Brussels Airlines Customer Reviews and Brussels Airlines Passenger Trip Reports

SN 2624, HAM-BRU on 24 May 2013. SN 3816, LIS-BRU on 26 May 2013. SN 2629, BRU-HAM on 26 May 2013. Nice new Airbuses. Good Recaro seats throughout that provide ample legroom even in Economy for a 189 m tall person. Friendly staff and departure on time. A really bad downturn however is that in the lowest fare class not even a free soft drink is provided! Its not a no-frill airline but a full star-alliance member. On the second leg with TAP this was no problem, even alcohol was served for free.

Low cost airline but without low cost. After 3 hours sitting on the plane, the staff came and asked everybody whether anybody wanted to buy drinks! Credit card accepted. On a low cost airline like Ryanair I would understand this, that's their low cost strategy. Brussels Airlines is an airline like Lufthansa, Swiss and so on and are not cheaper at all. On all other airlines you get at least drink.

FRA-BRU-FIH and back in business class. Service in Business class improved a lot since last year! I find Brussels Airlines better than mother company Lufthansa. Service in Business class is almost at the same level of Swiss. They have great seats on board, very good food and excellent staff at the gate and on board. I was greeted with a smile while entering the plane, during the service and when I left the aircraft. The dinner service was quite good, especially for a 6hr 30 min transatlantic flight. Brussels Airlines is a small but very nice company, I will fly them again in the future!

BRU-JFK A330-300. The flagship route of SN, but a decidedly mixed experience. While the seat pitch was excellent for Y and AVOD was decent, food was pretty mediocre and staff service was poor even by American standards, with rude flight attendants who ignored passengers and forgot the simplest requests.

Brussels-Venice-Brussels: both departures on time, clean plane, comfortable seats, friendly staff both in Brussels and Venice, prices on board reasonable. Excellent value and a cheap ticket.

LHR-BRU on A319. Plane was clean, staff polite. I'm a big guy and legroom was really good. Would recommend!

BCN-BRU. I got a cheap ticket for this flight, so I didn't expect a lot. Everything is just fair, certainly not outstanding. No problem for a 2hrs flight.

Oslo-Brussels-Banjul. First time travelling with Brussels Airlines - certainly not the last! Enjoyed the service from Oslo, with easy connection in Brussels. Most impressive though the service from Brussels-Banjul. Brand new aircraft. Very comfortable and relaxing. Staff did their utmost to serve passengers. Will use Brussels again. Only negative - the "pillows" attached to the seats. A little uncomfortable, should have been a little bit softer.

I flew with this airline from Brussels to London. The check-in process was fine as was the bag drop too. Queue management was not very good at all and caused a few concerns to say the least. I found the cabin to be clean and tidy and in good order. The crew were pleasant and efficient if rather lacking in ability to deal with 3 rowdy passengers. I had the cheapest seating option and for a short flight it was tolerable!

I flew BRU-JFK-BRU in Business Class. From check-in to de-boarding the crew were very nice and service minded. The sunrise lounge in Brussels is great and offers a nice view. The new cabin is very nice and offers full flat beds. Flight was to short to try all the features. Great food and wines! Would recommend them and I will fly Brussels Airlines again.

FCO-BRU-OSL. Early bird flight out of Rome, A320, boarded last and ignored assigned seat in crowded forward section aiming for empty row at back of plane. Ended up in last row. Excellent legroom! And recline! A pleasant surprise! Seats are the new light-weight, paper-thin, plastic buss-like product so many low-cost carriers adore - hence, comfort is in accordance. But the legroom and the recline on the last row of this A320 was superb. Downside, Cabin staff yapped without pause in aft galley for the duration of the flight. BRU-OSL: A146. Like stepping into a time-warp. 1994-style cabin (at best), but again, great legroom and recline! All male cabin staff - friendly. If price is right, would fly again - solely because of the ample legroom and comfy recline. Which are the only things that separates this carrier from below par low cost everyday standard air travel.

Brussels-Rome return. Good fare, excellent flight, new plane, comfortable seats, polite and helpful staff, both flights left on time.

