Brussels Airlines in 2024

[crew1990]

I don't think the Flemish have any lessons to receive when it comes to language skills.

Some facts: today in Walloon schools, Dutch is not even mandatory and most students choose English as second language (and don't bother to learn Dutch), while in Flanders, French is mandatory as second language for every single student. Reminder: we're 2024, almost 200(!) years after the creation of Belgium and Dutch is still not respected or treated as equal by a large amount of francophones.

Well, come to work at brussels airlines and you will realise that Brussels Airlines flemish speaking people are absolutely not representative of the belgian flemish community. French speaking people at Brussels airlines do speak dutch because there is no other choice here to survive, while new generation of dutch speaking at brussels airlines barely can't speak french (while there were supposed to have mandatory FR classes at school apparently ). Most of NL speaking people at Brussels Airlines don't make any effort since they don't have too given the fact that 70% of the community is NL speaking.

From my side I speak both, so yes I can give lessons when I'm the one discrimated.

So don't be surprised if 'national' companies don't find enough bilingual francophones, it's the direct result of their own actions and behavior.

If "national" companies doesn't give the same chance to everyone, don't be surprised that nobody want to learn this language, it's the direct result of their own actions and behavior.

[Darjeeling]

I cannot agree more with what Crew1990 writes. It's all about survival. My niece used to fly for them (she then went to VS and now AF long-haul).

Maybe some of you are still in the late 90s early 2000s when young almost all Flemish junior cabin crew were perfect tri-lingual, better than the ones from Brussels and Walonia. Perhaps some of you think that it is still like it was back then, but those days are long gone. Since DAT/SN in 2002, the company has become highly "Flemish-ized" and recruitment has only continued to decline. The requirements for Dutch are not at all the same as for French. Many Dutch-speaking cabin crew have very approximate and basic French. I'm not even talking about their English skills... which have also followed the same downward trend. All instructors and examiners are flemish. All the training courses is given in Dutch (for cabin, not cockpit). Let me laugh... there is no fair treatment at all.

The article says it all and nicely, you don't buy your so-called "Belgitude" marketing stamp by painting some aircrafts. This company is Flemish. Even TUI is more open on the topic... after some soul-searching called by their sales network.

[Conti764]

I'll refrain myself from Dutch vs French discussions, but purely businesswise a lack of French ability is a danger to a company who's bread and butter is (mainly francophone) Africa.

It's an issue to keep an eye on for SN board.

[Atlantis]

Sight.... and this is for sure the biggest issue at the company.
This is the Belgian sickness, North vs South and South vs North.

Let's focus on how the company can grow in the future. This part, language, is something to accept. Not everybody is good in languages and this is for sure not only an issue at SN but in each company in Belgium. Accept each other how they are and fly as much as possible. This is an issue which you will not solve here.

[oldblueeyes]

The aviation language is English. This should be the understanding.
And yes,there is no must that cabin crew speaks the official language of guests.

[luchtzak]

Crew have very approximate and basic French. I'm not even talking about their English skills... which have also followed the same downward trend. All instructors and examiners are flemish. All the training courses is given in Dutch (for cabin, not cockpit). Let me laugh... there is no fair treatment at all.

I would like to comment on this one. Not all instructors are Flemish, and the courses are given in English. I used to work for Brussels Airlines as a cabin crew member. (and no, I am not a fan nor a hater of the airline, I am Swiss neutral on this issue).

[Boavida]

I sense a very anti-Flemish feeling here.

Maybe it's better (for all parties) if Belgium would just split up. It's clear we will never be one nation, or one people. It's always francophones-vs-flemish. Let's stop the endless frustrations on both sides and get a divorce like adults.

[brabel]

IMHO, they should just speak English since it's the lingua franca and on any other airline it's the language people speak (besides native tongue).
This small Belgian mentality about not speaking the other language has been said many times before.

Maybe the crew should just speak their own native tongue + English...
Then we can have some Flemish + English and others French and English.

[Homo Aeroportus]

Sight.... and this is for sure the biggest issue at the company.
...

Agreed !

Let's stop barking up the wrong tree.
Focus should be on having a competent management first.

H.A.

[fcw]

I'm the one discrimated.

Sorry, but you’re not being discriminated at all!
Discrimination would be when origin, religion, gender,… would be used as a parameter to determine your score during the job interview.
As you got the job, your mother tongue wasn’t used against you, so you have not been discriminated. Those who didn’t get the job because their score was too low aren’t being discriminated either.

[longwings]

From a passenger perspective, I don't perceive an issue among cabin staff's willingness to speak one language over another. More so on the ground, but nothing comes close to airport police's refusal to exercise the bilingual skills they've reportedly learned in school.

Focus should be on having a competent management first.

Unfortunately, that's not how the real world works. If language is a problem at the airline, internally or in relationships with customers, it needs to be fixed irrespective of the quality of management because it impacts service levels and customer perceptions.

I sense a very anti-Flemish feeling here.

Maybe it's better (for all parties) if Belgium would just split up. It's clear we will never be one nation, or one people. It's always francophones-vs-flemish. Let's stop the endless frustrations on both sides and get a divorce like adults.

This situation arose because the people keep electing children in charge, too focused on using language to create divisions, trying to dictate what language could and could not be used where and when. And you expect a "divorce like adults."

Somehow Canada makes it work with a proportion of French speakers smaller than in Belgium... But that is because the focus is on making government accessible in French or English based on the language of people trying to access government services, not some arbitrary notion around what language should be spoken where. Even in Quebec where the official language is French, the provincial government publishes all its decisions in French and English.

