Food and drinks on SN: disappointing VIE-BRU trip in b.flex

[Comet]

Altogether the experience was far from satisfactory. The standards have gone down since SN Brussels Airlines, even in b.flex.

Why are you still flying Brussels Airlines?
Aren't you smart enough to book on another airline?
Get a life.

Some regular ex-SNBA flyers have chosen other carriers now that the airline has evolved into something tacky but not so cheap. For the past few years, we were able to book return tickets to BRU from various UK airports on full-service SNBA for little less than £100.

The same flights (same departure time and number) that we used to fly on for less than £100 have gone up in price by around 30-40% now that not-so-cheap-but-tacky Spotty Tail are operating them.

That is not a price increase over a few years, that is in the space of a few weeks. Other carriers still have similar prices that they had last year, it is cheaper to fly on full service VLM than in Ryanair Class on Spotty Tail.

We have no intention whatsoever of flying on Spotty Tail with their over-inflated prices, no service product.

[Tommypilot]

everybody wanted cheap tickets and airline travel for the masses, well, now you have to face the consequences of those ridiculous low prices ..

Not all the blight prices are "rediculous" low....sometimes I get the same price with another company on the same route for a fully flexible Y class...

I can understand that you sell the product of your company (logical) but for me its a "mess" this "new" concept and already many airlines reduced their prices to the +/- same level and still offering a bit more! (snack, more hand luggage)

Greetzz,

[ben222b]

My last flight was an SN B.light BCN-BRU - by the time the trolly got to me all the sandwiches were gone so I was left with a Bifi to go with my Maes

However the attendants were happy and bright and joked that this combination was good for an english guy and somehow I didn't mind that much.

However I had travelled to Barcelona on Vueling - I was on the back row and the trolley shot past me twice without me being able to at least find out if they had sandwiches. And the staff were visibly stressed and consequently quite rude. I paid more for the SN flight (to avoid the horribly early Vueling departure from BCN) but the SN FA's made it worth it.

[nldogbert]

Hi,

That was a nice overview of the b.flex service.

Sad to hear how low the new SN is compared to the previous one.
It is really sad that how a really good airline in the right direction has taken a 180 degree turn.

As for the FA incident, I think that the should have been a bit more careful (such as closing the galley curtains or not doing it so obvious infront of passengerss). I understand the duty cycle they have to go through and not having time for meal in a proper place, but I have never heard of an FA eating so openly.

Well, I guess we just have to give time and see how the new SN move from here.

[speedbird1]

Put it like this. Would you pay 400 Euros for a sandwich & bottle of Coca-Cola in Delhaize...? eerm nope!
Yes, the ticket is flexible, but turn up on the day and buy an economy blight ticket and it'll probably still be cheaper!

Imteresa

[rocketscientist]

Put it like this. Would you pay 400 Euros for a sandwich & bottle of Coca-Cola in Delhaize...? eerm nope!

don't forget the free newspaper ... you could also go by train or even hitchhike your way across Europe.

Let us be fair : B-flex is a good alternative for even more overprized Business-tickets, you could call it no-nonsense Business-tickets.

For the airline industry flexibility is far more expensive then the meal- or newspaper-part.

And if you travel on a busy day it won't be so easy to find a cheap ticket last minute ... maybe you'll find one on the last Ryanair flight of the day, if they don't cancel it, due to a lack of sold seats (and they won't give you moist sandwiches, a coke or a newspaper for free, even if they bring you more or less were you need to go).

[JAF 23]

I think that it stays a wrong idea to change the classical Y and C class. On long haul flights + Tel Aviv and Moskou they keep this configuration. My guess is that they'll change it back to Y and C class.

I've flown with both b-Light and b-Flex, and the only thing i can say is that b-Light reminds me of Virgin Express. With the merge of Snba and VEX the standards of Snba should have been the aim. Now it's VEX that has been set as the standard.

