Brussels Airlines' 3rd US destination will be ...

[Av24.be]

Start voting!!!

[BrightCedars]

Wish you listed SFO and LAX too.

[Kapitein]

I think ORD, something in the idea like IAD is going to start.
Late afternoon departure to increase the frequency between BRU and ORD but with SN-aircrafts

[b720]

as long as the route is profitable all will be great!

[airtrainer]

DEN would be cool, but it's very unlikely IMHO. Anyway, if they keep their fares as high as JFK and IAD...

[airDD]

My vote is on EWR.

[HT-ETNW]

From the list provided I would vote for BOS, although I do not think it will be sustainable during winter.
The other candidates are either covered already, LAX and SFO are too far away, DEN also is a mixed bag (see LH's operations), and a second JFK rotation likely would have a negative effect onto yields of the current flight making the combination unprofitable.
MEM, and DTW came also to my mind but neither offers suitable onward connections.
CLT and PHL are risky candidates taking the uncertain future of US in mind. You don't want to start flying into an airport and then see your onward connections breaking away because that airline moves to a different alliance.
-HT

[crew1990]

From the list I would say Boston, in 2nd position Toronto to take over the Jetairways flights, and some more flight in the New York area EWR or JFK, however adding some flight to JFK makes more sense to me than EWR.

Now we know that Jetairways is leaving BRU for the winter season, so I think that if SN want to take the market they will have to have this destination ready for winter.

Maybe SN already though about it and this is maybe why A330 have been ferried last week from LH technik to Malta...

[BRUpilot]

BOSTON would be great to folow IAD and JFK . Probably in june 2014 like the 2 others? afterwards I hope we can think about a further US-destination , like SFO or/and LAX ...

[crew1990]

So any news about the 3rd destination?

[woutertheboy]

So any news about the 3rd destination?

I thougt they announced JFK and IAD around Christmas. So they will anounce their 3rd U.S. destination around that period. But I'm holding my fingers crossed for Boston

[air belgium]

Boston!!!! please

[crew1990]

Bud does a 3rd destination still on the table?? That's another question...

[KriVa]

Any reason why it shouldn't still be on the table?

[woutertheboy]

Bud does a 3rd destination still on the table?? That's another question...

For SN, it's expanding their longhaul destinations or going bankrupt. And I hope LH knows that.

[BRU]

If jet airways continues flying their current schedule out of BRU, I do not think their will be any new destination. As far as I heard, it does not look like they will get an extra aircraft next year, unless 9W exits some routes.

[RoMax]

If jet airways continues flying their current schedule out of BRU, I do not think their will be any new destination. As far as I heard, it does not look like they will get an extra aircraft next year, unless 9W exits some routes.

The only thing I heard is that they reduced their expansion plans as Jet seems to stay at BRU after all (for the time being), but not that they wouldn't add not even a single new long haul aircraft. Last thing I heard was that the board still had to decide on the exact expansion plans for next year.

But IF that would be the case (that they don't add any new aircraft) I really lose my confidence in SN. They are doing everything to promote themself and improve their product (renovation/expansion of the lounges, Star Chef meals, Tomorrowland/Red Devils/Movember specials, b.pass, ...) but the most crucial element in their whole survival plan would be left asside while other airlines are expanding with (close to) double digit numbers in SN's bread and butter markets...

[Air Key West]

I totally agree with you, RoMax. Not expanding in the most lucrative business (long haul) is suicidal. Just like waiting for LH to solve their problems. Don't count on LH anymore (does not mean LH will not take full control of b.air, but if, when ???). So, b.air guys, you're on your own for the time being.

Like former French tennis star turned popular French singer Yannick Noah sings : "Ose" ("Dare !" or "Be brave" !)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW5zbbXbaN4

"No doubt, no fear
You can move forward
Make your path
It's the time
You should try
You should change everything
Be brave, be brave"

or full translation of lyrics into English :

http://lyricstranslate.com/fr/ose-be-brave.html-0
That's for the entertainment part of my post, now the serious stuff :

First one question (pardon my ignorance) : why could not b.air continue to expand to North America as long as 9W stays in BRU ?

Suggestion (pardon me for repeatng myself) : if b.air cannot expand in N.America, why cannot it add an additional A330 next year to expand in Africa or increase frequencies to Africa, or open a three-weekly flight to GIG or GRU (emerging economy, still good growth figures, World Cup next year, perhaps low yield, but anything outside Africa is low yield).

[RoMax]

First one question (pardon my ignorance) : why could not b.air continue to expand to North America as long as 9W stays in BRU ?

They still can. The thing is (from what I heard) that SN was planning to increase their North American expansion with Jet preparing to leave, but as Jet decided to stay anyway this plan was put away. 9W leaving BRU would mean (in my opinion) that Atlantic++ should add a 3rd daily NYC flight and shifting Air Canada from YUL to YYZ with SN taking over YUL.

Suggestion (pardon me for repeatng myself) : if b.air cannot expand in N.America, why cannot it add an additional A330 next year to expand in Africa or increase frequencies to Africa, or open a three-weekly flight to GIG or GRU (emerging economy, still good growth figures, World Cup next year, perhaps low yield, but anything outside Africa is low yield).

There is enough potential for them to expand either in North America or Africa (or even beyond), that's also why I don't see the logic in not adding a new widebody at all. With Jet leaving they would have added 2 new aircraft from what I heard, there is not reason to go to zero if Jet decides to stay.

[Inquirer]

Something I have noticed throughout this discussion is the repeated remark as to how lucrative African routes are. Whereas this will have been the case in the past, I'd be reluctant to claim they still are, given the massive capacity dumping by some airlines on the market.
I for one think that the capacity growth to Africa very much outpaces the demand growth, leading to depressed financial results for ALL operators, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them holding back on adding even more capacity and make things even worse.
There's no use in growing in markets which have overcapacity, IMHO?
The bottom line is that without up to date operational figures, you can not meaningfully judge a strategy.