BRU summer 2012: latest news, routes, airlines

[jimyvr]

I think the overview of the African operations is incomplete.

Missing Entebbe and some of the Kigali flights (there is definitely more than 1 flight a week), no?

Danny

It's "incomplete" because there are no changes to other African destinations.

[RoMax]

It's "incomplete" because there are no changes to other African destinations.

Yes, but the thing that's not really complete is KGL. It says service remains at 1 weekly, while KGL is operated 4 weekly. 3 times in combination with Entebbe and 1/week in combination with Nairobi, and that's the only flight that's mentionned. If they say something about the BRU-KGL-NBO-BRU, they should also say that KGL is also operated 3/week with EBB. Now it seems SN opartes 1/week to KGL in total.

[Atlantis]

Hainan Airlines is going to increase their frequentie from Beijing to Brussels.

As from 25 March they are going to add one more flight and this new on Friday. 5 flights a week.
As from 1st of July they are going to add one more flight and this new on Monday. 6 flights a week.

[jimyvr]

It's "incomplete" because there are no changes to other African destinations.

Yes, but the thing that's not really complete is KGL. It says service remains at 1 weekly, while KGL is operated 4 weekly. 3 times in combination with Entebbe and 1/week in combination with Nairobi, and that's the only flight that's mentionned. If they say something about the BRU-KGL-NBO-BRU, they should also say that KGL is also operated 3/week with EBB. Now it seems SN opartes 1/week to KGL in total.

OK, I thought you meant the list in general until I noticed I made a typo.

[tolipanebas]

Just as I had said would happen, SN indeed drops ACC completely in favour of LH and gets Cameroon from LX in return, which is definitely a win-win for all involved!

http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=46087#p256321

Why should the Star Alliance specialist of Africa be the one to leave?

Doesn't it make a lot of sense to you then, having SN focus more on the mainly French speaking markets in AFI, whereas LH focusses more on the more develloped English speaking markets there (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa) since these places have both a cultural and economical need for more diverse onward connections to the rest of the world?

What is being done here by the LH group is a well-considered consolidation of each of their AFI destinations at the hub most suited to serve this particular place and thus being able to increase frequencies.
Being able to up frequencies (or better still to go daily) is a big plus you know, as it allows to match the offer of AF/KL and make life hard on newbies like TK or EK, since a detour through IST or worse even DXB/AUH/DOH takes half a day extra, meaning that even if TK or the Gulf carriers were to go twice daily to a place in West or Central AFI, they still can't offer a more convenient schedule from Western Europe or the East coast of the USA, given pax will spend most -if not all- of the time 'won' either in the air or waiting at their hub.

In overview, ABJ and DLA going daily is very good as this will help boost yields on the route and the extra BJM/NBO is a nice surprise even, probably in anticipation of any AF/KL assault on BJM (through EBB???).
The cutback on DKR is sad, but a logic consequence of the very poorly negotiated new bilateral between Belgium and Senegal, for which we can thank our caretaker government!

Another question: does the new SN S12 Africa operation schedule require the 7th A330, taking into account NYC, of course?

Taking the complete schedule into account (incl. daily NYC), a quick on the back-of-an-envelope (so please correct me if I'm wrong) gives: 5 days a week 6 A330 & 2 days a week 7 A330 in operation.

Indeed, but not all schedule changes for S12 are out as it is known a new destination in AFI will be added too and in fact I'd expect a transfer of LBV from LH to SN at some point in future too...
Not saying Libreville is going to be the new SN destination in AFI for S12, but I woudn't be surprised if it were...

[LJ]

Air Canada will downgauge YUL-BRU from A330-300 during peak times to B767-300ER for the entire Summer 2012 season.

[134flyer]

So apart from the dropping of ACC & the cutback of DKR, the AFI network will be pretty beefed-up starting next summer; some extra frequencies, some non-stops and possibly even (a) new destination(s)
And not forgetting NYC of course!

To repeat a question asked by somebody else in the other thread, but which was not fully answered: by 2014 4 additional A330s will be added to the fleet: does this in- or exclude the 2 ex LX 332s, so will there be 9 or 11 A330s by 2014?

[RoMax]

To repeat a question asked by somebody in the other thread: by 2014 4 additional A330s will be added to the fleet: does this in- or exclude the 2 ex LX 332s, so will there be 9 or 11 A330s by 2014?

Not sure, it was said 2 for 2011/2012 (so the two LX A332's) and two for 2013, but nothing more was said for 2014 indeed. But I heard SN was planning to have 10-11 long haul aircraft by 2014/2015. This was some weeks/months ago. So I wouldn't be suprised if it its 11 by 2014. Altough not sure, and probably a lot will depend of the succes of 2012/2013.

[RoMax]

In S12 (from March 25) it seems MEA will fly 4 times per week between BEY and BRU on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat.

No info on whether they will up frequency during the busiest weeks of Summer so far.

Now it seems they'll fly 6/week (all days, except Sunday) and this for whole summer 2012 (checked some dates in April, June and August)

[Bralo20]

That's correct during S12 ME will fly 6x weekly between BEY and BRU:

[KVS Availability Tool 6.8.1/Diamond - Amadeus: Timetable/NL-BCDF]

Code: Select all

BRU  Brussels Metro / Brussels National BE = BRU CRL [EBBR]
BEY  Beirut Rafic Hariri Intl LB [OLBA]
THU  28 Jun 2012 - 05 Jul 2012

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Frequency | Dur'n | Dep T | Arr T | Effect | Ending | Exceptions
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ----------------------------------------------------------------
ME         216     BRU   11:00     BEY   16:10     320  0   123456-     04:10       -       -   26 Mar   27 Oct


[Bralo20]

Air Canada will downgauge YUL-BRU from A330-300 during peak times to B767-300ER for the entire Summer 2012 season.