[crew1990]

I'm the one discrimated.

Sorry, but you’re not being discriminated at all!
Discrimination would be when origin, religion, gender,… would be used as a parameter to determine your score during the job interview.
As you got the job, your mother tongue wasn’t used against you, so you have not been discriminated. Those who didn’t get the job because their score was too low aren’t being discriminated either.

I will not even take my energy to answer on that one as it's would lead to a steril discussion

[Conti764]

but nothing comes close to airport police's refusal to exercise the bilingual skills they've reportedly learned in school.

How so? They refuse to speak French? Or you can't get documentation in French?

[b720]

Problems would be solved had everyone in this country been bilingual, the way it should be. Not being bilingual in a small and diverse country like Belgium or in the least possessing a working knowledge of the other language is a personal shortcoming in my opinion. We’re in the heart of Europe, not on an island in the middle of the pacific! Someone speaking only Dutch or only French should not even apply for a job at brussels airlines. If they want that job so badly, learn the other language! It isn’t rocket science. Many foreigners who move here have to do so, and fast. With a bit of dedication one can learn enough in a short time to posses basic and maybe working knowledge of either Dutch or French! Many evening classes of both languages are on offer everywhere in the country and are heavily subsidised, doesn’t cost much.

[sn26567]

As a passenger on Brussels Airlines, I am the one who's flexible. I speak Dutch with the Flemish cabin crew and (more rarely) French with the francophones. I never had any language problems onboard.

[genter86]

André
Fully agree….recently I flew BRU-GVA with SN…cabin crew was able to address passengers in Dutch, French, English…albeit not “fluently” they could address the passengers needs. Return flight was with SWISS. While airplane and content of service was of higher standard than on SN flight, only language was French which was difficult for some (person sitting next to me).
I am not a frequent flyer…only occasionally. One other observation…One may compare BRU with GVA, I would say BRU is the more modern airport.
Rgds
Stephan

[Darjeeling]

Crew have very approximate and basic French. I'm not even talking about their English skills... which have also followed the same downward trend. All instructors and examiners are flemish. All the training courses is given in Dutch (for cabin, not cockpit). Let me laugh... there is no fair treatment at all.

I would like to comment on this one. Not all instructors are Flemish, and the courses are given in English. I used to work for Brussels Airlines as a cabin crew member. (and no, I am not a fan nor a hater of the airline, I am Swiss neutral on this issue).

OK, maybe one out twenty instructors is french speaking... and even, when the training course starts it unfolds like this by the instructor: " are there any french speaking in the class room ?" 4 or 5 fingers are raised... (out of 25) "does it disturb you if I go on in Dutch ? If you have questions in French I will answer personally to you". This is how things usually go, please don't tell me I'm a liar.

[lumumba]

André
Fully agree….recently I flew BRU-GVA with SN…cabin crew was able to address passengers in Dutch, French, English…albeit not “fluently” they could address the passengers needs. Return flight was with SWISS. While airplane and content of service was of higher standard than on SN flight, only language was French which was difficult for some (person sitting next to me).
I am not a frequent flyer…only occasionally. One other observation…One may compare BRU with GVA, I would say BRU is the more modern airport.
Rgds
Stephan

But that's normal this is a flight to Genève the French speaking part of the country it's like you would fly from Zürich to Liège it's normal they would speak French in Belgium it's different all the flights are going to Brussels who is already multilingual city....

[longwings]

but nothing comes close to airport police's refusal to exercise the bilingual skills they've reportedly learned in school.

How so? They refuse to speak French? Or you can't get documentation in French?

I'm fortunate enough to have two passports. One starts the conversation in English, the other in Dutch. I generally cannot get them to switch to French. Despite automated controls, I do have to interact with them often enough that I cannot put it down to coincidence or actions from a minority.

On two or three occasions, I've interacted with Belgian customs, each time their first question was what language I wanted to use? English, Nederlands, Français? It's pretty much the same for most check-in staff. It isn't that hard.

To be fair, I've also been witness to the opposite. Good luck in the rental car parking garage if you speak only Dutch, at least with Avis or Hertz. Can't speak for the others.

[BRUflyer]

I can only comment on what I see in the cabin as a frequent (Dutch speaking) flyer. That said, I have never noticed crew not speaking French to francophone passengers. And I’m proficient enough in French to notice that, whilst not being perfect, it’s more than passable. I’m also regularly pleasantly surprised to hear Italian or Spanish spoken on flights to or from those countries. Lots of Belgians luckily are still multilingual. It’s true that in general the knowledge of French is decreasing among the Flemish youth. English has been the lingua Franca for decades and I don’t think this will change in the foreseeable future. Still, I notice a lot of goodwill on the part of the crews, both the francophone and Dutch speaking ones.
The situation at the airport itself is far worse with some security and staff in stores only addressing you in French and switching to English when you reply in Dutch. Luckily there’s still enough Dutch speaking staff on hand for those who would really consider this to big a problem.
As for the police, keep in mind that the airport, despite its name, is located in Flanders and the only officially allowed language for government employees there is Dutch. Is it really such a horror for a francophone Belgian to speak a few words of Dutch in Flanders? I wouldn’t expect the Charleroi airport police to address me in Dutch. (Kudos to them if they do). I am curious how non Belgian francophones perceive this? Though recently French speaking police officers apparently are also being sent to the airport police. Guess in true Belgian fashion a backdoor was found to circumvent the language laws