Trip report Brussels – Naples with SN

[liebensd]

Wednesday 13th of August
Flight: SN3169 Brussels Naples
Aircraft: OO-VEX
Seat: 1D
Load factor: something about 80%
STD: 12H00

I arrived nice in time for departure at the check inn counter of Brussels airlines. This Wednesday was the first day after the economical actions, but everything was fine again. Check inn at the B Flex counter was fast and smooth.

After passing the fast lane security I went to the gate.
At the gate OO-VEX, a Boeing 737-300 with winglets, was waiting.
The aircraft was clean but you the interior was nothing special. The advantage of this flight was that in B Flex there kept the middle seat free. The flight crew was friendly like always. After take off a news paper was offered, I took De Standaard edition Limburg! The food was served after some time. It was a cold pasta salad with a dessert. The food was not bad but could have been better. Afterwards a coffee was served. The landing was on time at Naples.


Wednesday 27th of August
Flight: SN3170 Naples Brussels
Aircraft: OO-VEH
Seat: 3E
Load factor: 100%
STD:15H05

Arrived 1H30 prior to departure there were a lot of people at the check inn counter at Naples airport. There were 2 lines open, no separate line for B Flex. So I had to wait some time. The check inn it self was very fast. I was a little bit confused because I received seat 3E. Since E is a middle seat I was expecting a full load on the flight. The security check took some time but went smooth.
A bus took us to waiting aircraft OO-VEH . My suspicions were right. The aircraft was full and we were with 3 persons on one row, but it was ok for me. About the service, flight and food: it was completely the same than on the incoming flight. Disembarking at brussels airport was at the B-gates, and transfer was done by bus. The advantage is that you are very fast at the luggage belts, but now you have to wait some time before the luggage arrives.

This was my first B Flex flight, I have done some B lights in the past. I think you can compare the service on board in B Flex with the service of a “normal” economy class service. The check inn and security check at Brussels are better than the normal economy service. The big advantage for me with B flex is that you can change the tickets easily and that you can take 3kg of luggage. I my case you can call it better cargo.


Greetz,

Dave

[sn26567]

Thanks for nice report, Dave.

In b.flex you would have got a hot meal not so long ago, for flights over 2 hours. Times are changing. This cold pasta seems to be the standard b.flex meal nowadays.

No b.flex check-in lane in Naples is a shame. This is not standard procedure. Why not complain on the SN website?

[Avro]

In b.flex you would have got a hot meal not so long ago, for flights over 2 hours. Times are changing

I got a hot meal (chicken with pasta) on a BRU-LIS flight lately (mid-july 2008). I hope to get a hot meal again on thursday when I go back to LIS.

Greetz

Chris

[regi]

Be happy about the pasta, cold or hot. After the LH take over you might be surprised to see what German managment understands under " return on investment"
A frankfurter sausage? Maybe, but sliced, in a sandwich and for sale for 4.99 euro.
1 euro extra for the mustard, please.

[HighInTheSky]

Be happy about the pasta, cold or hot. After the LH take over you might be surprised to see what German managment understands under " return on investment"
A frankfurter sausage? Maybe, but sliced, in a sandwich and for sale for 4.99 euro.
1 euro extra for the mustard, please.

I don't think so, let's see how long it will take for LH to throw out the stupid Flex/Light system. Prices will go up for the tickets, ok, but you will get a nice serivce again...

[MSS658]

Nice report, I've been myself on OO-VEH while still with TV

No b.flex check-in lane in Naples is a shame. This is not standard procedure. Why not complain on the SN website?

same for AGP, last summer only 2 lanes open for SN's flight to Brussels

[Air Key West]

Dear Regi,
Please, talk about things that you know. LH does not charge for food it serves on its flights and it has not started to charge for food on LX flights when they took over LX, although Swiss used to make you pay for snacks and drinks in economy class. So, your scenario is highly unlikely.
And as to b.air : a small cold pasta salad (which costs probably one euro or less to make) is a shame in b.flex on a long European flight at lunch time. Catering on b.air is just a disaster in all classes.
Again the so-called managers at b.air think that by making savings on catering they will increase revenue.
They forget the large number of high-yield customers they have been loosing since the introduction of b.flex/b.light and that they will continue to loose high-yield pax if they reduce the already minimal on board service in b.flex.
I'm very much tempted to agree with HighInTheSky : with LH fares will probably go up, but the service will be better (a formula which has made it possible for LH to make over 1 billion of profits).
For people who cannot or don't want to pay more for their tickets, there are still LCCs.

