Brussels Airlines adds Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea

[sn26567]

Brussels Airlines adds Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea to its network
Four new destinations thanks to an extension of the partnership with Lufthansa in Africa

As from today Brussels Airlines offers a perfect flight schedule to Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt) and Equatorial Guinea (Malabo) thanks to an extended partnership with Lufthansa. All flights are operated by Lufthansa and commercialized by Brussels Airlines through a codeshare agreement.

Alternatively, Lufthansa sells seats on the Brussels Airlines flights to Rwanda (Kigali), Sierra Leone (Freetown), Guinea (Conakry) and Angola (Luanda).

Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa substantially expand their cooperation on the African market. This agreement allows Brussels Airlines to offer its customers as from today an excellent flight schedule to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, countries that up until now were not part of the vast African network offered by Brussels Airlines. Thanks to a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa these destinations are included in the Brussels Airlines network portfolio. Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa will also work together on the flights to Angola. As from today the passengers of both airlines can make their choice between four weekly frequencies to Angola (two operated by Lufthansa from Frankfurt, two operated by Brussels Airlines from Brussels).

Brussels Airlines passengers travel from Brussels Airport to Frankfurt, from where they connect on partner Lufthansa to Abuja, Lagos, Malabo, Port Harcourt or Luanda. Flight schedules have been adjusted to allow for smooth connections in Frankfurt. Passengers can choose between First, Business and Economy Class on their intercontinental flight. All flights are eligible for earning and redeeming Miles & More miles.

Alternatively Lufthansa commercializes a large numbe of daily flights operated by Brussels Airlines from Brussels Airport to Africa. The German airline sells tickets on Brussels Airlines to Freetown (Sierra Leone), Kigali (Rwanda), Conakry (Guinea) and Luanda (Angola).

Brussels Airlines press release, Brussels, 28th January 2010

Follow Brussels Airlines daily information on http://twitter.com/brusselsairline.

[diminbru]

ah I thought it would be the announcement of the new african SN-destinations with own metal...

[tolipanebas]

ah I thought it would be the announcement of the new african SN-destinations with own metal...

Not before mid february

Anyway, let's hope SN updates its website soon, so one can actually also BOOK those new flights online, because the previous batch of LH flights with SN codeshare were NOT available for online booking through their website for months!!!

[saratoga]

ah I thought it would be the announcement of the new african SN-destinations with own metal...

Don't worry!! Lagos and Port harhourt are not really "a place to be". Abuja is better.

grtz

[BRUMRU]

For a minute there my heart skipped a beat, I thought these were the new destinations for SN metal - which seemed rather out of the blue!

[tolipanebas]

Lufthansa's press release:

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines expand codeshare services to Africa, meaning a wider choice of flights to African destinations for customers of both airlines.

As from today, Lufthansa customers can book codeshare flights with Brussels Airlines to four more destinations in Africa. For the first time, passengers can thus fly with the Belgian carrier from Berlin-Tegel, Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart through Brussels direct to the African capitals Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Kigali (Rwanda). Furthermore, Lufthansa can now offer its passengers two codeshare flights with Brussels Airlines to the Angolan capital Luanda in addition to its own twice-weekly service from Frankfurt. Frequencies to Angola are thus being doubled from two to four per week. Members of Lufthansa’s frequent flyer programme Miles & More can earn miles on all flights operated by Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines or redeem miles for award flights.

As part of the extended cooperation between the two carriers, Brussels Airlines, which belongs to the Lufthansa Group, will also issue its own tickets to passengers on Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt to Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and also to Luanda.

Since July 2009, an increasing number of long-haul flights to Africa operated by Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines have also been offered under the partner airline’s flight number. The new codeshare services operated by Brussels Airlines give Lufthansa passengers a choice of three further destinations, which the German carrier does not serve itself. Lufthansa currently operates its own flights to 17 destinations in Africa. If one counts the services operated by the Lufthansa Group airlines Austrian, Brussels Airlines, SWISS and bmi, passengers now have a choice of 31 destinations in 27 countries in Africa. In addition, Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines offer all their flights on cross-border routes between Germany and Belgium as well as on selected European routes as codeshare services.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Corporate Communications

[diminbru]

I wonder why LH doesn't codeshare more on SN african flights such as DKR - FIH - ABJ - ...

[tolipanebas]

I wonder why LH doesn't codeshare more on SN african flights such as DKR - FIH - ABJ - ...

Bilaterals could be one reason for the phased way in which LH and SN gradually build up their codeshare relationship on longhaul. But mind you, ABJ is available for LH pax through a codeshare on SN since September last year....

LH already codeshared on:
Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Banjul (Gambia), Bujumbura (Burundi), Douala & Yaunde (both Cameroon), Nairobi (Kenya) and Monrovia (Liberia)

and has added as from today:
Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Kigali (Rwanda) and Luanda (Angola)

More to follow....

[RoMax]

I wonder why LH doesn't codeshare more on SN african flights such as DKR - FIH - ABJ - ...

Bilaterals could be one reason for the phased way in which LH and SN gradually build up their codeshare relationship on longhaul. But mind you, ABJ is available for LH pax through a codeshare on SN since September last year....

LH already codeshared on:
Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Banjul (Gambia), Bujumbura (Burundi), Douala & Yaunde (both Cameroon), Nairobi (Kenya) and Monrovia (Liberia)

and has added as from today:
Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Kigali (Rwanda) and Luanda (Angola)

More to follow....

I thought they codeshare on Entebbe also, or not?

[tolipanebas]

I thought they codeshare on Entebbe also, or not?

Indeed, EBB is another SN destination codeshared by LH.

