Reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

[telspace2005]

@ Crosswind.

Please answer me....
The passengers ?

[Passenger]

The PM's reaction to the KLM offer is ridiculous. He should thank them for diverting Some pax out of BRU. KLM' s free train is equivelant to SN' s "free" flights from CDG to bru offered to pax originating in France flying SN to Africa. Business is business, and the PM was badly advised when he made that remark.

It's not about the offer itself: it's about the timing. Like senior aviation journalist Luk De Wilde said in Ter Zake: "KLM should have waited with this campaign".

KLM refers to the 22/03 bomb attacks. Brussels Airlines never referred to the attacks in France (Charly Hebdo, November 2015).

[telspace2005]

KLM and Schiphol understood that airports and airlines survive because of the passengers and nothing else. More trust passengers have on a specific airline or airport, the more likely that will keep using it. And bussiness will keep booming. At BRU, there is always something in the way. After a while, you are fed-up, and find other way to fly.

[sn26567]

KLM and Schiphol understood that airports and airlines survive because of the passengers and nothing else. More trust passengers have on a specific airline or airport, the more likely that will keep using it. And bussiness will keep booming. At BRU, there is always something in the way. After a while, you are fed-up, and find other way to fly.

Again, the timing of the KLM campaign is wrong, absolutely wrong.

And I flew from BRU and back to BRU two days ago, and everything went perfect (I'll report later), with only 30 minutes from parking to gate.

Don't tell me AMS and KL are always perfect. I've already heard some horror stories, both about the airport and its home airline.

[Poiu]

Again, the timing of the KLM campaign is wrong, absolutely wrong.

Not from a passengers point of view. I am happy to be offered a free train ticket if I use KLM.

[nordikcam]

Again, the timing of the KLM campaign is wrong, absolutely wrong.

Absolutely true...wrong time.

But it's a fact : no strike at KL and no strike at Schiphol. I try to fly SN but Long Haul is so small than you have to fly...from an other airport.

[dna]

New images from inside the departures hall:
http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.engli ... /1.2636629

[Passenger]

The KLM promotional offer "free Thalys train ticket" was on VRT tv on Thursday evening:
http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/politiek/1.2635999
Ter Zake / VRT asked KLM for a reaction about their campaign. KLM didn’t want to react on camera, but they have sent this written reply to VRT: “KLM heeft regelmatig campagnes om het treinproduct onder aandacht te brengen van Belgische klanten (...) Ook dit jaar had KL dergelijke campagnes gepland. Vanwege de huidige beperkte capaciteit van Brussels Airport, heeft KLM besloten om de campagne nu te doen en zo de Belgische klanten in de gelegenheid te stellen via Schiphol (AMS) te vliegen.”

Translation via Translate.Google.com: KLM regularly has campaigns to bring the train product to the attention of Belgian customers (...) KL had planned such a campaign again this year. Due to the current limited capacity of Brussels Airport, KLM has decided to do the campaign now and to enable the Belgian customers the opportunity to fly via Schiphol (AMS).

KLM has published the full text of their statement on their website:

http://nieuws.klm.com/reactie-klm-op-be ... pril-2016/

Amstelveen, 22 april 2016.
Reactie KLM op Belgisch programma Terzake van 21 april 2016.

Het programma Terzake heeft vandaag een item uitgezonden: KLM lokt reizigers weg van Brussel. Hieronder staat de volledige reactie die KLM aan het programma heeft gegeven.

KLM vliegt al sinds 1922 op Brussel en is zeer loyaal aan de luchthaven. Ook heeft KLM al meer dan veertien jaar een samenwerking voor de hoge snelheidstreinverbinding van Brussel Zuid / Antwerpen naar Schiphol. De reis is inbegrepen in het KLM-ticket. KLM heeft regelmatig campagnes om het treinproduct onder de aandacht te brengen van Belgische klanten, de laatste keer was in oktober 2015 voor Antwerpen Centraal. Ook dit jaar had KLM dergelijke campagnes gepland. Vanwege de huidige beperkte capaciteit van Brussels Airport, heeft KLM besloten de campagne nu te doen en zo de Belgische klanten in de gelegenheid te stellen via Schiphol te vliegen. Vluchten van KLM naar Brussel zijn van vijf naar twee vluchten gegaan vanwege slottoekenning. Het is de wens van KLM zo snel mogelijk volledig terug te keren zodra we toestemming daarvoor krijgen van Brussels Airport.

