Brussels airlines: Strategy and business plan

[Cartman]

Hi,

Well, B-flex or B-light, or B whatever, the cheapest way to fly to Rome in January is not with SNBA or Virgin, is still with Ryanair. 1,49 E + 4,99 E + taxes.
For 54,00 Euros, I will have a round trip ticket, much much cheaper that way.

DG

So you're going to Rome in january. A great idea for a nice citytrip with a friend...

You found some cheap tickets with Ryanair (advantage of an early booking). You're departing from Brussels Midi train station. After buying 2 traintickets (15,60 €, a carride with parking fee won't be a lot cheaper) you'll spend 50 minutes travelling trough Belgium's ugliest industrail region. In Charleroi you wait about 10 minutes in the blistering cold (hey, it's January, nice time for a citytrip) in one of the most crime-infested cities of this country for the bus to the airport, wich will cost you 2x1,95€.
Checking in goes rather smooth. After all, you only pay an extra fee of 4,50€ for checking-in your luggage (how else to transport that soap, shampoo and deodorant that can no longer be taken in handluggage). That's why you cramped everything in one suitcase (only one fee to pay). The nice stewardess draws your attention to the fact that the suitcase weighs 17 kgs. Unfortunately, according to the terms and conditions, "Passengers may not use the unused checked baggage allowance of other passengers. No pooling/sharing of the checked baggage allowance is permitted, even within a party travelling on the same Confirmation Number". So you pay 16€ for the 2 kilos of excess baggage.
Then you can sit in a plastic chair (if one free) waiting for boarding. Once the boarding of the herd of cattle (again trough the blistering cold, boarding bridges are too expensive) is compeleted and the stampede to the window and emergency exit seats has ended, you'll clean up the mess from the previous flight yourself and try to relax. On the way back, all the same costs will off course rise again...

All together: the two of you will pay 80€ additional costs for the roundtrip (more than a ticket plus taxes). Meaning that your ticket per person will not cost 54€ but 94€. A total of 188€. For only a little more, you should be able to travel with a b.light ticket (based on the prices on the site) without spending more than an hour on a trip to the edge of western civilisation (I'm sorry for those insulted, but have you ever looked at that city???).

And then we're not even talking about how screwed you are with Ryanair's infamous 'passenger services'in case of delays or cancellations.

I'd go for some quality that doesn't cost a lot more...

[Qwerty]

Nice

Anyone knows the seating map on the Avro RJ85? Will it remain 2 -3
(now my Virgin reserved seat option isn't there anymore I would like a window seat, but how do I guarantee it ? )

[luchtzak]

I accidentally removed these 2 messages:

Nice

Anyone knows the seating map on the Avro RJ85? Will it remain 2 -3
(now my Virgin reserved seat option isn't there anymore I would like a window seat, but how do I guarantee it ? )

2-3 will be kept on avro - you can indeed pre-reserve your seat when booking (online) by booking b.flex. Easy. Config reads (A-C/ /D-E-F).

Hope that helps

Hi thanks

Unfortunately my Virgin ticket is a b-light so I can't prebook my seat. However, when I am 'booking' a b.flex I can't get into the pre-reserved seat booking (so I see the seat map). I assume you can? If so, can you please tell me how to do or post a screenshot?

[sn-remember]

So SN wants to add one more A330 and opens new routes to America and Africa. But with only one frame they will have to operate little frequencies (2 or 3 times weekly) to achieve this goal. They should better use this A330 for expansion only to Africa and to support the heavy schedule operated by the 3 A330s.
And apparently they have dropped the Cameroon plan but what makes them think that in Rwanda or Uganda it will be better (they might encounter the same problem) It will also take more than a year to establish another regional hub in Africa.
Time is passing, AF/KLM, ET, Kenya Airlines.... are growing and SN is struggling

We are on the same tune here.
L/H expansion should have been the key-word, and since long long ago !
That's were the yields are.

But unfortunately they are not going long haul
They seem to be scared.
"Oh since Sabena tried it and failed, there is no point doing that" is the common refrain.

The reference to Sabena is so readily put forward as repelling, it seems the management is like paralysed.