I've flown Sabena, Snba, VEX and now B-Airlines, where will this end?

I made my mind up, if i'm flying long haul i'll still take B-Airlines, but as long they don't change their catchy b-... concept, they won't see me back as a frequent flyer on those Europe flights.

And if compare to the service in my company, Jetairfly, i think we still have a slight advantage on their service. Don't understand me wrong, i hate, and really hate is the right word, the "plastic feeling" as i like to call it, that we serve. All plastic glasses, plastic cutlery... That's what's wrong these days with the services of airlines.

And last but not least About that steward that was eating his pizza in front of passangers: that was quite incorrect of him. They have the choice to hide themselves behind a curtain, in our company they removed all the curtains, so we don't have the chance to eat in a discrete or even relax manner. All the passengers are watching you when they go to the toilet in the front...

Sorry if i went a bit off topic!

Greetz

[SN30952]

..... it'll probably still be cheaper!
Emiartes

Emirates you signed by Emiartes
Here I have some more anagrams you could use:

I'M TERESA
I'M SEATER
A MERE SIT
SAME RITE
SMEAR TIE
SIR, ME TEA
I SEE TRAM or MART
I SEEM TAR
SIRE, AT ME
MEAT RISE
TEASE RIM (sorry) SAME TIRE
EAST RIME
SET MARIE
MEET SARI
SIAM TREE
SATIRE ME
fftopic: but to nice an occasion...

[speedbird1]

You must have some time on your hands!

Imteresa

[EBBR]

André, just realise that good old business class won't come back. Bflex is just a flexible economy ticket. You get food, drink and a newspaper for free, period!

passengers in bligth pay a ticket from A to B with a chance to buy food and drink, it's clearly written on the back of the menu (on availability only). If there are no more sandwich, so be it. Bring your own food! Period!

It's all about reducing costs....

[SN30952]

If there are no more sandwich, so be it. Bring your own food! Period! It's all about reducing costs....

OP = OP
That's Aldi's style isn't it?
But they are innovating weekly, everytime there is a new offer.
But can an airline innovate its offer frequently?

Some low cost do, by changing bases, multiplying dstinations. Can BruAir follow such trend?

[sn26567]

On the other hand from what I see (flight reports on here) the loadfactors in flex seem to be quite good !? This is a good point !!! At least they are better than those in C class before...

From what I see in ALL SN flights I have taken since the inception of the b.concept, b.flex has ALWAYS been way below the 30% target of CEO Vander Putten. On Thursday-Friday last week I was flying BRU-BCN-BRU, both flights were A319s (nice surprise) with a load factor of 100%, but the number of seats (and passengers) in b.flex was 15 out of 132, i.e. 11%.

By the way, cost, comfort and service in b.light were very reasonable and were not an incentive to buy b.flex instead. I will buy b.flex only when I need flexibility, which is not often the case. With the advance check-in, I c an select a seat close to the front of the aircraft and buy a sandwich and a beer (Maes) for 7 EUR. The only problem remains the selection of the beer: why Maes for God's sake?

[Coppelia]

Good question. Before the merger, pax on ex-VEX flights had the choice between Maes and Stella, the last one had much more success, so I don't know.

I guess office people made statistics and opted for Maes.

[A390]

No Stella anymore since 25cl Stella cans are no longer produced...

[sn26567]

No Stella anymore since 25cl Stella cans are no longer produced...

But what is sold on board are 33 cl cans. Stella is available in b.flex, so why not in b.light? I asked specifically for a Stella and was told it was not available. I said that I just saw it being served in b.flex and the stewardess replied it was reserved for b.flex...

The customer is king, they say. Not at Brussels Airlines?

[SN30952]

The only problem remains the selection of the beer: why Maes for God's sake?

Maes. Machtig Fris. Maes. Méchamment Frais.
I see no other reason.....

