SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026 -- Once upon a travel time, in the spring of 2019, I had the pleasure of flying from Boston/Logan to Paris/CDG in the most comfortable and enjoyable premium cabin I have ever known. The aircraft: a Boeing 787 Dreamliner configured 2x3x2 with oodles of legroom. The carrier: Norwegian Airlines.

By January, 2021, with the world still masked and mostly immobile in the Covid era, Norwegian bailed on the U.S. market. It permanently scrapped transatlantic routes, dumped its Dreamliners and turned its attention almost exclusively to intra-Europe flights. The airline's announcement was quite the blow to those of us who had finally found a premium service to Europe that we could afford and enjoy.

Luckily, many of those widebody Dreamliners are still flying from the states to the continent, just not with Norwegian Airlines pilots in the cockpit or Norwegian's livery on the fuselage. Norse Atlantic Airways is perhaps the best-known operator of Norwegian's grounded Dreamliners. In fact, Norse was founded by Norwegian's former chief executive a month after the carrier halted transatlantic service.

I have flown Norse to Europe and its premium service is indeed worthy. I recommend it highly, in fact, and will gladly fly it again. So long as the independent airline stays in the transatlantic business, that is. After all, Norse is down to four routes this summer, prime time for U.S.-Europe travel.

But one lesser-known beneficiary of Norwegian's long-haul exit is the Italian carrier Neos. A subsidiary of a large Italian tour company, Neos operates a fleet of 18 aircraft, six of them the Boeing Dreamliners that premium passengers like me love so much.

I've flown Neos on a few occasions, most recently last month between New York/JFK and Milan/Malpensa airports. Thankfully, Neos 787s are configured almost identically to the original Norwegian layout and they are indistinguishable from current Norse aircraft. That's fabulous news for those of us who want to fly comfortably at a fair price. The Neos configuration in its Premium cabin is 2x3x2. Seat width is a spacious 19 inches. The pitch is 42 inches and legroom is 55 inches from your seatback to the back of the seat in front of you.

But there are a lot of other reasons to like Neos besides its Norwegian/Norse-like layout. The airline's Premium fares are absolutely lavish by 2026 standards. They include seat assignments, two checked bags, airport lounge access and even inflight WiFi. Norse charges separately and substantially for each of those extras. And Norse doesn't offer WiFi at any price.

What's more, changing your itinerary at Neos doesn't cost a dime. You pay the prevailing fare difference, of course, but few established airlines are so generous on international itineraries.

The onboard service at Neos? No complaints. Literally. The cabin crew is professional and efficient. The food is surprisingly good and surprisingly plentiful. On the afternoon flight from Malpensa back to Kennedy, I could not finish both of the two meals that were served. My wine glass didn't remain empty for very long. Bravo Neos! Neither Norse nor Norwegian before it has ever been so generous with in-flight victuals.

Is Neos perfect? Of course not. As with all discount carriers, there are quirks that will give experienced flyers pause and require you to calibrate your expectations.

First, and most importantly, you can't get many places on Neos. It only flies from New York/Kennedy. Its current nonstop transatlantic destinations are only Milan and Palermo. Not only that, but Neos only flies twice a week to Milan. Its Palermo route is only twice weekly and only in summer. It offers decent connections over Malpensa, of course, but the only one bookable from New York is Tel Aviv.

On the most practical levels, I'd have to say that Neos is strictly for travelers who can trust, but not necessarily verify, all things all the time. The Neos Web site can be a bit quirky and it lacks the type of customer service and support that other airlines offer. Another quirk: Neos doesn't honor American Express. If you're flying Neos, you're paying with Visa or Mastercard.

If total transparency, seamless service and effortless booking is an absolute must-have when you travel, then Neos is not for you.

But if you can handle the quirks, Neos is an airline that really does deserve your consideration. And the bottom line is always the bottom line: A Kennedy-Malpensa ticket in the Neos Premium cabin can cost less than $1,500 roundtrip in the weeks ahead. A roundtrip on Delta Air Lines in its premium economy cabin, which is more cramped and offers fewer perks, will cost north of $3,000.