Flying obscure airlines between unique locations is one of my greatest joys. I don’t know why, but I really love the fun of it all. So Widerøe between Tromso and Bergen on an Embraer E190-E2 is just about the perfect combination to scratch that itch. I’ve never ridden on an E2 variant of the E190, they’re not common in North America. We’ve been exploring Tromso for the past 5 days and we loved the experience, but now it’s time to head down the coast to Bergen.
Winderoe is a Norwegian airline that primarily serves the smaller regional routes across Norway and Scandinavia. They have a small fleet of E190-E2 aircraft and then a larger fleet Dash-8 turbo props. Today we’re on the E190 for the ~2 hour flight to Bergen. We’re also traveling with our 9 month old Violet on this trip.
Bottom Line: Widerøe was great on their E190-E2. The flight attendants were nice, helpful, and accommodating of the baby. The Embraer E190-E2 was quiet, comfortable, and baby Violet slept the whole flight. Can’t get better than that.
Tromso Airport
We arrived at Tromso airport about 90 minutes before our flight, I was surprised at how busy the check in area was. Well it turns out the baggage handling system at the airport had shutdown and none of the conveyors were working. We were planning on checking some bags to keep our hands free, but once we saw the lines and mess, we decided to skip it. We can gate check the stroller and car seat and carry on our back packs.
Widerøe E190 Boarding Tromso
After passing through security, we headed to our gate where the Winderoe E190 was waiting. Because of the commotion with the airport’s baggage handling system, they had delayed our flight by a few minutes to allow for the bags to get here. Boarding started about 15 minutes late, not a big deal.
Even though the plane is parked at a gate with a jet bridge, we’re using stairs at the back of the plane. Doesn’t bother me, I love using the stairs. The only downside is we have to carry baby Violet up and down the stairs with our carry-ons.
Widerøe E190 Economy Cabin
We boarded from the rear and found our seats on the left hand side of the plane(note: this photo was taken after the flight).
The Wideroe seats are plenty comfortable for the short flights. The 2-2 seating arrangement on the ERJ is tough to beat, but these are pretty slim seats.
Boarding was pretty quick even with a nearly full cabin. There was enough space overhead for our carry-on bags. We left the stroller plane side as a gate check bag.
Widerøe E190 Economy Seat Comfort
The leg room is adequate, but nothing amazing. We stowed our jackets and Violet’s diaper bag under the seat infront.
There is power provided in each seat. Unlike other airlines, Winderoe put’s 2 outlets here for 2 people. Crazy most airlines just use 1.
Overhead there is an air vent, light, and flight attendant call button.
Outside it’s pretty grey, but it’s Norway in very early spring, that’s to be expected.
I like the “Get Well Soon!” message on the back of the puke bag, sorry, air sickness bag…
Widerøe E190 Push Back and Departure
With the cabin ready to go, we pushed back from the gate. The flight attendants gave their safety briefing and welcome. They stopped by our seat to check in on baby Violet and to give us a seat belt for her.
Pushed back from the gate here in Tromso.
We were soon at the runway and taking off. The Tromso airport is small, taxi time was minimal.
On takeoff, we got a great view of the mountains that surround Tromso.
Unfortunately, the clouds are quite low and we’re soon passing through them.
Widerøe E190 In Flight Drinks and Snacks
The flight attendants began their inflight service pretty quickly after the seatbelt sign was turned off.
The inflight menu was pretty extensive for such a small airline flying regional routes.
Widerøe E190 In Flight Menu
Widerøe E190 In Flight Menu
Widerøe E190 In Flight Menu
Widerøe E190 In Flight Menu
In flight, we had some sandwiches we purchased at the airport. I kinda wish I would have just purchased a sandwich on-board. Violet had cheese puffs.
We also got little chocolates from the flight attendants during their drink and snack service.
The Widerøe route map is pretty extensive. Lots of little destinations all around Norway and then down into Europe.
Widerøe E190 In Flight
The flight from Tromso to Bergen is just about 2 hours. Wideroe doesn’t have any in seat entertainment or Wifi so I settled into a podcast on my phone and enjoyed the views.
This part of the world is really beautiful. We’re flying along the Norwegian Coast, I chose to sit on the left side of the plane for this exact reason, I wanted the view.
We got lucky, there wasn’t much cloud cover as we headed south.
As we continued, the snow cover cleared but the view was still fantastic.
Widerøe E190 Lavatory
With about 25 minutes left in flight I headed back to the lavatory. The lavatory on the E190 isn’t huge, but it was clean and large enough that I wasn’t uncomfortable.
I headed back to my seat. We’re very happy the Violet had a snack and took a nap for the rest of the flight, can’t get better than that.
Widerøe E190 Arrival and Landing
With about 20 minutes left in flight. The seat-belt sign was turned back on and the flight attendants came through the cabin to collect garbage and prepare for landing.
The pilots also gave their thanks and goodbye. I will say, through the whole flight the E190 cabin has been very quiet. Much more so than the regular ERJ170/190s I’m accustomed to.
We broke through the clouds and got a view of the fjords that surround Bergen.
I guess I wasn’t expecting there to be so much green here in Bergen in comparison with Tromos. Kinda shows how much planning and research we do when trip prepping. We mostly fly blind into our destinations.
Just a few seconds later we’re on the ground here in Bergen.
Widerøe E190 Final Thoughts
I very much enjoyed our flight with Widerøe on their E190-E2. This was my first E2 flight as well and it really struck me how quiet this plane is. I really like the ERJ170/190 and I’ve reviewed them a bunch, but the E2 is a step ahead. It’s a shame we won’t see more of them in North America for a few reasons.
Widerøe is a nice little airline. The flight attendants are friendly and were very welcoming to us with Baby Violet. The seats themselves on the E190 are a little tight, but for a 2 hour flight are perfectly comfortable. I liked that Widerøe has 2 power ports in each row to charge devices.
I’d gladly ride with Widerøe again, I’d really like to try out their Dash 8 on a route to a more remote location, I think that would be very fun.