We boarded in Brussels (20-01-13) and sat in the chilly cabin for 5.5 hrs and waited before we finally departed. No free drinks or food served and very little information was given about the reason for the long delay. Once we landed in Copenhagen, we were not informed that no ones luggage had been loaded onto the plane. Naturally, everybody went to retrieve their luggage at the pickup area with the official information saying that our luggage would be arriving on the belts shortly. Everybody ended up waiting almost another 2 hours for their luggage to arrive with another plane, with no official information given about the reason. So, in conclusion: Brussels Airlines is poorly managed even down to the most basic services. I would much rather pay a bit more for my plane ticket next time around to avoid using Brussels Airline.

BRU-PRG, Airbus A319. In business class the space between the seats (I was in the second row) was no more then in economy class. Food was nothing special, 2 wraps and half a sandwich. I choose an airline for good quality at a good price so this was my last flight with Brussels. Service needs to improve!

BRU-NYC in Economy. Very nice experience over all. Check in and pre-boarding a bit confused, but ok. Seat pitch very nice for economy and being quite tall really a plus. Cocktails and snacks served after take off, followed by a quite good meal for economy. Followed by coffee and the, and ice-cream. They could have come through the cabin with water more often, and in general the cabin service was correct but somewhat reserved. In-flight entertainment quite good with personal screens and a nice selection. Altogether, a very nice economy experience.

We flew from Brussels to Yaounde, Cameroon. The plane developed engine trouble and Brussels Airlines kindly provided luncheon vouchers. When it became clear that our flight wasn't going anywhere, we were bussed to a very nice hotel for an overnight stay and given dinner and breakfast. The flight took off the next morning without delay. The service was first rate, and they even gave us chilled champagne in economy class! The food was hot and tasty, the entertainment units were very good, the seats were comfortable with more legroom than Air Canada, and the cabin crew were friendly and accommodating. The return flight was just as good. It's Brussels Airlines for us in future!

SN 3292, TLV-BRU, Mon 12 Nov 20122. SN 3291, BRU-TLV, Fri 16 Nov, 2012. Basically OK. The seats are fairly comfortable, though I wish they would recline more, service OK, security good, food bearable, the main con being the lack of entertainment.

SN Brussels Airlines - C class Bristol Brussels. Terrible check in and boarding, unused c class counter, agent was a disgrace and rude. Not at all apologetic. Some golfers flying cattle class were checked in first. Wonder why? The whole process including "fast lane" is a laugh - a shame because later on all went well. SN were using BMI plane for this very short leg Bristol Brussels, cabin service was quite ok, smallest commercial pax plane I have ever boarded. Only me C pax in cabin, Very experienced and pleasant crew - Bristol based. On time at arrival and luggage too. Would fly SN again and would recommend!

LHR-BRU-LHR. Almost empty on the way out, almost at capacity on the way home. Both flights on time and although the seats were reasonably comfy the leg room was pretty tight. No inflight service for economy, everything is for purchase but as it's only 45 minutes or so in the air this isn't a huge issue.

BRU-LHR, on what was supposed to be a short flight, but given the usual LHR delays, arrived half an hour late. Basically no service onboard, flight half-empty. Besides the free checked bag, minimal difference from any true budget carrier. Comfortable seats, clean interior, nothing to recommend besides.

MXP-BRU. On time flight in economy flex class. Got snack and beverage. Cabin was clean and crew were helpful.

As a family traveling with a pair of baby twins we received a tremendous amount of help from the crew. My husband and I (and 8 month twin babies) traveled from New York to Hamburg via Brussels for 3 hours. We felt un-rushed between flights, during our layover and onboard. Greeted with smiles and remained that way through the flight, even holding my meal in the back until the babies fell asleep. Flight was full, 8 hours and they made it comfortable for everyone.

