BRU-STR-BRU with LH (22-23 Sep 03)

[sn26567]

The Brussels-Stuttgart route is a Lufthansa monopoly. You can feel the pain when you receive the invoice: a steep 734.47 EUR for a non-flexible economy return ticket. By Galileo I learned that I could have flown the much longer route via ZRH by SWISS for 684 EUR, but as a hurried business traveller I just didn't have the time to do it. The same day in my newspaper I saw LH/UA advertising New York and Boston at 319 EUR and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas at 469 EUR return from BRU. Where is the error?

Anyway, check in was easy (I always use the automatic machines: they never complain about my too heavy hand baggage). I chose seat 6F, a window. Automatic check in at LH allows indeed to choose the seat among the ones which are still available (SN take note!). Flight LH5899 is operated by Lufthanse Cityline on a Canadair CRJ100. Today it was D-ACLW. Boarding at gate A65 was also smooth and departure on time at 09.05. No specials in BRU that day: I saw the new CO B764 and a DL B763, but that's about it.

Load factor was 20% in C class (4 seats on 18); 65% in Y class. Why the hell do they keep so many free seats in C when people are cramped in Y? I did not complain: I had a free seat next to me. Breakfast was promptly served (no welcome drink like with SN): a chicken sandwich or a croissant with jam. I opted for the latter, with a black coffee and a glass of water, and I did not regret my choice. Service was efficient (2 stewardesses who would certainly not win the miss Germany contest), but cold. Not really a surprise.

Flight was excellent with clear weather during the whole trip. Arrival on time at STR at 10.05. Some special birds there: a Germanwings A319 (STR is one of their home bases), many Turkish charthers and, best of all, the Daimler-Chrysler A319CJ D-ADNA that makes the daily trip between Stuttgart (home of Mercedes Benz) and Pontiac, Michigan (home of Chrysler). No special signs on it, just plain white and dark blue striped with black colours. The only ETOPS-A319 worldwide. You can seldom spot that plane. It was my lucky day...

Return flight later. Come back soon...

[Comet]

Good report Andre - I've never read much praise for LH from anyone, though I think welcome aboard drinks are rare, VLM don't do them, and I never had any with Sabena.

[Avro]

Nice report André

The Brussels-Stuttgart route is a Lufthansa monopoly. You can feel the pain when you receive the invoice: a steep 734.47 EUR for a non-flexible economy return ticket

That's why I definately want SNBA to start serving more German cities

The only ETOPS-A319 worldwide

Are you sure Doesn't Privat Air operate one of there A319's on Transatlantic routes

Regards
Chris

[Avro]

Good report Andre - I've never read much praise for LH from anyone, though I think welcome aboard drinks are rare, VLM don't do them, and I never had any with Sabena.

I had it twice with Sabena while travelling from BRU-CVG and back on the B747-300

Both times we received an upgrade to business

Ciao
Chris

[sn26567]

And now the return flight on 23 September. The scheduled time of departure for LH4420 (operated by an ATR42 of Contact Air) was 17:15. I could check in at 15:30, with an automatic machine which enabled me to choose seat 6F, exactly the same window seat as on the first flight, without having to worry about my two very heavy pieces of hand baggage, full of electronic equipment.

Boarding by bus (there are only a few airbridges at STR) onto D-BOOO, a former EuroWings aircraft that is now all-white, except for the Team Lufthansa titles and a small "operated by Contact Air". The ATR has only one door in the back of the plane, which means that C class is also at the back!

I had to give up one of my two pieces of hand baggage. Not a problem, since it is later delivered at the aircraft and not on the baggage carousel. Load factor was 50% in C, 80% in Y. It means that the seat next to me was also occupied, by a charming German-speaking lady.

Take-off was quite noisy, under heavy clouds. The weather cleared up when approaching Belgium. Meal was a choice of cheese or ham croissant, with the usual drinks. I had a ham croissant: nothing exceptional (the bread was over-baked); and a 25 cl Warsteiner beer served in a glass bottle rather than a can.

On-time landing in BRU, rwy 25L, at 18:40. Parking behind the former satellite, together with all the smaller planes. Bus to the very beginning of Pier B, thus close to the exit of the airport. I was glad I did not have to walk all the (long) way from Pier A.

As I mentioned in another message, upon arrival I saw the B763 of AA near the old terminal, with an engine wide open and people working on it.

Watch this space for further airline experiences of mine, probably FRA by LH (what else?) at the end of November. Unless I take the ICE train for a change

[Comet]

Very unusual, if not unknown, to get beer served in a glass bottle on an aircraft. For in-flight sandwiches you can't beat VLM, theirs are very nice, and so were Sabena's.

B pier is the most boring pier in Brussels Airport, all my flights went from that one. I would love to get in the A pier, and C pier has a Belgian beer bar.

[sn26567]

C pier has a Belgian beer bar.

The C pier is closed now. The Belgian Beer Bar (an Interbrew outfit that occasionally serves beers from other brewers under popular demand) moved to Pier A.

[Avro]

Again a nice report

The ATR has only one door in the back of the plane, which means that C class is also at the back!

I never heared of that before . Is D-BOOO an expection or are there many aircrafts having C class at the back of the plane

Ciao
Chris

[sn26567]

Is D-BOOO an expection or are there many aircrafts having C class at the back of the plane

I did not fly many ATRs in my life. I remember Nürnberger Flugdienst (which is now EuroWings) had only a one class configuration when I flew on their ATR. Contact Air for Lufthansa is the only ATR I flew with a C class. I guess it is normal that the C class is in the back of the ATR, so that C passengers can get out first.