Developing this business as required is considered a dangerous slide on the Sabena track, while the bloody no-growth attitude is simply costing the airlines its wings.

There will be no second life because there is no will to have it.
The long haul competition is harder every day and this airline is simply HAPPY TO BE OUT OF IT.

More new l/h carriers will be coming to BRU but this will not help building a hub because there is no local l/h carrier to sell a hub abroad and no alliance interop that bring passenger incentives to cross through BRU.

Pityful

[Qwerty]

No problem. @MarkyUK: could you please answer?

I accidentally removed these 2 messages:

Nice

Anyone knows the seating map on the Avro RJ85? Will it remain 2 -3
(now my Virgin reserved seat option isn't there anymore I would like a window seat, but how do I guarantee it ? )

2-3 will be kept on avro - you can indeed pre-reserve your seat when booking (online) by booking b.flex. Easy. Config reads (A-C/ /D-E-F).

Hope that helps

Hi thanks

Unfortunately my Virgin ticket is a b-light so I can't prebook my seat. However, when I am 'booking' a b.flex I can't get into the pre-reserved seat booking (so I see the seat map). I assume you can? If so, can you please tell me how to do or post a screenshot?

[airazurxtror]

You're departing from Brussels Midi train station. After buying 2 traintickets (15,60 €, a carride with parking fee won't be a lot cheaper) you'll spend 50 minutes travelling trough Belgium's ugliest industrail region. In Charleroi you wait about 10 minutes in the blistering cold (hey, it's January, nice time for a citytrip) in one of the most crime-infested cities of this country for the bus to the airport, wich will cost you 2x1,95

Without going into every argument of yours, may I remind you that there is a coach from the Midi station direct to Charleroi airport, in relation with all flights, whose cost is 11 euros one way, 20 return. It lasts about 45 minutes.
Between Brussels Midi and Gosselies, you don't travel through an industrial region, in fact, after getting out of Brussels, you travel mostly in the open country, very green and peaceful; have you ever made that trip ? I make it very often.
And speaking of Charleroi, I have spent many hours in that town without being assaulted or robbed ! You don't want to believe all you see on the telly ! It's not worse than Brussels, Liège, Antwerp or any big town...And the "Carolos" are very cheerful people, in spite of the economic and political situation of their city.
That said, you are right in implying that everybody has to make his own cost/benefit estimation of the total price of his trip.

[dre]

I dont agree with the tax policy of SN Brussels Airlines, Virgin Express and also not with the new Brussels Airlines.
Why you see a price of 50 euro and in the end you pay 132 euro. This amount of taxes is not the same for airlines flying from and to the same airports (for example for a flight Brussels Hamburg). Why they include 10 euros booking fee when it is done automatically via internet? This should be included in the ticket price, because you can not avoid to book the ticket if you want it.....

Furthermore the cheapest flight garantuee they offer is a bit ridiculous. With those conditions EVERY airline flying from EVERY airport can say they are the cheapest... within one hour from same airport to same airport... there is never a case where this happens..... plus you have to find this place within one hour of your own booking.... like if you continue looking after you have choosen your own flight....

Dont get me wrong... I like the new concept of BRA with B light and B flex. But some things i find misleading a bit.

Greetz
DRE

[peacemaker]

When i was on the site of brussels airlines i saw that seattle was in the destination list. I did all the things and when i came on the page to accept the flight there was on every flight(first to chicago and then to seattle) done by brussels airlines:



Zondag 25 maart, 2007, vlucht SN8001 (uitgevoerd door Brussels Airlines)

Brussel, België (BRU) naar Chicago OHare, Verenigde Staten (ORD)

Vertrekken om 11:05, landen om 13:05

In Economy klasse


Zondag 25 maart, 2007, vlucht SN8243 (uitgevoerd door Brussels Airlines)

Chicago OHare, Verenigde Staten (ORD) naar Seattle/Tacoma, Verenigde Staten (SEA)

Vertrekken om 17:40, landen om 20:10

In Economy klasse


Donderdag 29 maart, 2007, vlucht SN8244 (uitgevoerd door Brussels Airlines)

Seattle/Tacoma, Verenigde Staten (SEA) naar Chicago OHare, Verenigde Staten (ORD)

Vertrekken om 08:35, landen om 14:30

In Economy klasse


Donderdag 29 maart, 2007, vlucht SN8002 (uitgevoerd door Brussels Airlines)

Chicago OHare, Verenigde Staten (ORD) naar Brussel, België (BRU)

Vertrekken om 16:30, landen om 07:40

In Economy klasse

Or is this just a codeshare? but why do they say then uitgevoerd door brussels airlines?