[DannyVDB]

Hi all,

Strange, I was on the same flights, also in flex: left BRU on 23/08 and returned on 1/09. Our meals were warm meals, although it was pasta (and chicken), which I like very much . Don't remember when I came back but it was something else ...

By the way, the sandwiches in light are much better now - bought one on one of my previous flights.

On the flight BRU-NAP we were 72 on an AVRO 85, back we had an B737-300 with winglets ) don't know the number of passengers ...

Will fly to Rome next week, see what we will get there ...

Regards,
Danny

[sn26567]

No b.flex check-in lane in Naples is a shame. This is not standard procedure. Why not complain on the SN website?

same for AGP, last summer only 2 lanes open for SN's flight to Brussels

Two lanes is OK, but one should be for b.flex passengers, accepting b.light passengers one at the time when there is no one else.

[liebensd]

Hello,


The problem in Nap was maybe that about 80 procent of the pax on the SN flight were from Neckermann. All dropped off at the same time, just before me. Otherwise I think that 2 normal check inn lines would be sufficient.

Next week I will return to Nap, will see if there are some changes.

Greetz,

Dave

[DannyVDB]

Hi Dave,

Even if they have a big group, they should apply the rules. I remember a flight from Barcelona where also everone used any of the two lines (flex/light). But someone of the check-in staff came along and checked the tickets: no flex or gold/platinum card meant waiting in the other line. There is a price difference for something ... Only when there is really no one, they can take light passengers in the flex line (one by one as said on this forum) ...

I had also an experience in Brussels where they called for flex passengers to board at the 'flex gate'. But they just continued with the other line although I was waiting.

Regards,
Danny

[DannyVDB]

By the way, Dave: have a nice trip!

Danny

[regi]

To Air Key West:
you are right: I do not know what I am talking about because the results of a take over by LH still have to take place.
What I do know about my numerous flights ( >10 ) in Germany by Eurowings ( domestic from DUS) was that there is normally a food & drink service ( announced on website and e-tickets) , but I did not once get anything. Each time the same explanation: turbulence and short flight.
So I did pay a ticket with a full service carrier - as Eurowings is the subcontractor of Lufthansa for domestic flights - but I received a service even less than from a LCC, where I would have the choice to buy something.
So maybe, just maybe, I do know a bit where I am talking about.
Coming back to the take over. It is quite simple: wait and see. If you get better sandwiches despite a hefty price increase, and you are happy, well good for you.
If I get a sandwich for free on a LH-flight of 180 euro where I paid 1 euro ( one euro to Tempelhof ) before with SNBA, I will feel also very happy about that sandwich. But I will not be happy about the price.
And I stay away from the discussion about Tempelhof.

[Air Key West]

I have no experience with Eurowings (at least as far as I can remember) but I do know LH since I have a Senator (Star Alliance Gold) card for more than 100,000 miles flown mainly with LH and I have generally (not always) but generally been happy with LH and seldom with b.air.
If you did not get any service on a short domestic flight because of turbulence, there was probably a security reason for that. I know that on the short BRU-FRA flight (35 mn) even when there is turbulence, I get a full service (unless of course turbulence is so heavy that you would be ejected form your seat if you did not wear your safety belt). But everybody makes different experiences.
And it is not question of a free sandwich. To me it's a question of an airline being run by professionals (LH) and an airline run by one euro amateurs (SN).
By the way, I don't think there ever were 1 euro tickets at b.air (at least, I have never been able to find one) and if you can tell me one destination on a specific (future) date (please, not six or nine months from today) when they have a 1 euro ticket availalbe, please, let me know....
And if you're not happy with Eurowings/LH on domestic flights in Germany, why do you still fly with them ?
Why don't you take the usually comfortable German trains with usually a very efficient network ? No turbulence and you will be able to buy your own food.

