BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 24 October 2009 : by A Swamy

Customer Rating : 2/5

BOM-BRU-CDG. Transit through BRU on Jet Airways. Landed at 0750 at concourse B with onward flight to CDG at 0940 from concourse A. After a long walk through concourse B, reached passport control. 4 counters operating for non EU citizens with more than 200 people in line. Took an agonizing 1 hour and 10 min to clear. Again a long walk to reach concourse A. Security check took another 10 min. Had to rush to my gate to avoid missing the flight and reached just 2 minutes before scheduled departure time. No clear or enough directions to reach the gates. I guess the airlines are used to it and they waited for an additional 15-20 minutes for passengers who were stuck in the BRU maze. Please avoid transiting through BRU if you can or allow at least 3 hours to transit.

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 31 July 2009 : by E Etsion

Customer Rating : 4/5

Access to and from the airport is easy by car or rail. If you arrive too early for check in there is no seating so either be prepared to stand or come a bit later. Security checks can be tiring - depending, of course, on how many people are waiting in line. Was not required to take off shoes since they have a new machine that you simply stand on. I was, however, required to take off my belt and every once in about three times I used this airport was body searched as well. Once you go through all the hassle it gets more calm, there is usually enough seating and the waiting is OK. All in all a clean and efficient airport. The only really bother: you may have a very long walk from arrival gate to passport control since the terminal is a long corridor. If you're lucky you will land closer to the terminal.

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 27 June 2009 : by C Chouleur

Customer Rating : 2/5

I used to like travelling through Brussels Airport : not anymore ! The few last month the airport experience has turned from pleasant to very anoying due to the lack of staff . Lack of staff at check in with Brussels airlines : the airline is trying to force everybody to check on line and the result is long queues at the airport. Lack of staff at boarding pass control : another line before getting to the terminal. Lack of staff at security where now you have to take off shoes every time with rude and bored staff and queues getting longer each month. Altogether a very bad experience and no time left to spend some time and money in the shops.

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 11 May 2009 : by E Nylund

Customer Rating : 4/5

Cool modern design and lots of space to sit. I arrived in BRU too early and thus had a long wait for my flight, and found you have to pay for the wireless internet. No entertainment thus. The free charging stations for your laptop/cell phone were useful though. Toilets clean (despite someone had been smoking in there). What I really found annoying was the journey to the luggage claim up and down escalators and long corridors. I also didn't realize the exit was in the middle of the luggage claim area and not in the end and thus wandered around looking a bit lost. There was also no mailbox after the security check - I forgot to mail my postcards before going in. The maps claimed there should've been one but I really couldn't find it. Rail connection to Brussels ok, railway station sterile and boring.

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 19 February 2009 : by S Sivaraman

Customer Rating : 3/5

Good airport, I have used it a few times, nice and clean. Never really had the chance to check duty free though. But be prepared to walk, and I mean really walk, 3 floors down, and then under the park bays (?) and 3 floors up. The designer should have been a health freak.. the last thing I want when rushing to meetings is a 20 minute jog to exit an airport!

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 9 February 2009 : by J Bertani

Customer Rating : 3/5

Terminal A is a dreadful place where one can easily got lost. When arriving there's an endless walk to the exit with escalators up and down and miles of moving walkways with few and confusing signs in this shopping of an airport. Finding the train station is quite a challenge too. The automatic tickets vending machines only accept Belgium cards. On the positive side, it's a clean place full of natural light but designed by someone who never use airports!

BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT review : 16 October 2008 : by Matt Ray

Customer Rating : 4/5

Nice airport, but they do love their escalators, don't they? There is one after another to go anywhere. It is almost comical. I had heard about this, but seeing it in person made me laugh. Grab a piece of chocolate to keep your energy up!