Booked trip PRG-SXB via BRU return, short connection (1 hr) confirmed as sufficient. Web check reminder came exactly 24 hrs before flight by e-mail. First leg delayed by technical reasons for about 30 mins. RJ100 not very clean, sunshield broken. Upon my request the crew denied to arrange any fast transfer to connecting flight (hand baggage only). Despite the staff attitude and thanks to the same gate concourse in BRU, I have just made the boarding. Second leg operated by Flybe crew but SN plane (Dash 8 Q400), only 20 pax on board, small snack provided (opposite to the first leg). On return, I tried successfully mobile webckeck, but no one was able to answer in advance whether this will be accepted by the Strasbourg airport - I was recommended to check-in at the SXB though, but on the spot was informed this is alright. Some 1 hour before departure, it was clear that flight to BRU is delayed. I just managed to check Brussels airport website to find out that expected delay will result in missing the 1 hr connection to Prague (and having night in BRU and morning flight to PRG on the SN costs naturally). Immediately, I received call from SN booking center with offer of replacement direct flight by CSA taking me home 2 hrs sooner than original schedule without additional charges and swiftly received new e-ticket and proceeded to check-in. Therefore, despite not being in the same alliance as CSA, SN has made great service on the return and will not hesitate to fly with them again.

NCE-BRU-NCE. Check-in efficient. A little delay due to a technical problem and a lost passenger inside the Nice Terminal. Economy seating quite spacious in an A319, and surprising amount of legroom. Food and drinks are for purchase, however the choice offered and the quality proposed is largely worth the expense. Flight arrived with a 20 minute delay, however the disembarking process went on quickly. As always at BRU, bags tend to take some time to arrive, but the labyrinth that gets you there does somehow reduce the sense of wait. Return flight even better. Same quality service as outbound, without the delay, in an A320. Worth both your money and your time. Even with buy-on- board food.

New York City to Bilbao, Spain, connecting through Brussels. The flights were wonderful - punctual check-in and boarding times, excellent service from friendly staff, very good beverage and food service. The entertainment on the flight New York to Brussels was great - each seat has their own screen and a good selection of films, audio or games to choose from. On the flight Brussels to Bilbao (about 2 hours) we were served beverages and a warm meal. That just doesn't happen anymore on flights within the United States so it was a welcome surprise. No charge for anything in- flight - alcohol, headphones, pillows, blankets. The way it used to be (and should be).

LHR-BRU-VNO.A319 to BRU then RJ100. Leg room better on RJ. Food and drink to buy. This is my only gripe as flights booked through Lufthansa.com but without Lufthansa service due to code share.

TXL-BRU-BJL-BRU-TXL. European flights in b.flex, intercontinental ones in business class. Since I last flew Brussels Airlines in b.flex, there has been a significant decline in service. A year ago, you received a little tray with a salad, a cold meal and hot bread rolls. Now, it is down to a sandwich or a croissant depending on the time of day. European business class seemed to be down-graded, too. In business, you get now what you used to get in b.flex. Intercontinental flights in business class, however, were quite a different matter. On the way out to Banjul, the plane was equipped with the new business-class seats. In one row the seating arrangement is 1-2-1, in the next 2-1-2. Beds are fully lie-flat beds now. Meals were of an excellent quality for airline food, and flight attendants were attentive and constantly refilled your glasses. On the return to Brussels, the cabin layout in business class was the old 2-2-2 seating, so no lie-flat beds, which was a pity as it was a night flight departing at 22.45 local time. Service was a bit rushed, but then everyone was eager to get at least a couple of hours of sleep before breakfast was served at 5.45 CET.

BRU-MAD-BRU in b.light. Both flights on-time, with friendly crew. Remarkable only a 2-minute wait for luggage in Madrid. Space extremely tight on nearly full B737-400, which makes for two very uncomfortable two-hour flights.

Brussels-Bilbao-Brussels on Avro 100 in b flex (economy plus service). Cabin crew on the outbound flight were great, very warm and service was of a near business level (excellent food, pre flight drink, multiple drinks, excellent for such a short flight). Inbound flight crew seemed more hurried and less interested but service was still superior to many other airlines. The airplane was getting a bit old but had a very comfortable 2-3 set up.

I am happy to note Brussels Airlines have renovated their Fleet providing more comfort for travellers. Return flight from Nice to Brussels in Business Class (A319) on 12th May was well run with a friendly and efficient crew. Afternoon snack was tasty and appreciated. This Airline is worth trying.

LYS-BRU-LHR first flight on Avro RJ100, second on Avro RJ85. Good flight though 2nd a little late due to aircraft late arrival. Both crews professional and friendly with interesting en-route information in 3 languages. Food and drinks prices correct despite limited choice. Good value but long transit in Brussels (4 hours). Luggage delivered quickly in LHR. Bus shuttle from aircraft to terminal in LHR unfortunately adds to the delay and no remarks from crew to the passenger in front of me who didn't put his seat in the upright position on landing, apart from that a smooth flight.

