Brussels Airlines joining Star Alliance in December 2009

[Airbus A330]

I just visited the "Partner airlines" page on the Brussels Airlines website which is not updated. Will it happen on 9 December or before ?

[telspace2005]

as weel as TAM from 1st of January. (as a full member)

[airbuske]

Will we see a new booking engine as from the 9the december that makes it possible to book a connection
flight with a Star Alliance partner? Similar to the Lufthansa booking engine ?

Why has Brussels Airlines a code share with Spanair if you can't book for example ALC - MAD -BRU ?
Even it is not possible to book BRU - MAD or MAD-BRU on the Spanair website.

[Conti764]

Any news about a plane possibly being painted in Star Alliance colors?

I guess we won't see an A330, but maybe an A319 or a 737?

[RoMax]

Maybe an A333 also. Some of them (I think 3 of the 4) are still not in full SN colors. If one off these planes will undergo a large D-check or somthing they can paint him in *A colors. Maybe not this year but next year or something.
For december I think it will be an A319 or an B737. I hope for an A319 because some of them are also not in full SN colors yet.

[pjvdv]

I'm afraid they won't paint a plane in *A colours for the moment.
That's what Geert Sciot trusted me...
But they don't give much information for the moment

[RoMax]

That is very stupid. Every airline (or almost every)that enters Star painted an a/c in the Star colors.

[TripleD]

That is very stupid. Every airline (or almost every)that enters Star painted an a/c in the Star colors.

Dear Mr_Boeing,


I agree that painting a plane is mostly done and has a great marketing value. But I do have my full respect for the decision of not investing in paint in crisis times, when SN people have to go on economic leave for the last week of December. It would be a wrong signal towards the employees.

Look ahead to the real benefits of the alliance to SN, STAR and our most important home carrier! I am sure that within the budget of SN and partners they will maximize the visibility of the alliance launch.

[RoMax]

You are right about that, but it is an big disappointment that they not going to paint an aircraft in *A colors for the moment.

[Conti764]

I agree that painting a plane is mostly done and has a great marketing value. But I do have my full respect for the decision of not investing in paint in crisis times, when SN people have to go on economic leave for the last week of December. It would be a wrong signal towards the employees.

Look ahead to the real benefits of the alliance to SN, STAR and our most important home carrier! I am sure that within the budget of SN and partners they will maximize the visibility of the alliance launch.

Agreed, but it's still pretty lame SN will probably be the first airline not to have one of their planes painted in the Star Alliance colors on the day of their entry... It actually makes them look like the cheap Ugly Betty from the alliance.

[BrightCedars]

Agreed, but it's still pretty lame SN will probably be the first airline not to have one of their planes painted in the Star Alliance colors on the day of their entry... It actually makes them look like the cheap Ugly Betty from the alliance.

I don't think any of the 5 founding members had a plane in alliance colors at launch, nor that either SQ or NH had a plane painted when they joined. I think it's actually much more rare to see an airline do the effort for entry.

[sdbelgium]

bmi is to codeshare on extra Brussels Airlines operated flights. Following routes are involved:

• Barcelona
• Berlin Tegel
• Bilbao
• Bologna
• Geneva
• Hamburg
• Lyon
• Marseille
• Milan Malpensa
• Toulouse

[sdbelgium]

And quoting bmi e-mail:

We will also be transferring our London Heathrow-Brussels service over to Brussels Airlines from 10 January 2010.

Does this mean SN will fly to LHR again?

[tolipanebas]

breaking news:

SN is to resume 6 daily LHR flights as from January.

LH has just announced its plans with BD, and it sounds as if BD will be heavily restructured and slimmed down (minus 9 planes), with many routes cut or transfered to other LH group airlines in a similar way as was recently announced by LX for their newly announced LHR-GVA route.

Looks like LH has decided to strip BD down to profitability: definitely not a good sign for them. For SN however it looks very promissing, since it means LH sees a brighter future for the airline it owns for 'just' 45%, than for an airline it owns for the full 100%.

Interesting to note also the fact BD is going to return 2 of its A330s to the lessor by mid 2010...

[sdbelgium]

Extra codesharing between TAP and SN as from January 12th, 2010.

TP will codeshare on SN flights from BRU to

• Gothenburg
• Manchester
• Vienna
• Berlin Tegel
• Strasbourg
• Birmingham

SN will codeshare on SN domestic service from LIS to

• Faro
• Funchal
• Porto

[Bralo20]

The airport map on the Star Alliance site is updated for BRU and features now also the SN lounges as Star alliance GOLD

[HighInTheSky]

I noticed that there are no *A SILVER lounges, maybe the BMI lounge can be used as SILVER lounge...

[134flyer]

I noticed that there are no *A SILVER lounges, maybe the BMI lounge can be used as SILVER lounge...

Indeed, *A Silver Lounges don't exist. However, e.g. LH/LX/OS let their own M&M Silvers (FTL) make use of their LH/LX/OS Business Lounges, but these business lounges are not accessible by other *A Silvers (i.e. non M&M) if they are not flying Business. LH/LX/OS SEN & *A Gold can access SEN Lounges. What could be done at the B Pier, is to make the SN Lounge a SEN Lounge for SEN & *A Gold and the BD Lounge a Business Lounge for C pax and M&M FTL's (=Silver)

I noticed on the map that LX still makes use of the B Pier...

Also, will the SN Sunrise Lounge at the T gates from now on be open all day, or still only during the AFI departures?

[b-west]

For some reason, one, and only one, of the SN check-in desk already carries a Star Alliance sticker on it. (For the ones who want to check it out: it's the first desk of row 5 coming from the ticket desks). The only reason I can think of was maybe there were some promo pictures taken that are to be released when SN officially becomes a member?

[shockcooling]

For some reason, one, and only one, of the SN check-in desk already carries a Star Alliance sticker on it. (For the ones who want to check it out: it's the first desk of row 5 coming from the ticket desks). The only reason I can think of was maybe there were some promo pictures taken that are to be released when SN officially becomes a member?

FYI; There are already some planes flying with sticker for quite some time now.