[euroflyer]

To Air Key West:
you are right: I do not know what I am talking about because the results of a take over by LH still have to take place.
What I do know about my numerous flights ( >10 ) in Germany by Eurowings ( domestic from DUS) was that there is normally a food & drink service ( announced on website and e-tickets) , but I did not once get anything. Each time the same explanation: turbulence and short flight.
So I did pay a ticket with a full service carrier - as Eurowings is the subcontractor of Lufthansa for domestic flights - but I received a service even less than from a LCC, where I would have the choice to buy something.
So maybe, just maybe, I do know a bit where I am talking about.
Coming back to the take over. It is quite simple: wait and see. If you get better sandwiches despite a hefty price increase, and you are happy, well good for you.
If I get a sandwich for free on a LH-flight of 180 euro where I paid 1 euro ( one euro to Tempelhof ) before with SNBA, I will feel also very happy about that sandwich. But I will not be happy about the price.
And I stay away from the discussion about Tempelhof.

Hm, regarding LH there is a rather easy to understand policy:

(1) domestic flights inside Germany: Full service with small meal (some would call it a snack ) and drink in Business Class; free drink but no food in economy class (and you cannot buy food either in eco here).

(2) short international flights in Europe: Full service in with meal (exact type depending on time of day) and drinks in Business Class; free drinks and a snack as food in economy class (food here will normally be either a small sandwhich, some biscuits, peanuts or anything like this).

(3) longer international flights in Europe (e.g. FRA-LIS): Full service in both Business and Economy class with (different of course) usually warm meals and free drinks.

They even changed their policy regarding drinks recently: until a few months in eco you would only get beer and sparkling wine for free on all domestic and Eu ropean routes, now red and white wine is for free (again) as well.

However, the differentiation domestic / international flights is somewhat crazy sometimes: for the 40 minutes flights FRA-BRU you get a snack in eco, for the 60 minutes flights FRA-TXL you get just a drink . Well, but there has to be some rule ...

Of course you can see it frequently it is very hard for the crew to serve all pax in fully booked very short flights with free drinks etcetera (especially if you have several rows of eco pax ordering a coffee, with milk and sugar and a sparkling water please and could I have some ... as well ).

But most of the time they do manage quite good (and I have 500+ flights LH experience over the past 5 years , all short-haul in Europe).

Anyway, from my point of view LH Business is of course superior to b.flex (simply because of the free seat next to you), but b.flex is superior to LH eco (because of the better food, the more personal service and because b.felx usually is not fully booked and therefore you have more space than in LH eco). But of course LH eco is better than b.light.

In case of a takeover by LH it will indeed be interesting to see if the flex/light system will be continued; if code-share flights are to come I think a "real" business class will ne needed again ...

[regi]

I wonder how it work in reality. LH can see SNBA as a good feeder airline for their international flights from FRA and MUN.
But how would German customers see it if they have to take a short flight to BRU and than travel to the African destinations by SNBA, its speciality?

[Avro]

In b.flex you would have got a hot meal not so long ago, for flights over 2 hours. Times are changing

I got a hot meal (chicken with pasta) on a BRU-LIS flight lately (mid-july 2008). I hope to get a hot meal again on thursday when I go back to LIS.

On my LIS_BRU flight last week I we gota hot meal again. This time it was a hot pasta salad with mozarella, tomato etc... It looked very nice and tasty. I didn't eat it as I went to the restaurant with collegues just before our flight...

As for the anecdode we had 3h delay on the flight and the only explanation of SN was that the incoming ight was late. Nothing more. I was a bit dissapointed on the info they gave.

Greetz
Chris