Are this new destinations or what?

[Cartman]

Without going into every argument of yours, may I remind you that there is a coach from the Midi station direct to Charleroi airport, in relation with all flights, whose cost is 11 euros one way, 20 return. It lasts about 45 minutes.
Between Brussels Midi and Gosselies, you don't travel through an industrial region, in fact, after getting out of Brussels, you travel mostly in the open country, very green and peaceful; have you ever made that trip ? I make it very often.
And speaking of Charleroi, I have spent many hours in that town without being assaulted or robbed ! You don't want to believe all you see on the telly ! It's not worse than Brussels, Liège, Antwerp or any big town...And the "Carolos" are very cheerful people, in spite of the economic and political situation of their city.

Well, that means that 2 bustickets cost 40€, 2 traintickets 31,20€. So I even took the cheapest option 8).

I took the train twice to CRL. Once from BRU, once from QHA (Hasselt
). Apart from the track directly south of BRU (Waterloo and surroundings), you must admit that the closer you come to CRL, the uglier it gets. But coloribus etc..., so maybe it's just me.

The part about the crime-infested city was a little poetic creativity, although waiting for that bus at 9pm in wintertime was quite a scary experience, very strange people over there...

And yes, my point was that you cannot compare FR with SN, simply because there's more to consider than just your creditcard bill... I flew FR twice, and once with SN. And I must say that flying SN was a little more expensive, but a lot more comfortable.

[b-west]

Or is this just a codeshare? but why do they say then uitgevoerd door brussels airlines?

Are this new destinations or what?

But if you click on the flight number during the selection screen it says "carrier: American Airlines"

[peacemaker]

Or is this just a codeshare? but why do they say then uitgevoerd door brussels airlines?

Are this new destinations or what?

But if you click on the flight number during the selection screen it says "carrier: American Airlines"

oh ok, sorry then

[ERICAIRLINES]

very stupid comments made about charleroi airport area...it is situaded in the 'aeropole techno park area',full of high tech industries...two major research institutes from both ULB and UCl universities,mobistar,be tv,airbus,sonaca,sabca,...caterpillar european headquarter is also near(8500 jobs,with lot of flemish people working there and happy to find a job,mother flanders can not provide them)...crime rate is not different between brussels and charleroi....unemployment (official rate is high,but majority of people have a black market job)but it is also very high in ..Brussels (22 pct)....go to charleroi 'city nord' and 'ville2'(like city 2 in brussels),or even shopping cora east...you will not believe what you might see....about the industrial past,flanders area was very happy to live with charleroi booming economy during more than 120 years..a lot of flemishs personns even immigrated there and stayd..take a look a the telephone directory in the 071 area,you will discover thousand of ''van'' something..ex flemishs people who made their living there for generations...it is true that charleroi is not the most beautiful place in belgium..but is it so important to pick up a cheap flight? and soon in june 2007,they will open a brand new air terminal (for 5 millions pax in stage one)..take a look at the bsca website...we are still looking for those kind of airport in any flemish area...( see the outdated ANR airport )....and liege airport also made a tremendous effort...have also a look at their website...
Criticizing without knonwing the real thing..is very easy...pure demagogy

[sn26567]

fftopic:

Back on topic please: SN Strategy!

[Tommypilot]

fftopic:

Back on topic please: SN Strategy!

I assume you mean Brussels Airlines' strategy...

[b-west]

fftopic:

Back on topic please: SN Strategy!

I assume you mean Brussels Airlines' strategy...

Considering they're gonna keep the SN code as far as I know, it might be wise to continue using SN when referring to the airline, to avoid all confusion with BA (the UK one )