Brussels Airlines joining Star Alliance in December 2009

[itami]

ATW online
That's good news for both Brussels Airlines and for BRU Apt.

[Conti764]

In the margin because not worth opening a new topic...

Today everything has been arranged at BRU for Continental to be a part of Star Alliance. They already moved accros the building some time ago and now their office has received the same Star Alliance background tape as all the other Star Alliance companies at BRU.

[HighInTheSky]

I noticed today that one of the RJ's (OO-DJQ) already has the Star Alliance logo between the left cockpit window and the door.

Very nice sight, but is this allowed before 9th December?

[flightlover]

Maybe this is the plane that is goingto be used at the ceremonie?

[HighInTheSky]

Maybe this is the plane that is goingto be used at the ceremonie?

More than 1 month in advance that seems a bit soon to me...

[kiwiandrew]

I noticed today that one of the RJ's (OO-DJQ) already has the Star Alliance logo between the left cockpit window and the door.

Very nice sight, but is this allowed before 9th December?

A number of airlines have displayed the logo in advance of joining ( CA for one that I can remember ) but usually only by a few days. Since SN are not currently in a competing alliance I guess it is permitted .

[tolipanebas]

Indeed, SN has now started to stick STAR alliance logos at the normal location (i.e. between the last cockpit window and the front door) in the run up to them joining the alliance on December 9th.

Other items which can not be changed electronically overnight will soon follow suit and also be changed to display the STAR logo...

Why wouldn't it be allowed?
SN are going to be a full STAR member in about 1 month's time and they are currently not in any alliance, so nobody will complain about it and this way they will be all set by early December.

Looks really nice, BTW! Can't wait to see a plane in a full STAR livery!

[HighInTheSky]

I also noticed the large new banner on the right side from the ticketing desk, witch has also the comment 'A Star Alliance Member' looks nice too

I'm fine with it, but was just wondering if it was allowed since I never noticed it before with another future *A member.

One other thing, I heard recently that the B737's will have to be adapted (seatpitch) before we can actually join in December... Does anyone has more info on that? Would be great for pax to have more legroom in those cramped B737's, but seems to me that this is a job which can't be done overnight on 11 A/C...

[tolipanebas]

I also noticed the large new banner on the right side from the ticketing desk, witch has also the comment 'A Star Alliance Member' looks nice too

That's one of the things I was talking about.

Electronic billboard can be changed overnight, but you can't seriously expect SN staff to be out by the hundreds in the night of December the 8th to hang out STAR banners and to stick STAR logos everywhere they need to go.

You'll basically start to see the STAR logo appear as from now on wherever you look, so that by December 9th, SN's logo always features that of STAR alliance too.

I'm fine with it, but was just wondering if it was allowed since I never noticed it before with another future *A member.

LH is sponsoring SN's entry into STAR, so they have the task to oversee the entry operations on behalf of STAR. Given SN is their little baby, I don't think they object the airline displaying STAR logo's a month or so before the formal entry date... Some added publicity won't harm STAR.

I heard recently that the B737's will have to be adapted (seatpitch) before we can actually join in December... Does anyone has more info on that? Would be great for pax to have more legroom in those cramped B737's, but seems to me that this is a job which can't be done overnight on 11 A/C...

It's a rumour which I've heard too.
Wouldn't be surprised to find out it is true indeed, as the seatpitch in the back of the 737s is pretty cramped indeed.
In this case, SN will need to take out one or two rows from the 737s, which would be a good thing to do.
Nice to see STAR forcing SN to improve their service and make another one of those VEX habits go!
Now, reintroduce a normal economy class in europe and everything will be back to normal...

[BrightCedars]

If it's only a matter of seat pitch I think it's pretty straight forward, but as you mention I don't see a team doing the entire fleet overnight. I'm not sure how long it takes to do one unit.

Put simply, you need to remove the row(s) of seats and then spread the seats (I think there's an easy mechanical way of doing this) to benefit from the space freed up.

