Brussels Airlines is based in Brussels Airport and connects a lot of European cities to Brussels airport with their A320’s. Brussels Airlines’ A330 Business Class offers a comfortable and distinctly Belgian experience on its long-haul routes, primarily to Africa and North America. However, for those keen on maximising their Business Class experience, knowing which livery your aircraft sports can make a difference.
How to navigate: Brussels Airport
Brussels airport is divided into a Non-Schengen and a Schengen zone, where the A gates represent the Schengen departures and the B gates the Non-Schengen. At the end of the A gates however, you have a separate Non-Schengen departure, exclusively used from morning until around noon for primarily Brussels Airlines Non-Schengen departures on their A330’s.
Therefore, when walking to the last gate of A gates, you’ll find the additional passport control that gives you access to the T gates. Please note that passport control can get very busy here and it is therefore recommended to queue up on time.
The Lounge Situation
Brussels Airport has three airport lounges on the A/T gates side:
- The Loft by Brussels Airlines is created for A departures but can be accessed as a Star Alliance Gold or Business class passenger even if your flight departs from the T gates. However, you’ll still need to go to passport control so you have to depart to the T gates on time.
- The Diamond Lounge is the lounge that can be accessed if you own PriorityPass or other programs that allow you lounge access. It is situated next to The Loft lounge so make sure to depart on time to the T gates for passport control.
- The Sunrise Lounge by Brussels Airlines is specially created for the flights departing from the T gates and is only open until noon, when the T gates close. Therefore, this lounge, albeit small, is still the preferred lounge to visit when flying Brussels Airlines business class long-haul, because you can relax after passport control up until departure.
Brussels Airlines Liveries
There are currently 9 to 11 Airbus A330-300 in operation by Brussels Airlines. The following registration codes are registered to the airline:
- OO-SFB
- OO-SFC
- OO-SFD
- OO-SFE
- OO-SFF
- OO-SFH
- OO-SFJ
- OO-SFP
- OO-SFQ
- OO-SFX
While you’ll find on most of the aircrafts the “Boutique Hotel” style cabins which is a great hard product, there’s still one cabin operational with the Eurowings livery. The registration code is OO-SFJ.
Credits to: aerolopa.com
OO-SFJ:
All other cabins:
If you look at the history on Flightradar of OO-SFJ, you can see up to 7 days in advance which route this aircraft will fly. However, there is clearly no standard set, it seems that Brussels Airlines is planning the route at random and is not avoiding this aircraft type to any route as it is widely flown to North America and Africa.
Why avoid the OO-SFJ, Eurowings Livery cabin?
- There’s no self-service bar
- The space is limited as it is a 2-2-2 configuration vs a 1-2-1
- The cabin interior is old and worn
Brussels Airlines amenities
Food & beverage products
- Champagne served is usually Laurent Perrier
- Neushaus chocolates are distributed after meal and are available for grabs during the flight
- Ice cream is distributed during the flight (after meal service)
- Belgian touch: Belgian beers such as Triple Karmeliet are on offer on the menu
Pre-landing gift
Brussels Airlines notably offer pre-landing gifts at the end of the flight. This usually ranges to:
- Jules De Strooper biscuits/waffles on arrival in Brussels Airport
- Neushaus chocolate when departing from Brussels Airport
The bar
There is some kind of small self-service bar available in the Brussels Airlines Business Class cabin. However, due to space constrictions, you won’t be able to find a bar in aircrafts that are still with Eurowings interior.
Amenity kit
A standard amenity kit is handed to each passenger on day and night flights. The design has been changed frequently: Hedgren, Aesaert and many years ago these lovely Margritte-themed kits:
Technical stops
Some African routes have a short stop to let passenger embark or disembark. A few examples:
- Brussels – Freetown – Monrovia
- Brussels – Accra – Lomé
- Brussels – Dakar – Banjul
- Brussels – Yaoundé – Douala
During this stop which usually takes around an hour, a flight attendant will go around with a snack basket with popular Belgian snacks. The selection ranges from Pringles chips, Mikado or Leo’s.
Conclusion
Brussels Airlines consistently delivers a high-quality Business Class experience on its long-haul flights. I’ve found their lie-flat seats to be perfectly comfortable, ensuring a good night’s sleep. Both the soft product (service, food, beverages) and hard product (the seat and cabin itself) are of excellent quality.
If you’re travelling solo, I highly recommend trying to snag a “throne seat” like 1A, 1K, 3A, 3K, or 5A, 5K. These coveted single seats offer significantly more personal space and privacy, making your journey even more comfortable.
However, there’s one potential exception to this rule: the OO-SFJ. If you happen to be assigned to this particular Airbus A330, which sometimes features a Eurowings-style cabin, the seat configuration will differ. Instead of the spacious 1-2-1 layout, you’ll find a denser 2-2-2 arrangement, meaning less overall personal space and no self-service bar.
Despite this difference in the hard product on OO-SFJ, you can still expect the same soft product. The food and beverage service remains top-notch, and the crew is consistently professional and attentive. Even with a special meal request, you’ll be well looked after, ensuring a pleasant in-flight dining experience.
My vegetarian meal on the notorious OO-SFJ Eurowings livery of Brussels Airlines
