I booked red-eye flights with two European airline carriers I'd never heard of before. The one I'd book again was less comfortable.
Joey Hadden
- I booked red-eye flights on Norse and Level, two European airlines I'd never heard of before.
- The Norse flight was $180, and the Level flight cost about $450. Both were economy seats.
I recently took red-eye flights with two European airlines I'd never heard of before — Norse and Level.
In the last year, I've flown to Europe twice. Both times, I took a red-eye.
In October 2022, I took a night flight from NYC to Berlin with Norse, a budget airline with routes between the US and Bangkok, Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Olso.
More recently in July 2023, I booked another red-eye from NYC to Barcelona with Level, another budget airline with flights operated by Iberia. Level flies from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Santiago, Buenas Aires, and Santiago to Barcelona, according to their website.
It was my first time using either European airline, and each trip was about seven hours. After taking both, I reflected on each red-eye flight to see how they compared.
The Norse flight was less expensive than the Level flight, though the flights were to different destinations and at different times of year.
For my one-way Norse journey to Berlin, I paid $180.
For my Level flight, I booked a round trip, and the ride home was an American Airlines flight operated by Iberia. I paid $1,722 total, but a quick search informed me that a one-way Level flight to Barcelona a month in advance would cost about $450.
Of course, this isn't one-to-one, and flight pricing will differ based on where you're going and when you book.
The Level aircraft had more seats than the Norse plane.
My flight with Norse was on a Boeing 787-9 with 282 seats, a Norse representative told Insider.
My Level flight operated by Iberia was on an Airbus A330-200 with 314 seats, a representative from the airline told Insider.
Both flights had plenty of empty seats.
On the Norse flight, I got pretty lucky. Seated in an otherwise empty row of three, I was able to lie down and stretch my legs.
The Level flight had several empty seats near me, too. But since I was traveling with my partner, I booked seats in a row of two. If I had known there'd be more room, I would have booked a solo row for each of us.
The Level seat was more comfortable than the Norse seat, in my opinion.
The Level seat was slightly larger and reclined further back than the Norse seat.
The Norse seats were 17.2 inches wide and the Level seats were 20.6 inches wide, representatives from each airline told Insider. The Norse seat reclined three inches, according to the representative, while the Level seat leaned back 5-6 inches, according to SeatMaps.
I'm quite small and didn't notice the difference in seat width during the flights, but I was surprised by how much more comfortable I felt in the reclined Level seat with just a few more inches.
I had more legroom on the Norse flight.
On the Norse flight, the seats were 31-32 inches apart, and on the Level flight, the seats were 30 inches apart, according to representatives from both airlines.
I felt like I had more legroom on the Norse flight, but since I had empty seats next to me, I was able to shift my backpack over for more room.
Both flights had a wide selection of inflight entertainment.
On both flights, I had no problem finding something to watch. Each flight had a seat back screen with a range of TV shows and films, from classics to new releases.
Both flights had amenities available for purchase, but Level had more.
On each flight, I found a menu of amenities in my seat back pocket.
The Norse flight carried blankets for $5, wired earbuds for $3.50, and comfort kits for $6.50 that included a neck pillow, ear plugs, and a sleep mask with a case.
The Level flight had blankets and wired earbuds for about the same price, but their comfort kit was more expensive and included more items. For about $13, travelers could get a drawstring backpack with a blanket, a neck pillow, a sleep mask, a reusable water bottle, earbuds, ear plugs, a toothbrush, toothpaste, wipes, and a pen inside.
I didn't purchase amenities on either flight, but I thought Level's comfort kit was a better deal than Norse's since it included more than twice as many items.
On the Norse flight, food costs extra. On the Level flight, dinner and breakfast were included in the price of the ticket.
The Norse flight served breakfast, but it came at an additional charge, and passengers ordered their meals online prior to boarding. I wasn't aware of this process, so I missed out on food.
According to the menu, Norse serves sandwiches, pasta, and baked goods.
On Level flights, some economy tickets include meals. My flight served breakfast and dinner, and both meals were included in the price of my ticket. I had pasta for dinner and an egg and cheese wrap for breakfast. For airline food, I thought it was decent.
There were fewer disturbances on the Norse flight.
After takeoff on the Norse flight, the plane was quiet and dimly lit until morning when breakfast was served. I struggled to get comfortable in the seats, but I was able to get some sleep.
The Level flight started off similarly. As the plane took off, the lights went out. But about a half-hour later, the lights switched back on for a two-hour dinner service. Between dinner and breakfast, the lights were only off for two more hours.
I thought it was wonderful that the airline kept its passengers well-fed, but the lights kept me from sleeping for most of the flight.
Based on my preferences, I'd probably book with Norse in the future.
The Norse flight was a little less comfortable with a smaller seat and a shorter recline, but I'd still book it over Level to save some money and get more sleep.
However, for passengers who are looking for food service and a better recline in their seat, Level would likely be the way to go.
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