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.
I flew the A330-300 Brussels Airlines in business class to Freetown (Sierra Leone) a few times and I have seen a lot things changing over time.
Flights to Africa depart from the T gates. This is at the end of the A gates and has an additional passport control. The passport control is a pain in the ass. If you have priority boarding you get quick through everywhere, except here. After the passport control, which can take up to one hour, you can find a lounge. The Suite by Brussels Airlines is a small lounge and offers just the basics. Probably because it is only open during the morning for the flights to Africa and America. The Loft is a much better lounge, but you have to take the 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. However, the inside is a bit disappointing. Especially when you know they used to have nice things inside. This is what’s inside the amenity kit: toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs, socks, a pen and a sleep mask. It used to have Rituals body lotion and lip balm inside too, but the bag was uglier.
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
The most annoying thing I experience with these flights isn’t on the plane itself, but the long queue at the passport control in Brussels Airport at the T gates. This has been going on for years and nothing is done to fix this.