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Paul Jacobsen

20 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Terminal A for Schengen flights is quite comfortable with much natural daylight and plenty of seating areas. But it is quite a long walk to the baggage claim area, using numerous escalators. Catering is good and reasonably priced. Trains to downtown Brussels run every 20min and are cheap. Please note that the ticket vending machines accept Euro coins only and no credit cards. Signals in the check-in halls could be improved as it is rather difficult to locate the right counter.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Barry Byrne

16 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Very long queues for security tonight in zone B in Brussels. At least a 400m queue to reach the scanners, it started just after the passport check desks and it was slow moving. This did not seem to have any obvious cause. With the mega long walks you can have here, a good reason to be prudent.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Christophe Chouleur

17 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Brussels Airport is convenient and most of the time easy to travel through. Bright and airy the Shengen terminal is much better than the older one and also offers more opportunities for shopping. Recently longs queues for security have appeared and the airport management should find a solution to this problem.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Erich Koller

4 February 2008   Customer Rating :

BRU Zaventem Airport has made significant improvements over the last couple of years. I was in and out of this airport almost monthly for 4 years and despite most often using the rather old B concourse, they have not only built additional gates but also invested in some upgrades. Arrival is still a bit odd with long walks from gate to immigration counters in concourse B and with sometimes long queues. However, airport staff is friendly and security is strict but done in a friendly manner. Overall a 3 to 4 stars in Europe. With improved intercontinental connections and one of the best intra-Europe network, this airport has good potential to become even better and more attractive to travellers.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Mark St-Amour

22 January 2008   Customer Rating :

I use Brussels airport a lot and it is a good airport which has got better over the past couple of years. The cafes are good and not too expensive when compared with places like Heathrow. The train service should be improved though as it only accepts Belgian debit cards and normally only 1 machine works. As everyone is coming from abroad this doesn't make much sense.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by N Barnsley

12 December 2007   Customer Rating :

A well run and well maintained airport with friendly and efficient staff. Frequent and reasonably priced train link into central Brussels. Didn't use the shops or catering so can't comment there. If your flight comes in at the far end of pier A, then you're in for quite a hike to the train station/taxi pick up, and the signing seems to fizzle out towards the end, but otherwise a very good experience.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Matthew Ross

16 November 2007   Customer Rating :

The negative aspects are high prices in restaurants and car parking. Although there is a single terminal, there are two departure areas - "A" for Schengen zone countries (i.e. no passport controls) and "B" for non-Schengen (including the UK and Ireland). Passengers travelling through area "B" have a far shorter walk to/from the 'planes. Flights occasionally arrive at area "A" from non-Schengen countries - this is usually when bus transfers are necessary (so that passengers have to pass through passport control). A good recent development are the direct trains from the airport to Leuven as well as Brussels. A little known bus link is the hourly De Lijn service 359 to/from Roodebeek Metro station - useful for the east side of Brussels.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Hugh Dow

11 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Zaventem is good, clean and friendly. The food is pricey. The train connection is excellent but the taxis are a crude rip off. We are stuck with the never-ending tunnel to terminal A but the terminal is nice when you get there. Do something about people parking on the forecourt. And bussing when you land is hateful, time consuming and stressful.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Jean-Louis Vergaert

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at 10:30 pm on 1 June, and surprise: not a single luggage cart available! Usually hundreds of them are parked next to the luggage belts, but tonight absolutely none to see... Also, the taxi meters have again increased their prices, making it one of the most expensive ride in the world.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by S Koenig

13 May 2007   Customer Rating :

I do not think I have ever walked so far upon landing from a gate to an airport's luggage area and exit. Long walks, 3 levels of escalators down, more walking, then 3 levels of escalators up (someone told me we had passed under the runway). Customs was quick. Wanted to take the train to town, but since it was past the hours of the train ticket windows we waited in line to use the ticket machines, only to find only a couple of types of cards (no credit cards) could be used. Ended up doing what we should have done: went to the train and bought tickets on board. Upon our return, we saw long lines for purchase of train tickets. Airport itself is spacious, modern, clean and with a wide array of shops (all pricey, it seemed), and several restaurants and bars.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Judy Zai

29 March 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

I am a frequent traveler in and out of Brussels Airport. I like the airport for its space, cleanliness and facilities, but hates the walks to and from the gates. The distance just seems endless, escalators round and round and extremely long walkways. I always wondered how anyone, especially older persons carrying hand luggage, can survive the walk. In all, I think it is a very nice but user unfriendly airport.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by R Libbrecht