Translation:
https://translate.google.com/

[Passenger]

The Dutch newspaper AD (Algemeen Dagblad) spoke to the Belgian ambassador in the Netherlands about KLM’s campaign. “This is really not appreciated in Belgium”, ambassador Chris Hoornaert told AD. KLM’s abuse of this suffering, for their own profit, really hurts the Belgians.

The Algemeen Dagblad also states that KLM had planned this train campaign for much later this year, but that it was expedited because of the attacks.

Algemeen Dagblad also spoke to Ronald Jeurissen, professor ethics at the Nyenrode Business University (*). Prof. Jeurissen also disapproves the campaign: “if KLM indeed did so to get more Belgian passengers, it’s a tasteless gain on behalf of others’ suffer. Maybe KLM didn’t assessed the way the Belgians would react? If so, KLM was very naive. And that’s also wrong for a company like KLM”, prof. Jeurissen concludes.

Source:
http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1013/Buitenland/ ... ntem.dhtml

(*) Nyenrode Business University: http://www.nyenrode.com

See also:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... et-correct
and:
http://www.telegraaf.nl/dft/dftavond/25 ... tje__.html

[Apuneger]

Algemeen Dagblad also spoke to Ronald Jeurissen, professor ethics at the Nyenrode Business University (*). Prof. Jeurissen also disapproves the campaign: “if KLM indeed did so to get more Belgian passengers, it’s a tasteless gain on behalf of others’ suffer. Maybe KLM didn’t assessed the way the Belgians would react? If so, KLM was very naive. And that’s also wrong for a company like KLM”, prof. Jeurissen concludes.

Fully agree with Prof. Jeurissen. While the campaign might be OK from a business point of view (and even already might have been planned for, as stated by KLM), the timing of the campaign is very, very wrong and tasteless from a human perspective, whatever the valid explanation they might have. Bad points for KLM...

Best regards,
Ivan

[JOVAN]

When was the last time KLM went on strike ?
When was the last time Dutch ATC went on strike ?
When was the last time Schiphol bagages handlers went on strike?
When was the last time Schiphol airport closed due to energy problems ?
When was the last time Schiphol police decided to slow down the work?
When was the last time, trains in Holland went on strike ?
When was the last time Schiphol passengers were taken hostages of unexpected unions actions ?

Flying to or from BRU is just a nightmare, not only today, but from a long time.

Yes, we have all this ugly problems at BRU from time to time.
But to call it a nightmare ??

Anyway, let us hope people from BRU get a wake up call. You Always can learn from a big crisis.
This is an opportunity to make a big step forward. For the passengers.

Shareholders can wait.

[Conti764]

When was the last time KLM went on strike ?
When was the last time Dutch ATC went on strike ?
When was the last time Schiphol bagages handlers went on strike?
When was the last time Schiphol airport closed due to energy problems ?
When was the last time Schiphol police decided to slow down the work?
When was the last time, trains in Holland went on strike ?
When was the last time Schiphol passengers were taken hostages of unexpected unions actions ?

Flying to or from BRU is just a nightmare, not only today, but from a long time.

Yes, we have all this ugly problems at BRU from time to time.
But to call it a nightmare ??

I agree... The fact that BRU was groing in a good pace shows a lot of people look at it differently then what's offen stated at (amongst others) this forum. It's a bit a Belgian dissease to play down everything we have or do... It's in our DNA and that's a shame.

[Established02]

23APR16

[webstermc]

My wife is at the airport for the flight to FRA at 19h05

- A201 at +\- 17h00
- queu for pre check in at 17h20 (long row till outside and it was cold)
- check in tent 17h45 (online check in thuis passing through
- long queu for security control
- 18h21 passed security
- 18h29 coffee at starbucks

So 1h30 needed on a sunday evening. (And this without check in or luggage drop off)

Longer then expected...

