Brussels Airlines is based in Brussels Airport and connects a lot of European cities to our capital with A320’s. This airline makes Brussels Airport an important hub to connect Africa with the rest of the world.
Flights to Africa depart from the T gates in Brussels Airport. This is at the end of the A gates and has an additional passport control. The passport control can get pretty busy. If you have priority boarding you get quickly through everywhere, except here. After the passport control, which can take up to one hour, you can find a lounge. The Sunrise Lounge by Brussels Airlines is a small lounge and offers all the basics. The lounge is only open during the morning for the flights to Africa and North-America operated by Brussels Airlnes. The Loft is a much better lounge, but you have to take the possible passport control queue in account to be sure to arrive on time at your gate.
Once you board, you can get in your spacious seat. If you’re wearing a suit jacket, they ask you if they can store your jacket for you. Afterwards, a welcome drink is offered. You can choose between orange juice, water or Laurent Perrier Champagne.
On your seat, you can find an amenity kit, a Spa Reine water bottle, a pillow and a blanket. Headphones without noise-cancellation are distributed.
The amenity kit bag is lovely. They have three different designs.
The seat is very comfy and has a massage function.
The service and the food during the flight are really nice. Some people don’t like the fact that Brussels Airlines still uses trays to serve the meals. As long as the meals are tasty, I don’t complain about the trays!
Lunch started with an “apero snack”.
Quickly, the starter was served. I chose the lobster.
I then chose the main course with chicken and potatoes.
You can also have a cheese plate upon request.
To top it off, you can finish your lunch with dessert.
In the front of the cabin, you can find chocolates, juices and fruit if you get hungry during the flight.
The bathroom isn’t really bigger but has some products available, such as body lotion.
About one hour before landing, we also received some ice cream, what a nice surprise!
Right before landing, all business class passengers received a box of Neuhaus chocolates, not the perfect gift to carry along in hot and humid Africa but a very nice touch.
If you’re flying during the night with Brussels Airlines, you can get dinner and you’ll have the possibility to have breakfast right before landing. This is the typical breakfast they’ve always served me.
If you happen to have a stopover somewhere, Belgian snacks (such as Pringles chips) are distributed during the stopover. For example, when returning from Freetown to Brussels, we first flew to Monrovia (Liberia), which took 40 minutes. The stop takes about one hour and a half and snacks are distributed.
Overall impressions:
Brussels Airlines has a consistent business class service. The seats are fine and I sleep well in those seats. The amenity kit bags are very nice but the content is fairly basic. The crew is friendly and professional. I really like the food, despite it being served on a tray and the chocolate gift box is a nice gift to end your flight with Brussels Airlines. I really like that Brussels Airlines has this Belgian influence with all the chocolates and a wide selection of Belgian beers.
If you happen to be able to select your seat, choose a “throne seat” if you travel alone. These seats have much more space and they are perfect if you still have work to do. Examples: 1A and 1K, 3A and 3K, 5A and 5K.
Picture taken from seatguru.com
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