1. BRU-MAN SN2173
I arrived early at BRU airport, and checked in at an automatic machine, which never asks for the weight of my hand luggage (it was anyway more than the allowed 6 kg), and I was assigned seat 10F (the SN database remembered I prefer window seats). But I also looked at the very short queues at the SN counters. The tellers seemed to be very efficient.
During my wait, I first had an orange juice and a coffee at the Diners Club lounge (a nice feature when you have the Diners credit card and are not allowed the airline business lounges). And ten I walked around pier B to see if there was anything special.
The SLR B767 flight to Varadero and Cancun departed on time. The SN Avro RJ85 OO-DJQ still has a blue belly with Qualiflyer titles!
And then I saw this Canadair OY-RJA of Danish regional airline Cimber Air:
What was this plane doing in BRU? Could it be operating the Maersk/SN flights to Billund?
My plane was SN2173 departing 09.30. It was operated with an Avro RJ85 OO-DJT. On-time boarding. Load factor 60%. Usual Avro seating (five abreast, leather seats).
The purser was Patrick, and he was assisted by a blonde stewardess, but no other names of crew members were mentioned. It is the first time I see only two f/a's on an SN Avro, instead of the usual three.
Due to strong winds and rain, take-off was on time but bumpy, but soon te weather cleared up and it was possible to see the Scheldt river and the North Sea. New clouds and a bumpy descent to Manchester.
Nice breakfast (orange juice or Spa water, ham and mustard sandwhich, hot croissant, tea or coffee, and two Belgian chocolates), swiftly served by smiling staff. And on-time arrival at 9:50 after an excellent 1 hr 20 min flight.
2. MAN-BRU BA1620
What a difference for the return flight! I tried to check in at a BA automatic machine, but it did not accept my ticket because it was issued under an SN number. I thus had to queue, and the line was much longer than in Brussels. I got seat 10A. I did not notice any special planes during my wait.
Boarding was on time. The aircraft was an Avro RJ100 of Bristish Airways CityExpress; I did not even bother to check the registration after I saw the seating, but it looked like this:
Seating was, as I feared, 6 abreast, although with leather seats. But in C class, the seats were five abreast, and there were 7 passengers for seven rows (meaning a load factor of only 20%). In economy, for the remaining rows, load factor was 65%. That means that there should have been less rows in C and more in Y.
Nevertheless, there were two neighbours on my right side, and we were like sardines in a box. Departure was on-time at 17:30 and smoother than in the morning flight.
The meal was a single all day deli (mozzarella and onion marmelade on tomato bread: surprising, but not bad). It was quickly served, as there were no less than 4 stewardesses on board (here the number can replace the quality). With that I had a 33 cl can of the only available beer: a UK-brewed Stella Artois. That was also OK.
Brussels was reached in one hour, and after some delay at getting to the gate, I disembarked on time at 19:55.
I said "never again in an Avro with 6 seats abreast", and I confirm; but when you have in a hurry to get home and no other choice, except waiting two and a half more hours for a SN flight, what do you do?
Furthermore, with VLM I should have left at 7:20 instead of 9:30 (so I stayed in bed two more precious hours), and I would have come back at 22:30 instead of 19:55 (I was in the arms of my beloved wife two and half hours earlier 
). 