[JOVAN]

Now it is time for BRU to let all the calimero arguments behind them:

some strong signals have to come now: launch a campaign with all modern means:

* departure hall reopening for 80%
* all the public welcome again
* big discount for people coming by train
* organize check- in all main train-stations (e.g. Switzerland) (scan the Luggage there and make sure it travels safely to BRU and final destination)°
* abolish Diabolo surcharge now
* parkings -30%
* organize bus connections to main cities in B NL F and western D; make sure this buses can use the special city bus lanes on the highways;
* give vouchers with every ticket for PAX to spend in airport shops and retaurants
* start building new terminal soon

your comments and ideas welcome.

a strong signal is a MUST

[Flanker2]

I have been through the BRU departure system today and it took me about 90 minutes from the end of the queue to the lounge, of which one hour queuing outside in the cold.

If you don't want to read the whole description, in a word: UNACCEPTABLE!

The bottleneck is the first security xray screening and they should move it into the second tent, instead of the useless empty waiting area they've built in the second tent where low concentration of pax are waiting god knows what and a small improvised ticketing desk is standing.
This way the whole queue shifts into the first tent so that people can stand inside in the warm.

The way this is mismanaged even over 1 month after the attacks is so idiotic that IMO the BRU management should be sacked immediately.

1 hour standing in the cold and BRU doesn't even bother to offer a coup of soup at the end.
Elderly people and young children in the queues.
The worst is not the standing, but the cold.

I felt like I was queuing to enter a concentration camp. The mood was grim, there wasn't a single smiling face.
I was surprised that everybody remained so calm, the mood was very tense.
Many people cutting in line by the bus stops, bravo not a single person to complain.
You could just see the anger in their face though, and it wasn't towards the terrorists but the fact that BRU didn't even bother to shield the queue from cold or even rain for that portion between the bus stops and the first tent.

No BRU staff to be found anywhere by the way. Only airline staff calling out airline and destination names.

I was very cold as I didn't expect the lines to be outside. I was wearing just a light fleece. Most people were in the same situation. It says to come 3 hours before, but nowhere does it say that you should be wearing a fur coat.
Also, the current queues are perfect targets for terrorists who want to do shooting practice.

Yes, now I understand why people would fly out of DUS or AMS or other airports.
Paying 30+ euro's to go through that ordeal is insane. Previously I asked what the big fuss was about, but having experienced it now, I think that BRU management should be sacked.

Thanks for making me catch a cold!
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!


Expanding further, the airlines are not exonerated though.
If BRU is f*cking up in a big way, it doesn't stop airlines from giving out soup and helping customers.
I didn't see a single staff from the home carrier in the queue outside, even to offer a bit of moral support.
Does it really cost that much to assign 2 shifts to give out soup, showing solidarity with the pax?

[Charlie Roy]

At the beginning of May: Ryanair, Jetair, Vueling, Easyjet, Aer Lingus, TAP, Iberia, SAS etc are all due to re-establish full schedules at BRU. That's one week away. Will the security check and check-in facilities be able to cope with increased passenger through put by then?

[Train_man]

I have been through the BRU departure system today and it took me about 90 minutes from the end of the queue to the lounge, of which one hour queuing outside in the cold.

If you don't want to read the whole description, in a word: UNACCEPTABLE!

I was at the airport this afternoon to pick up an arriving relative and I can confirm the situation you described. A very long queue of people outside in cold and rain... I think this situation cannot be maintained or passenger numbers will drop significantly.

However, I think it's mainly police unions that pushed to have this kind of crazy system where people have to queue outside? I'm not sure if BRU management is the only one to blame here...

Same problem with the train station: police and BRU management don't want the new train station to reopen, although it has an emergency exit through a wide corridor which leads right to the exit of the screening tents. If screening would be provided in the station (there is enough room in this emergency exit corridor), then the new station could easily be reopened using that exit. But again, police unions and/or BRU management don't want to...

[JOVAN]

BRU

Wake up. Stop the Losers attitude.

We are really going to AMS or DUS.

airlines will really go away.

Be profesional please

URGENT !!

[Passenger]

"Airlines" don't believe what Flanker says, specially not when he blames Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines.