Dirk Janzen, VP Pricing & Revenue Management, Distribution and Commercial Steering:
“The new Economy Light Fare is a further development of our efforts to offer individualized solutions to cater to the needs of our different types of guests. It is a logical step after having introduced a similar hand luggage-only fare on our European routes in 2014. From now on, guests on our North American destinations will be able to only pay for the product they actually use.”
Economy Light passengers have the option of individually booking a piece of luggage or reserving a particular seat against a fee, and to personalise their experience by adding services that best meet their needs. Meals and drinks continue to be free of charge for all passengers on board. The Economy Light fares start at €383 for a return flight to New York JFK and can be booked as of today on brusselsairlines.com or via travel agencies.
Brussels Airlines is introducing the new Economy Light fare on its North American destinations (New York, Washington D.C. and Toronto) together with Austrian, Lufthansa and Swiss as well as with its A++ joint venture partners United and Air Canada.
Personally for those whom travel barebones (i.e. no meals inflight or baggage) are getting a great deal. For those of us whom require at least one checked bag, this is a nightmare. My experience has been that when you purchase through 3rd party you are never quite sure what you are getting. It may require a lot of communication between the ticketer and airline. This takes the fun out of travel. In the long run, airlines are really charging more under the guise of a discount.