Norwegian vs Ryanair 2026: Scandinavian LCC or Europe's ULCC

Norwegian Air Shuttle and Ryanair compete on intra-European low-cost flying but operate on different scales and from different home bases. Ryanair is Europe’s largest airline by passenger volume, with 611 aircraft, 233 destinations across 40 countries, and the most aggressive ultra-low-cost model on the continent. Norwegian is a smaller Scandinavian carrier focused on Oslo, intra-Norway, and intra-Scandinavian routes with a 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 fleet.

The two airlines rarely compete head-to-head on the same exact route. Ryanair flies dense leisure markets from secondary airports across Europe (often 30-90 minutes from the city the route nominally serves). Norwegian flies primary Scandinavian airports (Oslo Gardermoen, Stockholm Arlanda, Copenhagen Kastrup) plus a more limited intra-European leisure network from those bases. When you do face a direct route choice, the differences come down to fare-class bundling and gate enforcement style.

Important note before comparing: Norwegian Air Shuttle (this comparison) is the original Scandinavian budget carrier, not to be confused with Norse Atlantic Airways, which was founded in 2021 specifically to fill the long-haul transatlantic gap Norwegian abandoned after its 2021 bankruptcy and restructuring. The two share Norwegian heritage and similar names, but they operate as separate competitors with different fleets and route maps.

What We Looked For

• Fare-class bundling, because Norwegian and Ryanair structure their cheap-fare add-ons very differently
• Personal item dimensions, especially the Ryanair 40x20x25 cm under-seat limit that catches many travelers off guard
• Gate enforcement style, since Ryanair is famously strict at sizer checks while Norwegian is more moderate
• Route network shape, with Ryanair’s 233-destination European spread vs Norwegian’s Scandinavian focus
• Checked bag pricing, including Ryanair’s 23 kg-only-at-booking rule
• Bottom-line cost comparison for a personal-item-only fare and for a fare with bags

Which airline charges less for bags, Norwegian or Ryanair?

Norwegian’s LowFare+ bundle includes both a cabin bag and one 23 kg checked bag, which Ryanair charges separately for. Ryanair wins on personal-item-only sticker price. Norwegian wins on the bag-included math.

Carry-on. Norwegian on LowFare+, Flex, Premium, Premium Flex: 55x40x23 cm (21.6x15.7x9.1 in), combined hand baggage 10 kg LowFare+/15 kg Flex+. Free on those fares. LowFare: personal item only. Ryanair: 55x40x20 cm (21.6x15.7x7.9 in), 10 kg. Requires the paid Priority and 2 Cabin Bags add-on at €/£6-36 on Basic fares. Regular, Plus, and Flexi Plus bundles include Priority and the cabin bag.

Personal item. Norwegian: 30x20x38 cm (15x11.8x7.9 in), 10 kg, free on every fare. Ryanair: 40x20x25 cm (15.7x9.8x7.9 in), free on every fare. The Ryanair personal item is wider at 40 cm but only 20 cm thick, which is the catch: many standard work backpacks exceed 20 cm in width once loaded.

Checked bags. Norwegian: LowFare 0 included, LowFare+ 1x23 kg included, Flex/Premium 2x23 kg included. Add-on at booking GBP 12/kg overweight. Ryanair: NONE included on any fare. All checked bags purchased separately: 10 kg €/£18.99-46, 20 kg €/£18.99-59.99 online, 23 kg €/£29.99-80.99 (23 kg only at booking, not post-booking). Airport rates higher, gate fees €45-75 for non-Priority passengers caught with the 10 kg cabin bag.

Pets. Neither airline accepts pets in the cabin (Norwegian short-haul has no published pet policy; Ryanair explicitly prohibits pets except assistance dogs).

The cost math: a Ryanair Basic fare with personal item only is often the lowest sticker on overlapping routes. Add a Priority add-on plus a 20 kg checked bag (booking online) and the total typically lands €20-60 above the lowest possible. Norwegian’s LowFare+ bundle (cabin bag + 23 kg checked) at €15-40 above LowFare is often competitive with or cheaper than Ryanair Basic plus all add-ons. For a personal-item-only fare, book Ryanair. For any fare with bags, run the total numbers both ways.

Winner: Personal-item-only fare

Ryanair / Lowest sticker on most overlapping routes

Winner: Fare with carry-on + checked bag

Norwegian / LowFare+ bundles often beat Ryanair Basic + add-ons

Winner: Personal item size

Norwegian / 30x20x38 vs Ryanair's narrow 40x20x25

Ryanair’s gate sizer is the most strictly enforced in European aviation

Ryanair gate agents check every bag against the sizer. A bag that does not fit gets loaded into the hold at the gate for €45-75 plus VAT. Norwegian uses sizers but is less aggressive in enforcement.

The Ryanair sizer math: free personal item maximum 40x20x25 cm. The 20 cm thickness is the most common failure point because many standard work backpacks exceed 20 cm once loaded with a laptop, charger, and bottle. A bag that measures 41x21x26 cm fails the sizer and either becomes a paid cabin bag (if you bought the Priority add-on) or gets gate-checked for €45-75. Ryanair gate staff actively pull bags out of the boarding line to check, and there is no negotiation.

The cabin bag math: if you bought the Priority and 2 Cabin Bags add-on at €/£6-36, your 55x40x20 cm 10 kg cabin bag goes overhead. If you did not buy Priority but tried to bring a cabin-bag-sized roller, gate agents will load it in the hold for €45-75. Buying Priority at the gate is not an option; the add-on is only sold online.