27 October 2006

BRU needs more terminals, and they should be smaller. The walk to the gates makes you feel like you walk for two hours. Like the shopping area, however. Especially the second floor, where you have a smoking area and a cafeteria which gives you a great view over the leaving aircraft. Natural light and high ceilings make the airport look large, larger than it actually is. The Arrivals, however, are very crowded and should be enlarged. In the evening there's just to many people.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Brian Hewitt

22 August 2006

My first time at this airport and I was most impressed, we were on the train to city centre within 15 minutes of arriving. On the return trip check in was quick with no queues and no queues at security. I found the airport clean. bight and airy, and considering it is a fairly large airport it seems very relaxed and unhurried. As I live in the north of England in future I will try to use Brussels as a transit airport to avoid the London airports.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Jack Sheldon

6 February 2006

Weird logic at Brussels airport. Flight from GVA parked at the gate nearest to the main terminal building in the Schengen wing. Obviously couldn't use the finger dock (GVA is non-Schengen), so bussed out to the extreme end of the non-Schengen wing. Result -- a 10 minute walk all the way up the wing. Why doesn't the bus deposit you near the main terminal building, as it does in most other airports?

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Jean-Louis Vergaert

6 November 2005

We seem to all agree that the walk to Terminal A is a marathon. To save some time, do not hesitate to take the lift - this will avoid you to circle around on 10 escalators. Another scam: the airport taxi's, which charge you at the double-tariff (going up very fast, you easily pay US$ 50 to go to the city centre). I will add that this is completely illegal, as normally taxi's should charge the double-rate only when they exit their district, so they should drive a few miles at regular tarif, but instead they immediately switch to double-rate. This is industry practice, so you have no chance to change their mind. Finally, Brussels airport is the only airport I know where the police is completely absent from the car loading and unloading area. As a consequence, anyone parks their car there and leave it, happy to find the "free" spot without having to pay for the parking, and when you just want to unload the luggage, there is no space. Aside that, let us be fair: airport is beautiful, well-lit, spacious, confortable, with many seats, relatively well indicated.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Xuess Wee

29 August 2005

In my opinion, this is an under-utilised airport as all the planes (A319s, A320s, B757s and B767s) are all small airplanes as the airport mainly served flights between EU and other European countries. The national airlines SN Brussels only flys within Europe and to some African countries. There wasn't much of shopping to be done so time was best spent in the cafeterias. The airport does make effort to light up the terminals with natural light as light pours in from a glass roof so at least it is not dim. I was surprised that the airport squeezed all the gates together in one row so meaning if you have to board a plan at gate 89, it's a long walk down. The departure hall is more pleasant than the arrival hall, which was chaotic and dim and I really do not understand why all the trolleys had to be stowed ONLY at one corner of the baggage claim area. I had to walk almost 5 minutes to claim one and then walk the next 5 minutes back to my baggage claim belt, among people pushing you around and screaming kids. A most annoying and inconvenient system!

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Nick Pierce

23 April 2005

I lived in Belgium for two years and used this airport frequently. I have flown on both US Carriers back home and SN Brussels and various other Eurocarriers. The service at the ticket counter is generally brusque but respectful. The food is extremely pricey as are drinks and of course, this being Europe means a complete and utter lack of drinking fountains. Another downside is if you are taking a flight intra-schengen (intra-EU) be prepared for a long and confusing walk up and down countless escalators, moving sidewalks, etc to reach your gate.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Stefan Neuhauser

7 February 2005

The new Schengen terminal is - from an architectural point of view - fantastic, SN-Brussels Lounge has half a dozen free internet terminals, wireless internet for the rest of us is all over the airport (beware: you have to pay for this via access cards you may buy in newspaper shops in the checkin/arrival area; there is NO outlet for these access cards once you have passed security after check-in). food is rather expensive as are drinks. the biggest backset: the ridiculous walkway from the Schengen terminal to check in/exit. half a dozen escalators, half a kilometer of conveyor belts, stairways and the like taking you around in circles probably as far as 10 meters below ground seem ridiculous, considering that an airbridge connecting the Schengen terminal with the main building would save you 20 minutes of walking time and would have been much cheaper to construct.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Rune Haug

