The Scandinavian regional airline, Widerøe, operates twice daily between Aberdeen, UK, and Bergen, Norway, with a Dash 8 aircraft. This is a route I had wanted to try out for a while - and I recently had the chance. Overall, it was a great experience, with an interesting aircraft to fly on, comfortable seating, and excellent service for such a short flight.
Aberdeen to Bergen
Many of the flight routes from Aberdeen in the north of Scotland have their origins in the oil and gas industry. Aberdeen is a key base for this, despite declines in the industry. But it is also a convenient route for anyone in Scotland or the north of England heading to Scandinavia. There are plenty of connections possible from Bergen, too (or Stavanger, which is also served from Aberdeen). It is certainly easier than traveling to London and taking a British Airways flight to Oslo (the airline does not serve Bergen).
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The flight with Widerøe over the North Sea from here is just 1 hour and 20 minutes – a great reminder of the geography of Europe as you fly east from Scotland.
Aberdeen is not the only destination served in the UK by Widerøe. The airline also operates between Bergen and London Stansted a few times per week (with the Embraer ERJ 190 aircraft) and to Liverpool.
Prices, of course, will vary widely. From my experience, pricing here is very attractive a month or more in advance, with rates rising sharply closer to departure. This was the case for this flight, despite it being very quiet. This is not unusual in the UK or elsewhere.
The example below shows different pricing options for flights, booking three months ahead for September 2023. The lowest rate of 1,450 NOK is equivalent to £108 or $136.
Aberdeen airport and departure
Widerøe usually operates twice daily from Aberdeen to Bergen, with an early morning and a late afternoon departure. There are also two flights a day to Stavanger. The afternoon 18:50 departure gives plenty of time to connect from other locations in the UK. There is a regular bus (wonderfully numbered the 727) from the city center and the railway station to the airport.
Aberdeen airport is an excellent regional airport. It was not busy when I arrived just under two hours before departure. There was only one desk open for the airline, and with the afternoon departures spread out, this is fine.
Widerøe requires a one-hour minimum check-in, although I was through check-in, baggage drop, and airport security within about 10 minutes. With the ongoing strikes and cancelations at London Heathrow, flying from smaller airports in the UK is more appealing than ever.
Airside, there is a large duty-free store and plenty of eating and drinking options. At this time of the day, they were mostly quiet (which they certainly would not be in London!).
The airport also has an excellent lounge – the Northern Lights Lounge. This is accessible if you have bought a Widerøe fully flexible ticket or have a Priority Pass lounge membership. This is one of the best non-airline-operated lounges that I have visited. It has plenty of seating, interesting décor, and excellent runway and apron views.
Food and drink are all ordered off a menu. This is unusual for a UK lounge, and the quality was very good. Dishes are smaller versions of standard main meals (including fish and chips, a beef burger, and an excellent haggis and rarebit toastie), largely sourced from local suppliers.
The Widerøe Dash 8 cabin
Boarding was efficient and on time. All boarding at Aberdeen is from the ground – a great chance to take a proper look at the aircraft.
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8 (Dash 8) forms the main part of the Widerøe Fleet. The airline currently operates a fleet of 47 aircraft (based on data from ch-aviation.com), of which 44 are different Dash 8 models (the other three are the Embraer ERJ 190 jets).
There are 14 of the largest DHC-8-Q400 aircraft (like this one). Widerøe also operates the smaller Q-Series 100, 200, and 300 aircraft (with three Series 100 and Series 200, and four Series 300 aircraft). These are joined by 20 of the older DHC-8-100 aircraft. The smaller Dash 8's are used for domestic and regional routes – with their lower capacity and ability to operate from shorter runways.
The first thing you notice upon boarding is the narrowness of the cabin. If (like me) you haven’t flown on a regional turboprop for a while, you forget this! The Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, of course, have a much wider cabin, which is easy to get used to. While it may feel a bit more cramped and there is less ease of storing bags, seating is arranged just 2-2 across the cabin. I much prefer this layout to the standard narrowbody 3-3 layout, with a guaranteed aisle or window seat.
The seats work well. Pitch is small – at just 31 inches, but this is standard on such aircraft. Only the front row on the Dash 8 offers any additional space.
The seats have been well thought out, though – this may seem trivial, but practicalities make a difference! Each seat has a tray table and a separate fold-down cupholder, a standard seat back pocket, and a fixed upper pocket. Seats also recline slightly (unusual these days), and there is a proper air vent and light for each seat. There is no IFE system, but the aircraft has an internal WiFi system that offers streaming shows and movies. I did not try this out, however.
Views from all windows are good – but again, different if you are used to the 737 or A320. The Dash 8, of course, has high wings, so you get a clear view down. The engine (and wheel) housing, though, affects the view from all but the first and last three to four rows. I like this – it's great to see the engines start and the gear being raised and lowered! The views coming in to land at Bergen, over the sea and fjords, are spectacular.
Excellent inflight service
The service and catering really set Widerøe apart from other airlines. You don’t expect much on a short economy flight in Europe these days – but it is great when you get something. I recall well the days a meal and drink were standard on most flights, and I find it makes for a better overall experience.
On this flight, we were served a cold chicken and potato salad meal, with a choice of tea and coffee (Starbucks brand), soft drinks, or alcohol (wine and beer). Note that offerings on domestic and regional Scandinavian flights with Widerøe will be different.
I was impressed that the meal was served with fully recyclable packaging and with wooden cutlery sets. This is a nice move from an airline with a strong sustainability commitment.
Arrival into Bergen
The flight passed smoothly, with even enough time to take a walk around the cabin and chat with the two friendly flight attendants. This was not a busy flight (perhaps only a quarter full), and I suspect the service would be more rushed on a busy flight, but still manageable.
We landed on time. There was no wait for passport control, and only a few minutes wait for baggage. Within fifteen minutes of landing, I was on a tram service heading into the center of Bergen – another great regional airport experience!
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Overall, this was an excellent flight. The route from Scotland over to Scandinavia is a useful one and worth considering for anyone in that area. I was very impressed with the aircraft, punctuality, and service from Widerøe, and I look forward to flying the airline again.
Sources: ch-aviation.com