Rare pinotlover Posted September 12, 2018 #1 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Boarding was fast, efficient, and very pleasant! How did they achieve it? All bags were weighed and size checked at the check in counter. If one’s bag was either oversized or overweight for carry on, it had to be checked. All carry on, excluding purses and small bags, approved for carry on was given a red tag. The gate agents then checked for the tags at boarding. Boarding was so smooth! Wish the US airlines would do the same. Produced ticked off US passengers. Oversized or overweight bag meant they lost the piece until arrival in the US! The classic was the lady with a 20 Kg roller where only 7.5 Kg was allowed! How did she get 20 Kg into that little roller? Lots of oversized bags forced to be checked not allowed as carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted September 12, 2018 #2 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Thank you for documenting this. I am not a fan of being this strict on carry on weights, but many of us have stated non-US airlines can be very strict, and questioners have doubted us. But it happens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Got2Cruise Posted September 12, 2018 #3 Share Posted September 12, 2018 We also used Brussels Air. Loved it. Austrian Air is very good also. Brussels Air paint their planes in a quirky manner. Outside and inside. Here’s a snap of the plane that flew us from Belgium to Nice this summer. Evidently the Smurfs are from Brussels. Who knew? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham Posted September 12, 2018 #4 Share Posted September 12, 2018 A smurfs plane! I've got to figure out a way to fly this airline... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryann2 Posted September 12, 2018 #5 Share Posted September 12, 2018 A smurfs plane! I've got to figure out a way to fly this airline... :D I'm flying from Rome to Brussels next March with Brussels Air. Then Toronto / Vancouver. Aeroplan flight. Saved a lot of taxes doing this route. Hope I get a smurf plane. Good to hear too that they are strict with carryon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted September 12, 2018 #6 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Thanks for taking the time to write a positive comment. I also agree that it is nice when an airline enforces their own weight restrictions for carry ons. We bought a luggage weigh scale to try and ensure we conform. Love the smurf plane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 12, 2018 #7 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Is this airline the successor to Sabena Airlines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted September 12, 2018 #8 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Is this airline the successor to Sabena Airlines? Indirectly. Simple version: Sabena went into bankruptcy in 2001. A subsidiary of Sabena was "rescued" from the bankruptcy and into SN Brussels Airlines. SN Brussels later merged with Virgin Express and became Brussels Airlines. It is now 100% owned by Lufthansa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 13, 2018 #9 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Indirectly. Simple version: Sabena went into bankruptcy in 2001. A subsidiary of Sabena was "rescued" from the bankruptcy and into SN Brussels Airlines. SN Brussels later merged with Virgin Express and became Brussels Airlines. It is now 100% owned by Lufthansa. Thanks. I had a friend who flew on Sabena from CVG to Brussels many years ago and was most pleased with her experience in Economy/Coach Class (whatever it was called then). I think it was a code share flight, but I don't know with which airline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted September 13, 2018 #10 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Such A Bad Experience Never Again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted September 13, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted September 13, 2018 If only the US carriers would watch how much easier and smoother the boarding process is if they enforce their own rules! It took mere seconds at the Brussels Airline checking counter to set you proposed carry on on the scale, certify weight and dimensions, and get the approval tag attached. Also they get to count the number of carry ons one is trying to take on. No approval tag, you’re pulled out at boarding. Hand check and pay at the gate. All very simple. The US carrier system sucks!!!:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairgarth Posted September 17, 2018 #12 Share Posted September 17, 2018 OTOH I arrived at Florence airport for a flight to Brussels in June. I was around 4 hours early. (My son was on a different flight and we had shared a cab.) Lufthansa check-in area was for all LH affiliated flights including Brussels Air. I was chased away and told to come back. So I killed time with a coffee or two then came back. There was a long line up for the dedicated Brussels flight check-in with only two agents working. All other check-in desks were empty, no passengers and four idle agents doing absolutely nothing. Really? Other than that, flight was fine. Interesting comment: we were flying from Italy to Belgium which has two official languages. All announcements were in English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted September 18, 2018 #13 Share Posted September 18, 2018 There was a long line up for the dedicated Brussels flight check-in with only two agents working. All other check-in desks were empty, no passengers and four idle agents doing absolutely nothing. Really?Why is that surprising? How do you know that the other check-in desks had the software and hardware connections and setup to handle an SN flight? How do you know what the physical layout of the baggage system at Florence airport is, and that bags sent from those desks would get to the correct place behind the scenes? Interesting comment: we were flying from Italy to Belgium which has two official languages. All announcements were in English.Again, why is that surprising? This is the 21st century, after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggins0402 Posted September 18, 2018 #14 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Actually, you can add a third official language for Belgium...German. And, many airlines also add the destination language in announcements. A flight would have to taxi to Ghent and back to get the various language safety information completed prior to takeoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted September 18, 2018 Author #15 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Most European Airlines only allow one to check in two hours prior to takeoff for intra Europe flights.Showing up four hours early will typically get you turned away! Different procedures than the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairgarth Posted September 18, 2018 #16 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Again, why is that surprising? This is the 21st century, after all. I guess it's my Canadian mindset after flying on Air Canada so many times. There's a federal "Air Canada Act" which compels Air Canada to make announcements in English and French. Even at Heathrow. I doubt very much if there is a "Brussels Airlines Act". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted September 18, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted September 18, 2018 On my Brussels Airline flight from Prague to Brussels they made the announcements first in English and then I believe in the Flemish dialect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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