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Contents:

  1. Pay In Norwegian Krone
  2. Cheap Fares
  3. Optional Extra Fees
  4. Why Madrid in Winter
  5. Best Way to Buy the Ticket

Pay In Krone

Start on the Norwegian version of Norwegian.com because prices are lower in Norwegian Krone than US Dollars. Use Google Chrome to translate the page to English. Pay with a card with no foreign transaction fees.

$397 to $424 Roundtrip from New York to Oslo

Search and book on Norwegian.com with their low fare calendar by selecting “Show budget calendar” on the search screen.

The cheapest dates are January 27 to 30 from New York-JFK to Madrid roundtrip, each way with one stop, at $397 roundtrip. Of course, you probably don’t want to spend less than two days on the ground.

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The cheapest fares that allow for a reasonable stay are $409 roundtrip. Sample dates: January 18 to January 30.

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For a little bit longer days and warmer weather, there are itineraries that stretch into March that cost only $424 roundtrip. Sample dates: February 22 to March 2.

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On your searches, you’ll get a calendar like this for a month at a time. The cheapest outbounds–on the left–cost 1,628 NOK ($210) and the cheapest returns–on the right–are 1,348 NOK ($174.)

Screen Shot 2015-06-21 at 10.43.30 PMScreen Shot 2015-06-21 at 10.45.08 PM

Extra Fees

All the cheapest fares are in the “Lowfare” bucket. That comes with one free carry on that weighs up to 10 kg (22 lbs.) Check out my post on one bag travel.

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Everything else costs extra.

Your first checked bag is 400 NOK one way via Stockholm ($52) and 455 NOK the other way via London ($59). Check the city pair chart, and read the price off this chart. Similarly a seat reservation is $44 one way and $50 the other.

The eat on board menu is limited, but you can preorder from a bigger selection.

All the add ons are expensive, so I suggest traveling with just one carry on, eating before take off on the outbound, packing a meal for the return, and taking whatever seat they give you for free. Then you can’t beat a $400 roundtrip to Spain.

Why Madrid in Winter

I just spent a month in Madrid. It is a lovely city with interesting sights like the Prado Museum and Royal Palace. Tapas bars and fine cuisine fill the city. And the nightlife is some of the best in the world. (I’d rank it #2 behind Buenos Aires.)

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Crowning Myself at the Royal Palace

 

Madrid will be far from warm, but during the day, you’ll be fine with an average high of 54 degrees in February.

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Best Way to Buy the Ticket

Buy with the Citi Prestige® Card. It has no foreign transaction fees, so you will get the interbank rate on the conversion from Norwegian krone to dollars. The first $250 in flights per calendar year are refunded to you as a statement credit. This includes fees like the checked bag fee, seat reservation, or meals that you purchase at the time of ticketing or later. After the statement credit, your roundtrip ticket will cost about $150 plus any optional fees.

If you’ve already maxed out the statement credit, you will still earn 3x ThankYou Points on the award taxes. The Citi Prestige® Card also comes with a 40,000 ThankYou Point sign up bonus.

Hat Tip Secretly Flying

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.

With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!


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