Passenger boards flight from Athens to JFK. Then they realize they won’t be serving food, snacks, or water—for the entire 9-hours: ‘Guess the airline’
Basic necessities such as food, drinking water, and personal space are things we take for granted on the ground. When flying, however, we have somehow been conditioned to see those same things as luxuries.
That’s what many commenters seemed to believe, at least, after a recent Reddit post by user @crispysockz on the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating. In that subreddit, users usually post exactly what the name suggests: everyday situations that may not be the biggest deal in the world, but are still annoying enough to complain about.
In @crispysockz’s case, the inconvenience happened on a recent flight from Athens, Greece, to New York City.
What Was Wrong With The Flight?
“9 1/2 hour flight, and no snacks, food, or water,” the Redditor wrote. “Also, those sh— dollar store headphones would cost ya 5$. +2 points if you guess the [airline].”
In the photo attached to the post, the screen in front of the passenger shows that there are still 4 hours and 27 minutes left of the 9-hour, 36-minute flight. The route covers 5,075 miles.
In the comments, users guessed pretty much in unison that the airline in question was Norse Atlantic Airways. But they were not exactly sympathetic to the original poster.
“This is 10000% Norse,” one commenter wrote. “They are an amazing budget airline, you truly just need to be aware and prepared.”
The commenter said their family had flown round-trip from Florida to London “countless times” on Norse for around $350 each.
“I’ll take my own water and snacks for that price,” they added. “OP just sounds uninformed.”
Another commenter also pointed to Norse’s pricing tiers.
“I see Norse airlines have different pricing tiers, where the cheapest one gives you nothing but carryon privileges,” they wrote. “The next tier gives you 1 meal. So, I assume you knew this would happen when you picked that cheapest fare.”
They added that at least it is the kind of thing a passenger can prepare for by bringing their own food and drinks.
“I hope your flight was really cheap!” they wrote. “Those are some good prices to fly to Europe.”
Not everyone agreed, though.
“It should be illegal not to serve at least water,” one commenter wrote.
How Much Cheaper Is Norse Compared To Other Airlines?
Norse Atlantic Airways is a Norwegian low-cost, long-haul airline that markets itself around cheaper transatlantic and international flights.
And yes, the fares can be much cheaper. On the JFK-to-Athens route, for example, online flight-search results show Norse direct one-way fares are around 200$ less than other full-service options.
However, that lower fare comes with some intense budget-airline tradeoff.
According to Norse, Economy Light includes a personal item and a carry-on bag, but no meals and drinks. Those can be purchased onboard.
While that may sound ridiculous on a nine-hour flight, airlines aren’t required to provide water on regular on-time flights.
The Department of Transportation says airlines must provide passengers with a snack and drinking water only during tarmac delay.
On a Norse flight, passengers can still buy water at $3.80, €3.50, or £3 for a 400 ml (13.52 fluid ounces) bottle.
How Do Other Travelers Prepare?
Several commenters said they treat budget flights differently.
“Bring your own snacks, bring empty 24oz water bottle once through security checkpoint fill water bottle at a filling station, bring entertainment,” one person wrote. “I thought this was common sense? I do this for 2 hour flights.”
Another traveler compared it to flying ZipAir from Los Angeles to Tokyo.
“Flew 10½ hours on ZipAir from Los Angeles to Tokyo & had a good time despite them charging for water & food,” they wrote.
They said they saved about $300 compared to flying ANA, which includes food and drinks, by eating a big meal before the flight and bringing their own snacks and drinks.
“Yes the seats were a bit crammed & there was no in-flight entertainment,” they added. “But I spent that $300 difference on a really nice hotel.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Norse Atlantic Airways via email and @crispysockz via Reddit messages for comment.
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