From various forums I conclude that SN is renewing the leases on the A330 fleet for 4 years, which makes sense and doesn't exclude planning for the replacement in the near future. That the B737's will probably be leave the fleet and some of them will be replaced by A320 family aircraft (I don't think any A321 but perhaps some A320 as well), and that the Avro's will be replaced by an RJ type. Fleet count will probably not evolve much thanks to all the cooperation opportunities offered by membership in Star Alliance and with being a LH Group member, I do however expect the proportion of widebody to grow to 20-25% of the fleet over the next 10 years.

[Conti764]

Maybe this is the plane that is goingto be used at the ceremonie?

More than 1 month in advance that seems a bit soon to me...

And I guess SN will be more eager to display an A330 at the ceremony...

[Conti764]

One other thing, I heard recently that the B737's will have to be adapted (seatpitch) before we can actually join in December... Does anyone has more info on that? Would be great for pax to have more legroom in those cramped B737's, but seems to me that this is a job which can't be done overnight on 11 A/C...

If true, they'll probably do it in the coming month, I suppose...

[Conti764]

Put simply, you need to remove the row(s) of seats and then spread the seats (I think there's an easy mechanical way of doing this) to benefit from the space freed up.

Strange comparison probably, but in autocars there is a system to move seats back and forth, I can imagine a plane having the same system, esp. a LCC plane like the ex-VEX 737's?

From various forums I conclude that SN is renewing the leases on the A330 fleet for 4 years, which makes sense and doesn't exclude planning for the replacement in the near future. That the B737's will probably be leave the fleet and some of them will be replaced by A320 family aircraft (I don't think any A321 but perhaps some A320 as well), and that the Avro's will be replaced by an RJ type. Fleet count will probably not evolve much thanks to all the cooperation opportunities offered by membership in Star Alliance and with being a LH Group member, I do however expect the proportion of widebody to grow to 20-25% of the fleet over the next 10 years.

They way I see it (and again, I do not claim to be an expert nor an armchair CEO) they could have a mixed fleet of A319 and A320 with a Y-class only configuration and blocked middle seats a C-class section to operate to various destinations in Europe. Deploying the 19 or the 20 on a certain route can be evaluated on a daily base, depending on sold tickets.

Besides a mixed 19/20-fleet, I see some opportunities to have an A321 fly to the medium haul top destinations (TLV (esp. since SN will end the code sharing with LY), DME,...) with a true C-class section on those routes which can support it.

And finally an RJ replacement to operate the routes the RJ's currently operate.

[RoMax]

But now they fly with only 9 737's their daily shedule's. 1 734 is back to the lease company and 1 will be used for the charter operations (this operations are doing well). If they gonne change the pitch in their 737's, will this only in the 9 fully operating planes or also in the 734 that is used for charter operations?

[euroflyer]

I am not so sure about that seat pitch thing ... Does anybody know the actual seat pitch in the 737s of SN? The rear rows are quite cramped indeed, but at least my feeling (pax experience) is,that the rear rows of the A319s of TAP or the A320s of JK are not that much more spacy, if at all But maybe somebody has the exact figures available ...

[airmemphis]

Today EgyptAir and Brussels Airline announced they will begin code sharing on the former's flights to BRU. The code share agreement will come into effect from 12 January 2010 on EgyptAIr's 4x weekly CAI-BRU-CAI and 1x weekly LXR-BRU-LXR services.

From summer 2010 the Luxor flight will stop in favour of increasing CAI-BRU-CAI to 5x weekly.

This winter flights have been downgraded from A321 to A320, however from summer 2010 the B737-800 will be used on the route which offers the latest on-board product and enhanced business class. Whether the high or low-C configuration is used has yet to be determined.

[Conti764]

OO-VEP (734) is also wearing Star Alliance logo.

[sdbelgium]

OO-VEP (734) is also wearing Star Alliance logo.

Logo or c/s ?

[RoMax]

I suppose logo. C/S is a bit to soon I think.

[Conti764]

OO-VEP (734) is also wearing Star Alliance logo.

Logo or c/s ?

Just the logo And only on the left side of the plane.