Norwegian launches UK’s only direct flights to Oakland, California just in time for the summer

LONDON, 2016-May-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Low-cost airline Norwegian continues the expansion of its groundbreaking low-cost long-haul network by launching the UK’s only direct flights to Oakland, California just in time for the summer.

From 12 May, Europe’s third largest low-cost airline commences the new year-round service offering the cheapest direct flights to the West Coast with fares available from £159 one way. Three weekly flights will depart Gatwick serviced by state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which feature two cabins – Premium and economy.

Oakland-San Francisco becomes Norwegian’s seventh US destination from Gatwick following the recent successful launch of direct flights to Boston. Oakland has emerged as a top travel destination of choice for recreational and business travel with over 2.6 million people visiting the city annually. The new flights provide Brits with a cheaper gateway to the Bay Area and the West Coast with direct public transportation routes to other Bay Area destinations including San Francisco with journey times of just 35 minutes from Oakland International Airport.

Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said: “Over half a million UK passengers have flown transatlantic with Norwegian and now we’re putting on even more great value flights to the US. With direct low-cost services to Oakland and LA on the west coast and New York and Boston on the east, passengers can also consider fly-drive options with our affordable one way fares. We’re continuing to provide Brits with cheaper and easier access to more parts of the US by flying passengers in high-quality comfort in the newest aircraft.”

Mark Everton, CEO & President of Visit Oakland said: “Direct flights between Oakland and Gatwick will bring new experiences to travellers from both Oakland and London. We welcome all UK visitors and encourage them to take part in our hot culinary scene, booming tech industry, and the diversity that makes Oakland a trending destination. We’re excited that Oakland International Airport is the most convenient airport for the international traveller, providing easy access to Oakland and the rest of the Bay Area.”

Guy Stephenson, ‎Chief Commercial Officer at Gatwick Airport said: “The addition of direct flights from Gatwick to Oakland near San Francisco with Norwegian demonstrates yet again the success of low-cost long-haul air travel and the benefits for passengers seeking great value travel. Now passengers can explore even more of the West Coast of the US for less while British businesses will have even greater business opportunities in California.”

Norwegian has put on sale a record 425,000 transatlantic seats from Gatwick this summeras the airline continues to introduce brand new larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that offer 344 seats.

The new 787-9 Dreamliners service all seven Norwegian long-haul routes from Gatwick including Oakland to New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and a low-cost Caribbean route to Puerto Rico – which resumes on 2 November.

Passengers using Norwegian’s website can now book airport transfers to and from Gatwick Airport with the option to travel by taxi, private transfers, chauffeurs, limousines, trains and buses for direct connections to a designated address.

Flight schedule – Gatwick to Oakland-San Francisco:

Departs London Gatwick	Arrives Oakland-San Francisco
Monday	1:35pm	4:35pm
Thursday	1:00pm	4:00pm
Sunday	1:00pm	4:00pm

Norwegian in the UK:

• Norwegian first launched UK flights in 2003 and now operates from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to more than 40 destinations worldwide
• Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 3.9 million yearly passengers, and with more than 700 pilots, cabin crew and staff working from its Gatwick base
• In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. – the airlines now flies to 7 U.S destinations with fares from just £135 one way
• Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations
• The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of four years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737-800s
• Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for three consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards, and was also the first airline to be awarded the ‘World’s best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015 by SkyTrax

UK press office details
Press Contact
pressUK@norwegian.com
+44 (0)20 3824 4890
For customer service: 0330 8280854

The UK press office is available 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. We can assist with lead in fares, UK flight information, corporate news and aviation commentary.

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