BRU-BCN-BRU - B-light. On time. Online check-in is very efficient. I enjoyed the flight. Very friendly staff and attendants. A319, new recargo seats with enough legroom. Drinks and snacks available for an acceptable price.

BRU-MAN-BRU in b.light. Straightforward hassle-free lights. Outbound flight in nearly full RJ 100, return flight RJ 85. Easy mobile check-in, no delays, and remarkably no wait for luggage in BRU. Food for purchase menu totally uninspiring. Reasonable value for 137 euro return.

BRU-LHR and FCO-BRU. Avro RJ85 on first leg and 737-300 on second. Both aircraft looked tired, old, and in need of reconditioning. Brussels Airlines is really a low cost airline "dressed-up" as a major. Not a single cup of water offered onboard. At FCO, hand luggage was weighted and as there were the 4 of us, they forced us to move bits from hand luggage to checked baggage. As a frequent flyer, I travel 3 times a year over the Atlantic and have flown many airlines, but Brussels Airlines is at the bottom of my scale.

BRU-Toulouse-BRU in B Flex economy +. Both flights on time on the very old Avro 100s. Whilst glad to report that the Brussels Airlines crew still offer a fairly professional service, the B Flex product is hardly attractive - a free drink and a 'snack' - a small packet of Doritos! A newspaper if you are lucky, but no extra legroom. Best to buy a B light ticket and purchase drinks/food. Sadly I rarely use Brussels Airlines these days due to the unrealistic economy fares they offer on my regular routes and competition from the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair. They need to improve their product and their pricing.

BRU-BCN return in b-light. On time departure and arrival, online check-in very efficient, quick drop-off luggage in BRU, friendly staff and attendants. Smooth flight, enough legroom, drinks and snacks available for a decent price. A very good experience.

We flew from Brussels to Seville in B.Flex, economy plus. Check-in in Brussels was very fast and friendly at the dedicated B.Flex counters. Service onboard was very nice. We received a breakfast with complimentary drinks. Great staff. Looking forward to try their new business class on long haul!

BRU-BCN return. Both legs on Airbus A319 aircraft's with the new recaro seats. Seat pitch was however much better on the outbound then the inbound where it was charter style. This is unacceptable for a national carrier. Both flights arrived ahead of schedule.

BRU-LHR and MXP-BRU. First leg on A319, second leg on Avroliner. Both legs on time. Bus-to-aircraft used both ends at BRU as well as at MXP. Business Class has an amateur feel about it; especially on the second leg, the crew were giggling like children and missed collecting hot towels. Small detail but makes an impact on how you feel about the experience. The gourmet food promised was anything but.

NCL-BRU-AGP-BRU-NCL in b-light (discount economy). Newcastle-Brussels sectors operated by BMI regional. Check-in online 24 hours before, no queue for drop off. Outbound FA fairly surly but extremely bright and cheery on return. Coffee and waffle perfectly adequate. Fairly long trek at Brussels from non-Schengen to Schengen gates, although little in the way of queues. Aircraft substitution and baggage reconciliation issues meant a fairly farcical situation at gate, several duplicate seat assignments added to confusion, although onboard crew were extremely efficient and apologetic. Ageing 737 into Malaga not particularly comfortable. Return on newer A319 with new slimline seats and all on time. Catering on BRU-AGP sectors was BoB which was fairly expensive. Overall, very good service for the price and will certainly consider using SN again.

Early-morning Geneva-Brussels flight on A319. Comfortable slim line leather seats. Efficient and professional cabin crew. One complaint only: hot beverages unavailable due to water tank left empty because of extreme freezing temperatures in Geneva.

Prague to Brussels return. Travelling as a party of 7 and got a great fare. Outbound flight on a freezing Avro RJ100 - even the FA's had to wear coats in the cold cabin until the temperature rose to an acceptable level some time after takeoff. No complimentary service in b.light, but that doesn't matter on a 1.5 hr flight, especially when prices for snacks/drinks are quite reasonable. Return on a RJ85, 30 min delay from BRU with no explanation given. Both aircraft clean with comfortable leather seats (2+3) and decent legroom for a regional jet.