a label more than a real experience on the short one.