14 November 2004

Confusion! I had a transfer there, and had a hard time finding my way around. Lots of escalators, the long walk, and I had to go through the baggage reclaim area and out to the arrival hall although my baggage was checked all the way. A note: SN Brussels personel at their desk in the airport were quite arrogant, after I had been served the wrong meal onboard. They don't know the difference between VGML (Lactose-free vegetarian meal), and VLML (normal vegetarian), and claimed I was wrong, in a very patronizing way - and no excuses after a long discussion ending up with them calling the catering manager, finding out that they were wrong and I right. This happened to me twice, they obviously don't take passengers with special needs seriously, and I will avoid flying SN Brussels again.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Jeroen Sieben

20 September 2004

This is a decent and pleasant airport. I used the Schengen terminal and loved its design. There are, however, a number of points which needs improvement. Check in for my flight was not open when I arrived and I had to wait for an hour, but all the seats in the check-in area were taken, there were clearly not enough and I had to sit outside on a curb which is really ridiculous. Secondly, when leaving the baggage claim area wear an oxygen mask because the arrivals hall is filled with cigarette smoke. I do not understand why they permit people smoking there, because this is a serious disadvantage for this airport.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Matt Sudders

19 July 2004

Brussels Airport is spacious,light and airy. The personnel you encounter are generally polite and pleasant. The delays are relatively low. Just a couple of things I would change Smoking turns the arrivals hall into a fog The Food and drink are far far too expensive (7.5Euros for a sliced tomato and some mozarella), and some flights seem to come into the wrong terminal. SAS flights arrive at the Schengen terminal but passengers then have to be bussed to the other one.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Zeshan Riaz

15 July 2004

I have travelled to and from BRU on countless occasions and found it to be a very nice, clean and not busy at all. Although the airport staff can do with a bit of smile but otherwise its fine. Shopping can be on the expensive side inside the terminal.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by Dennis Matthews

22 April 2004

I don't understand Mr Kingston. Maybe he had a bad day, because I don't think the walk to the A pier is that long - and I've been to many airports. The new A pier is one of the nicest I've ever seen, it's bright, it's clean, it's modern - I really enjoyed walking through it! Never overcrowded, friendly staff, great bars and shops, nice and clean, great punctuality.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by N Jansen

22 March 2004

Many users of this review page have noted the long walk in the non-Schengen pier. This is indeed a long building, but as compared to many other airports the walk is not excessively long, it only looks long because it is 1 long corridor. Take for instance Heathrow, London : many turns and curbs and shops to get through, making the walk at least as tiring as the nice and clean straightforward (be it long) walk in Brussels. The nice new car park, the airy departure hall, the pleasant shops, the friendly staff all make it into a good airport. The price of meals and drinks, the sometimes limited number of immigration officers and the absence of fast food outlets are less positive. The airport has a bus link and train link to Brussels, and a special bus to Antwerp. Train links to other parts of the country are a bit cumbersome since you have to go through Brussels North or South station first for many connections. It was recently announced however that over the next 5 years new rail infrastructure will be constructed, offering direct and even high speed links to other parts of the country.

Brussels Zaventem Airport review by J Kingston

21 March 2004

Brussels Zaventem gets my vote as the worst airport in Europe. Imagine, they decided to build a brand new terminal--lavishing money on it I am sure - and created a monster. The walk from check in to the Schengen Terminal A is a nightmare! Down escalators (poorly conceived so that you have to walk around a square to get to the next one) along a long corridor, through poorly staffed inefficient security, back up escalators (again being forced to go around a square looking at stupid shops) then along a pier that is at least a km long. Check in to far end is a 20 minute brisk walk at best. This is nuts AND somebody created this as a NEW project! Keep in mind this is for what are in theory the shortest flights around - to Schengen destinations! For the capital of Europe to have an airport this ill conceived is a disgrace.