My Delta flight started off smoothly, from the moment I checked in to when I arrived at my destination. Unfortunately, my positive experience took a turn for the worse when I requested a wheelchair assistance. The wheelchair attendant who met me at the gate in Boston demanded payment for bringing me to baggage claim. I was shocked because I always assumed this service was complimentary, and I usually tip generously. However, this attendant insisted on being paid. When I refused, he became increasingly insistent. My daughter arrived to pick me up, and the attendant, seeing a fresh target, demanded payment from her. My daughter, thinking perhaps there was a new policy, paid him. The whole ordeal was incredibly frustrating and unfair.
First Class Flight – Not Worth the Splurge
We decided to treat ourselves to a first-class experience on this flight. The seats were spacious, providing ample room to relax. However, the flight crew arrived late to the airport, causing a delay that affected many passengers who had connecting flights. It was upsetting to see the stress and inconvenience this caused others. To add insult to injury, one of our four checked bags went missing. Despite the baggage claim staff’s attempts to locate our bag, it took almost two hours to be found. We eventually had to drive back to the airport to retrieve it. This entire ordeal made us realize that first class is not worth the expense if you’re going to have to deal with poor customer service and unreliable baggage handling.
Norse Atlantic: A Nightmare from Start to Finish
Norse Atlantic has quickly become the worst airline I’ve ever flown with. I’ve traveled extensively, but nothing compares to this awful experience. First, they made me check my carry-on duffel bag, even though it easily fit under the seat. They claimed it wasn’t a “personal item” because I also had a backpack. This forced me to pay an outrageous €125 for the duffel bag and another €125 for my wife’s checked bag. That’s €250 for two bags! This is completely unacceptable and a blatant rip-off.
Once we boarded, we were subjected to a 45-minute delay. The airline staff was giving a disabled gentleman a hard time about his scooter, even though they had initially granted him permission to bring it on board. They kept arguing with him, stating he had never experienced this issue before. Eventually, they realized their mistake because his scooter wasn’t battery-operated and he had all the necessary paperwork. The ordeal was unnecessary and disrespectful. They finally allowed him to stow his scooter above his seat, and his wife struggled for a minute to lift it before they finally offered assistance.
Norse Atlantic’s greed is shocking. Not only did they charge exorbitant fees for checked bags, but they also nickel-and-dimed passengers for everything: water, snacks, blankets. Yes, you read that right, water! This is unacceptable on an international flight. Passengers were seen lining up to the bathroom just to fill their water bottles. The aircraft was also uncomfortably cold. It felt like they deliberately cranked up the air conditioning so people would be forced to buy their overpriced (€7) blankets. People were changing into layers in the bathroom and rummaging through their carry-on bags for warmer clothes. Those who had checked their bags had to endure an eight and a half-hour torture session in the freezing cold.
To top it all off, the flight attendants turned on the lights during the middle of the night, disrupting passengers’ sleep, just to sell their “duty-free” items. It was a major hot topic amongst passengers as they waited to disembark. I would never fly with Norse Atlantic again, even if they paid me to do so.
Disorganized Boarding and Aggressive Passengers
The boarding process was chaotic and disorganized, adding unnecessary stress to the start of our journey. Norse Atlantic’s business model relies on tight spaces but offers reclining seats to make sleeping in economy more comfortable. The passenger behind us didn’t understand this concept, and rudely shook our chair claiming we were reclining too much. We immediately called the flight attendants to mediate and de-escalate the situation, but they failed to intervene. The passenger continued to harass my wife throughout the eight-hour flight. If this is their business model, Norse Atlantic needs to better train their staff to handle these types of situations and protect their passengers.