[A390]

They do serve 33 cl cans?
Thanks BruAir, I keep on flying with you

[Comet]

everybody wanted cheap tickets and airline travel for the masses, well, now you have to face the consequences of those ridiculous low prices ..

Some "ridiculous low prices":

BHX-BRU-BHX (out 4th September mid morning return 14th September mid afternoon) £206.53 (not so long ago you could fly on SNBA on these equivalent flights for £96!)

MAN-BRU-MAN (same dates and similar times to above) £221.85 (a rise of well over £100!)

NCL-BRU-NCL (same dates) £140.33 (a little cheaper than the others but still a lot more expensive than with SNBA).

You guys have some very strange notions of what constitutes "low prices"!

[Avro]

Some "ridiculous low prices":

I don't know how you got those prices but I get completely different prices for the same dates and flights as you mention. Some prices are very challangeing and competitive !! I just tried it on the website of SN. (I checked for return flights UK-Belgium-UK not the other way around so as to be accurate in the comparison )

BHX-BRU-BHX (out 4th September mid morning return 14th September mid afternoon) £206.53 (not so long ago you could fly on SNBA on these equivalent flights for £96!)

I get £83.9 !! and even £72.9 if you leave on 5th september instead of the 4th. Those prices are cheaper than the SNBA flights you mention !!!!!

MAN-BRU-MAN (same dates and similar times to above) £221.85 (a rise of well over £100!)

I got £132.5. That's a lot cheaper. It's still more expensive than the BHX flights, but this has maybe to do with availibility inside the plane...

NCL-BRU-NCL (same dates) £140.33 (a little cheaper than the others but still a lot more expensive than with SNBA).

I got those flights for £84.70 !! again cheaper prices than those of SNBA in the past !!!

You guys have some very strange notions of what constitutes "low prices"!

I would rather think that it's you who has strange notions of internet bookings cause I don't get the values you do.

Chris

[BRANCOCALIENTE]

The Food

You get free food in b.flex, but what free food? In my case only a co-called ciabatta, which was soft instead of crispy, filled with tomato and parmesan. The rule is (according to insiders) that if your flight leaves between 9:30-11:30 and 13:30-17:15 you don't get the b.flex box, but only a sandwich. Actually my flight left at 17:20, but it was scheduled at 17:00!

Strangely enough, two pax out of 6 received a box anyway. More surprisingly, the steward prepared (for himself) a nice hot pizza at the end of the flight! The other rule says that you get a hot meal only if your flight exceeds 2 hours (mine was 1 hr 50 min! Bad luck!). The rule apparently does not apply to stewards...

Last year, on the same VIE-BRU route flown on Austrian, I got a hot meal in regular economy, although I was not the steward!

And, by the way, the famous SN Neuhaus chocolates have disappeared, both in flex and in light. And also the nice Brussels Bistro boxes with pies or pieces of fruit you could chose on afternoon flights of SN Brussels Airlines.

About drinks

Again, the choice is very limited and the same as in b.light, except that it is free. Beer is only Maes Pils, a strange choice as this beer ranks rather low in the Test-Achats/Aankoop classification and belongs to a British brewer. Jupiler (number 2) or Stella (number 3), both from a Belgian brewer, would have been a much better choice.

Wine is served from small bottles, red or white: I chose the red one (Alexis Lichine, vin de pays d'Oc, Cabernet-Sauvignon). Drinkable, not more. On Lufthansa it would have been served from a large bottle.

When I asked for an afer diner drink, the choice was equally limited: cognac, whisky, rum or vodka. No Bailey's, which I could get on Lufthansa (and earlier on SN Brussels Airlines). I took the vodka.

It's incredible how people can ONLY think about eating when entering an airplane ??
They see an airplane and they think they are at the "Comme chez soi" having only paid maximum 300$ for a small EU stretch, please, be a little bit realistic...If you wanna eat something of quality don't think about eating in an airplane,except may be if you are "boulimic"...but that's another subject...