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30.05.2024 - 21:53 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Henry Harteveldt
Norse Atlantic Airways is cutting a route it launched with much fanfare back in December. The Norway-based airline confirmed to TPG that it will no longer operate its seasonal route from Miami to Paris.
Norse ran the route four times every week this winter, serving Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Miami International Airport (MIA). The seasonal service ended in April and was slated to resume in December; however, the airline has pulled the route from its future schedule with no plans to resume flying it.
"Low-cost carriers are merciless in their route assessments, and they will drop a route if it fails to meet their expected level of profitability," Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research, said. "If Paris, Miami is not working out for Norse, there's no sense for the airline to continue to operate it. Instead, they will redeploy that 787 to a route they believe will perform better."
Norse Atlantic Airways began flying passengers in 2022, delivering low-cost, long-haul flights across the Atlantic using a fleet comprised completely of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (many leased from now-defunct Norwegian).
Related: This feels familiar: A review of Norse Atlantic Premium on the 787 from London to New York
In May, the low-cost carrier added a new route from the West Coast, with four weekly flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to CDG. But, as of the time of publication, that only runs during the summer.
The airline also flies from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Paris.
Air France and American Airlines will continue to serve the Paris market from Miami, but the end of the Norse flight means there is no longer a budget-friendly option for travelers. We sometimes saw incredible deals on the route, with flights as little as $99 each way.
"We've seen in the U.S. with route changes made by Spirit, Avelo, Frontier and others," Harteveldt said. "Low-cost airlines don't have the margins to be indulgent when it comes to the routes they operate. The downside of the constant changes is that it's confusing to the consumer and disappointing to customers."
"Frankly, it undermines consumer trust in an airline. People may be afraid to book too far in advance for fear the airline could be here today and gone tomorrow," he added.
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