- Norse Atlantic introduces a direct flight between Athens and Los Angeles, stirring the travel pot yet again.
- Service starts June 3, 2025, with four flights weekly on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
- Fares tease travelers with a starting price of $269 (or 259 euros), because why not make jet lag a bargain?
- Passengers pick between Economy and Premium cabins, depending on their appetite for reclining.
- Norse Atlantic’s expansion throws Athens onto the West Coast map, after similar stunts with London, Paris, and Rome.
Norse Atlantic has decided it’s time to stop making Californians change planes in Europe. Starting June 3, 2025, the airline will move Athenians, Angelenos, and anyone in-between directly across the Atlantic four days a week. The weapon of choice is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a plane that seems designed for anyone who wants to experience the relentless hum of jet engines for 13 hours straight.
The company advertises fares that start at $269, luring deal-hunters everywhere. Pax can pick between “Economy” (also known as “Seat Supremacy: The Bare Minimum Edition”) and “Premium,” which is technically not business class but does offer slightly more legroom and a dash of existential hope. Personal entertainment systems fill the void where satisfaction once lived.
Those fearing Norse’s expansion would stop at Europe are out of luck. After planting their flag in London, Paris, and Rome, the Greece-LA line is simply another dot on the map — one that cuts travel time and increases the odds of hearing “Kalimera” in Venice Beach.
Athens International Airport saw more than 8.5 million passengers in the first four months of 2025, marking a 10.6% increase over the year before. International travel makes up nearly three-quarters of this figure—proof that people are more interested in leaving than staying. Aircraft movements are up 8.5%, primarily to accommodate all the wild-eyed tourists and jaded business travelers who heard Athens is now hip again.
The Los Angeles-Athens route fills a gaping hole in the travel market—a whopping 100,000 annual indirect trips have been the norm until now. Southern California, second only to New York in Greek-American population, may finally regain the bragging rights it didn’t know it had.
Meanwhile, Athens stretches its wings east and west, tying itself to far-off cities and booming markets. The airport’s executives expect these ventures to lure more deep-pocketed travelers, none too shy to splurge on ouzo, olive oil, or just a taxi to Syntagma Square.