At the moment there's indeed the 763 loaded but this can change later, last year it was also the 763 at first which was loaded, later changed to the 333. But the flights remain daily during S12.

[Bralo20]

Hainan Airlines to Increase Brussels Service in S12
by JL

Update at 0900GMT 28NOV11

As per 28NOV11 GDS timetable and inventory display, Hainan Airlines in Summer 2012 season is gradually increasing its long-haul service to Brussels.

Planned service increase as follows:

Beijing – Brussels
25MAR12 – 28JUN12 Increases from 4 to 5 weekly (Day x13)
29JUN12 – 27OCT12 Increases from 5 to 6 weekly (Day x3)

HU491 PEK0120 – 0550BRU 330 15
HU491 PEK0120 – 0555BRU 330 x135

HU492 BRU1350 – 0540+1PEK 330 x3


Source: Airlineroute.net

[Bralo20]

EFF 25MAR2012

Tarom (RO) will increase it service to BRU from OTP with 1 additional flight per week. It will fly 13x instead of 12 times between the 2 cities.


Source: Airlineroute.net

[Bralo20]

Notice Regarding brussels airlines S12 Africa Operation Changes as of 25NOV11
by JL

Update at 0840GMT 28NOV11

On Friday 25NOV11, this website reported brussels airlines’ Summer 2012 season Africa Operation Changes. In the Kigali entry, there was an error.

It should be read as Kigali Service remains at 4 weekly (not 1 weekly). 1 weekly operation on Brussels – Kigali – Nairobi – Brussels routing will be operated on Mondays instead of Fridays.

Original post has been corrected. However, separate post is made in case for readers who may not be aware of the mistake.

Schedule:

SN463 BRU1040 – 1845KGL2000 – 2220NBO2325 – 0705+1BRU 333 1
SN465 BRU1040 – 1845KGL2000 – 2150EBB2255 – 0615+1BRU 333 246

Source: Airlineroute.net

[BrightCedars]

Regarding the MEA flights, they have still been tweaking things a little it seems. I had to book for a visiting family member and was originally planning to book Wed Mar 28 as the operations patterns was 1.3.56.

Today I tried to book with miles via Flying Blue and other than being told there are no seats to reward using miles, they also told me the days of operations where now 12.4.6. so I ended up booking on Mar 27 as Mar 29 already had a higher price. I did try every option that week and there are no flights to book on Wednesday or Friday, I assume these will be operated later in S12.

[jimyvr]

Regarding the MEA flights, they have still been tweaking things a little it seems. I had to book for a visiting family member and was originally planning to book Wed Mar 28 as the operations patterns was 1.3.56.

Today I tried to book with miles via Flying Blue and other than being told there are no seats to reward using miles, they also told me the days of operations where now 12.4.6. so I ended up booking on Mar 27 as Mar 29 already had a higher price. I did try every option that week and there are no flights to book on Wednesday or Friday, I assume these will be operated later in S12.

BEY BRU changed from Day x247 to Day x357 over the weekend. (Yes, it was showing 6 weekly over the weekend but someone at ME didn't clean up the schedule change)

Schedule listing isn't always accurate.

[sn26567]

Jetairfly launches 3 new routes from Brussels Airport : Ponta Delgada on the Island of Sao Miguel in the Portuguese Azores (every Monday from April), and Skopje and Ohrid in Macedonia (every Tuesday and Sunday from May). This brings the total number of Jetairfly destinations to 122.

[regi]

Jetairfly launches 3 new routes from Brussels Airport : Ponta Delgada on the Island of Sao Miguel in the Portuguese Azores (every Monday from April), and Skopje and Ohrid in Macedonia (every Tuesday and Sunday from May). This brings the total number of Jetairfly destinations to 122.

Wow, interesting. Never been to the Azores, but attempting. Has anybody here been there?
How long is the flight?

[Bralo20]

Wow, interesting. Never been to the Azores, but attempting. Has anybody here been there?
How long is the flight?

BRU-PDL is about 1.731nm so I reckon it will be about 4 hours flying time.

[BRUMRU]

Jetairfly launches 3 new routes from Brussels Airport : Ponta Delgada on the Island of Sao Miguel in the Portuguese Azores (every Monday from April), and Skopje and Ohrid in Macedonia (every Tuesday and Sunday from May). This brings the total number of Jetairfly destinations to 122.

Wow, interesting. Never been to the Azores, but attempting. Has anybody here been there?
How long is the flight?

I went to the Azores on holiday this summer, it's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to! We flew from BRU to LIS on SN/TP (around 2 hours) and then from LIS to Horta (another island in the archipelago) on TP which took another 2 hours. We also took an internal flight from Horta to PDL on Sata. PDL is on the 'main' island Sao Miguel. I guess a direct flight would thus be around 4 hrs as Bralo20 says.
You should definitely try the Azores if you like nature, volcanoes, hiking, swimming in amazing natural rock pools (NOT beaches - although there are a few black sand beaches).
Azores = beautiful, lush, green, peaceful islands in the middle of the ocean