Norwegian uses sizers but is less aggressive. The free personal item is 30x20x38 cm (slightly different shape than Ryanair’s 40x20x25 cm), and Norwegian gate enforcement is more focused on the 10 kg combined hand baggage weight than on small dimension violations. A bag that is 1-2 cm over the sizer often passes on Norwegian; on Ryanair it usually does not.

The behavioral implication: pack carefully for Ryanair. Use a soft bag that compresses, weigh it before the airport, and avoid anything that pushes the dimensions. For Norwegian, the same care matters but the tolerance is slightly higher.

Winner: Gate enforcement strictness

Norwegian / More forgiving on sizer dimensions; less aggressive

Winner: Gate-check fee on oversized cabin bag

Norwegian / Less likely to trigger; Ryanair charges €45-75 routinely

Route network: 233 destinations vs Scandinavian focus

Ryanair operates 233 destinations across 40 countries, the densest intra-European route network on the continent. Norwegian focuses on Scandinavia from Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Stockholm, Copenhagen, plus a more limited intra-European leisure network.

Ryanair’s network is structured for leisure point-to-point: London Stansted, Dublin, Bergamo Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Charleroi Brussels, and many secondary European airports are major bases. Routes connect virtually every meaningful European leisure destination, often from secondary airports that require additional ground transport to the city the route nominally serves. Ryanair has 611 aircraft, making it Europe’s largest airline by passenger volume (over 200 million passengers annually).

Norwegian operates a smaller network focused on Scandinavia. Primary hubs at Oslo Gardermoen (OSL), with secondary bases at Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH), and smaller Norwegian cities. Intra-European leisure routes from Scandinavian bases go to Spain, Italy, Greece, France, UK, and others, but with less frequency and fewer destinations than Ryanair. Post-bankruptcy (2021), Norwegian retired its long-haul transatlantic fleet entirely; the airline is now exclusively short-haul intra-European.

For UK or continental European leisure travelers, Ryanair has the route to almost any leisure destination. For Scandinavian travelers or anyone flying to/from Scandinavia, Norwegian’s primary airport access and frequency makes it the better booking on most routes. The two networks barely overlap by design.

Winner: Network breadth (Europe-wide)

Ryanair / 233 destinations vs Norwegian's smaller Scandinavian-centered network

Winner: Scandinavian routes

Norwegian / Primary airport access + higher frequency from Nordic bases

Winner: Aircraft scale

Ryanair / 611 aircraft vs Norwegian's smaller fleet post-2021

Loyalty programs (both minimal)

Norwegian Reward and the Ryanair myRyanair / Ryanair Choice schemes are both small programs of limited value. Neither airline has FFP earning at the scale of major European legacy carriers (Lufthansa Miles & More, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, BA Executive Club).

Norwegian Reward earns CashPoints on Norwegian flights and partner purchases. Redeemable for Norwegian flights at modest value. No transfer partners with major credit card programs. Norwegian Reward Gold and Silver provide priority boarding, extra baggage, and free seat selection. The program is fine for repeat Norwegian travelers but not worth investing in for cross-airline strategy.

Ryanair’s myRyanair is a basic account-management system rather than a true FFP. Ryanair Choice (a paid membership at €/£19.99-29.99 per year) provides priority boarding, seat selection benefits, and discounts on cabin bag and checked bag fees. No points-based earning, no transfer partners, no elite status reciprocity outside Ryanair. The program structure deliberately avoids the FFP model.

For travelers who care about loyalty earning, this is a non-comparison: neither airline is worth investing in. Use a transferable points currency (Amex, Capital One) on a credit card and book whoever flies your route cheaper.

Winner: Loyalty program value

Norwegian / Norwegian Reward has more structure than Ryanair Choice

Winner: Transfer partner ecosystem

tie / Neither has meaningful credit card transfer partners

Who should pick Norwegian Air Shuttle

• You are flying to, from, or within Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) where Norwegian operates from primary airports
• You want a single bundled fare with cabin bag + 23 kg checked (LowFare+) rather than buying add-ons separately
• You value primary airport access (Oslo Gardermoen, Stockholm Arlanda, Copenhagen Kastrup) over secondary airport savings
• You want less aggressive gate enforcement and a 30x20x38 cm personal item that fits standard work backpacks
• Norwegian Reward elite status is part of your travel pattern

Who should pick Ryanair

• Your route is one of Ryanair’s 233 European destinations and you want the lowest sticker fare
• You can travel with the 40x20x25 cm personal item only (no checked or cabin bag)
• You are willing to buy the Priority and 2 Cabin Bags add-on at booking for €/£6-36 and follow Ryanair’s strict gate sizer rules
• You are based at one of Ryanair’s major bases (London Stansted, Dublin, Manchester, Bergamo, Madrid, Barcelona, Charleroi) where Ryanair frequency is highest
• You do not care about FFP earning or loyalty value
• Secondary airport access (often 30-90 minutes from the city the route serves) is acceptable

The bottom line

This comparison is almost always decided by route. Ryanair’s 233 European destinations means it usually flies your route somewhere; Norwegian’s smaller Scandinavian-focused network means it often does not. When both fly your route, the cost math favors Ryanair on personal-item-only fares and Norwegian on bag-included fares.

The gate enforcement gap is the structural factor most travelers underestimate. Ryanair gate agents enforce the 40x20x25 cm personal item dimensions strictly; a standard work backpack often will not pass. Bag fees at the gate run €45-75 plus VAT. Norwegian is more forgiving on dimensions and slightly more focused on the 10 kg combined weight rule.

For UK, continental European, or Mediterranean leisure travelers: Ryanair is usually the right book if the price is right and you can fit the bag rules. For Scandinavian travelers or anyone flying to/from Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, or other Nordic cities: Norwegian has the primary airport access and frequency.

For more comparisons, see Ryanair vs Wizz Air and Air France vs Lufthansa.