[HighlandTraveller]

SSTBeliever yes WIC is my favourite place to fly from. The staff know the regulars. We know the planes might not get out in certain weather (it was a bad idea of Loganair to our Dornier 328 on Highland routes in winter winds) but it enables us to live in a brilliant area and connect with world!

Yes, it’s just this particular meeting I have to fly from INV as the first WIC-ABZ flight does not connect early enough

[TerryMcManus24]

Just had to look it up…and what a nice looking wee Airport…as one should be…..free Wi-Fi…

Welcome to Wick John O’Groats Airport

Once a Viking settlement, and one of the busiest herring fishing ports, is now home to the Castle of Mey and Old Pulteney whisky distillery

Wick John O’Groats airport is nestled in the far north of the mainland of Scotland in Caithness and Sutherland and offer unspoilt natural surroundings within small, enterprising communities.

The airport offers business and leisure travellers a daily departure to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. And for those arriving at the airport, a gateway to some of the most scenic splendour steeped in history and legend only a few minutes’ drive away
http://www.hial.co.uk/wick-airport/

[Str8Talking]

If you need to be in the centre of town but don’t mind a short commute, then I suggest going between the Palm Beach, Sandy Beach or Golden Bay. That said, you cannot beat the Sun Hall for location with the centre of Larnaca at the back doorstep and a host of dining/entertainment options at the front doorstep. It is however, a pretty average hotel.

[HighlandTraveller]

Thanks Str8Talking – much appreciated

[SenatorGold]

If I may be allowed to reminisce about Wick Airport, in June 1975 I flew from there on a BA Viscount to Kirkwall for the day and back.

[smith101]

I flew with Norwegian when they first started their operations from Gatwick and you have nothing to fear! They operate brand new aircraft, with leather seats and equipped with WiFi. Service on board was good, and whilst you have to buy your own food and drinks there is definitely a better food offering than you’ll get in WT on BA. Just beware if you’re hoping to use up some local currency that they only accept cards for payment.

The only real negative for me was that on our return flight from Malaga it was not possible to do online check in, which meant having to queue up at the airport, even though we were travelling hand bag only. No idea if online check in is now possible at outstations though.

[KSHaggag]

Gentlemen,

I had just read a report on Norwegian and was considering it seriously.

Generally speaking I am a fierce defender and advocate of the legacy full service carriers and will always remain so .I am still a strong believer that low cost carriers have downgraded the standards of the airline industry and have lead us to what we see nowadays happening within the big players ..LCCs have eroded their revenues badly and the traditional carriers strived to reduce their cost ,jeopardizing their standards etc…
The different thing I felt about Norwegian is that they are trying to reduce costs while trying to keep a certain image and still provide a premium product called Premium Eco with 46 inch legroom on longhaul flights .

I will bs eager to listen to any traveller who has sampled such a product ..

[KSHaggag]

Upsss..I forgot to say that Loyalty schemes are for me a matter of to be or not to be so Norwegian has its own scheme with a different concept. ..it’s in the form of kickback ..am I right ???

[AMcWhirter]

KSHaggag –

I assume you are referring to Norwegian long-haul, rather than short-haul ?

I say this because they are two different products. Although both are LCCs the long-haul division operates B787s and has different staffing arrangements.

In general, the short-haul division is considered superior to its long-haul counterpart.

Unfortunately Norwegian long-haul has been blighted by technical issues with its B787s.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Norwegian-to-the-US-from-LGW

[KSHaggag]

Hello Alex,

Yes very much indeed ..I am evoking the longhaul product of Norwegian which I think would make sense to me given the superior product (not really LCC) in the premium eco and the FFP benefit ,which is what we all aspire to on longhaul routes .

For short haul ,I will be more inclined to use legacy carriers that still make more sense to me .
Thank you .

[KSHaggag]

Is the Bangkok route still operational ?? ,,I believe yes ..I meant that one specifically rather than the LGW US routes .

[AMcWhirter]

KSHaggag –

Bangkok is still very much alive and is needed because Norwegian employs some Thailand-based staff for its long-haul division. (So its Bangkok flights are needed to ferry staff around the network).

But Norwegian’s ambitious expansion plans for Asia have come to nothing. Instead it now concentrating on the US market.

Why ? Well because the Gulf carriers have now moved into Scandinavia and I believe that, as Air AsiaX discovered, LCCs will find it difficult if not impossible to compete with them.

In July 2013 we wrote that Norwegian had already lost its price advantage to the Gulf airlines.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/norwegian-loses-price-advantage-to-gulf-carriers

[KSHaggag]

Thank you Alex for the clarification .

In fact ,I do see that the premium cabin that Norwegian could offer in the market of longhaul ,offering that much superior comfort and amenities at a fraction of the price of a legacy business class is a great addition and breath of fresh air in a longhaul market suffering declining standards in Economy .
Premium Eco cabins of most airlines so far on longhaul have not brought along real tangible benefits yet ..I am yet to sample the LH one .
I am not sure though if Norwegian can make make money out of this niche product .
GCC based airlines offer you a great business class product but still a poor economy one with an intermediate stop in the middle of the night between Europe and Asia.

[AMcWhirter]

You are quite right, KSHaggag

Premium Economy is where Norwegian will score (against the indirect airlines) between Scandinavia and Bangkok.

I was concentrating too much on economy class and thinking of the 3-3-3 layout on the B787.

Yes it is true that the Gulf airlines fly indirectly but at the budget end of the market, do passengers really care ?

[m&scava]

WIC / INV / LGW / LCA sounds like the journey from hell to me, so good luck!

I’ve been flying regularly from Scotland to LCA this year – you are missing nothing on BA. The LGW service is on a single aisle A320 with the new (cramped) seating and no in-flight entertainment, notwithstanding it being a 5 hour flight. And as noted above, the LHR service is on the clapped out old 767. Plus on the return connecting onward generally involves an overnight in London – and the last two times I have done that with luggage through LHR, BA have managed to lose it.

That said, the new winter timetable does now give you an option via LGW on a Friday to get you to Scotland same day (not as far as Wick though!).

I’d be really interested to hear how Norwegian shapes up.

You’re obviously now booked, but there is another option, which is to fly WIC – EDI then Turkish Airlines into Northern Cyprus (EDI / IST / ECN) – equally as convenient as LCA if your business is in Nicosia. The TK business product makes BA Club Europe look like Cargo. That said – TK very much polarises opinion on this forum and, in the event you fly into the North of Cyprus, you are best not to mention it to the locals!

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