On the days SN doesn't serve the destination, LH routes its pax through ADD with ET, but logically SN gets priority on the days they do serve EBB.

[sn26567]

Lufthansa's press release:

... Brussels Airlines, which belongs to the Lufthansa Group ...

I thought naively that Brussels Airlines belonged to SN Airholding (55%), with a minority share for Lufthansa (45%).

[euroflyer]

Lufthansa's press release:

... Brussels Airlines, which belongs to the Lufthansa Group ...

I thought naively that Brussels Airlines belonged to SN Airholding (55%), with a minority share for Lufthansa (45%).

And so it belongs to the "group", the same way as eurowings does (where LH owns some 48% or so). Belonging to the "group" does not mean LH owns 100% of SN

[tolipanebas]

It's interesting indeed to read how LH thinks about SN in each of their press releases....

From Lufthansa's most recent press release:

Brussels Airlines, which belongs to the Lufthansa Group...

the Lufthansa Group airlines Austrian, Brussels Airlines, SWISS and bmi

They've always said SN would be a prime brand, with equal status to LH and LX (OS and BD weren't part of the group when LH's CEO told this in BRU the day he came to sign the purchase agreement) and it sounds LH really means it and don't want to wait till they have full control of their new airline.

SN it belongs to the "group", the same way as eurowings does (where LH owns some 48% or so). Belonging to the "group" does not mean LH owns 100% of SN

That's indeed correct, although LH will not easily refer to eurowings as belonging to the LH group of Airlines, but rather refer to them as on of their regional subsidiaries.
For those interested, have a look at:
http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/busines ... group.html
to graps the subtile difference between a regional subsidiary and a full member of their airline group.
LH sees the latter as a stand alone prime brand, whereas the first is just a regional brand which needs to operate under the umbrella of one of the prime brands....

[Conti764]

That's indeed correct, although LH will not easily refer to eurowings as belonging to the LH group of Airlines, but rather refer to them as on of their regional subsidiaries.
For those interested, have a look at:
http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/busines ... group.html
to graps the subtile difference between a regional subsidiary and a full member of their airline group.
LH sees the latter as a stand alone prime brand, whereas the first is just a regional brand which needs to operate under the umbrella of one of the prime brands....

Given good economic times and a favourable performance of SN, is it pretty safe to assume, from 2012 on, Lufthansa will invest in SN the same way they did in LX so the company might start to receive brand new or younger second hand long haul equipment with a service truly on par with the premium brands of the Lufthansa Group?

After all, SN will be the Lufhtansa Groups first line of service in Africa, even more so then to Star Alliance, thus making it necessary clients can have the best possible equipment, roughly in line with LX's equipment.

[tolipanebas]

Given good economic times and a favourable performance of SN, is it pretty safe to assume, from 2012 on, Lufthansa will invest in SN the same way they did in LX so the company might start to receive brand new or younger second hand long haul equipment with a service truly on par with the premium brands of the Lufthansa Group?

After all, SN will be the Lufhtansa Groups first line of service in Africa, even more so then to Star Alliance, thus making it necessary clients can have the best possible equipment, roughly in line with LX's equipment.

Now wouldn't that be great?

As to the first signs of LH seriously modernising SN, I don't think we'll have to wait till 2012 for this: It is known LH will decide on what plane(s) will replace the current RJs at SN by year's end. Fleet renewal is one of those things which have already been passed on to the future owner, so I am very curious to find out what they have in mind for us...

[saratoga]

It is really unbelievable since Ba is a part of Lufthansa how many people are dreaming around here. I work with german aviation people and for them BA is "JUST" that other tiny little company.
Just be carefull and wait what future brings. That's all i can say.

grtz

[jan_olieslagers]

Just be carefull and wait what future brings.

Nice to see some realism. Becoming rare, indeed.

[RoMax]

It is really unbelievable since Ba is a part of Lufthansa how many people are dreaming around here. I work with german aviation people and for them BA is "JUST" that other tiny little company.
Just be carefull and wait what future brings. That's all i can say.

grtz

I agree with you, in some ways. But what will be the best for LH. Leave SN as a small second ranked airline, or the biggest airline operating to AFI with good service that will atract more pax. Tranferring the AFI destinations to Germany is impossible, because it will simply not work. (That's why they are taking over SN) They will beat AF/KLM's AFI network, the best way to do that is with SN. So you can be sure that they will expand the AFI network, a result of that will be that the EU network will improve. LH will profitate from this by operating the premier routes (MUC, FRA) that's for sure. (SN will stop their only daily flight to FRA from comming summer season).
From the moment LH is 100% shareholder of SN, it doesn't make any difference for LH if SN is big or small, high service or low service... The profit that SN will (hopefully :p)make will go to LH anyway. And SN is absolutly the only way to beat AF/KLM's AFI network.
But I don't believe in a SN with the highest possible way of service with a worldwide network. (Europe, AFI and 2-6 other long haul destinations maximum but not before 2011/2012)

[Conti764]

It is really unbelievable since Ba is a part of Lufthansa how many people are dreaming around here. I work with german aviation people and for them BA is "JUST" that other tiny little company.
Just be carefull and wait what future brings. That's all i can say.

grtz

Dreaming? I am merely asking questions, that's it...

[euroflyer]

It is really unbelievable since Ba is a part of Lufthansa how many people are dreaming around here. I work with german aviation people and for them BA is "JUST" that other tiny little company.
Just be carefull and wait what future brings. That's all i can say.

grtz

hm, indeed, I had a number of exchanges with LH staff during the last week at different counters in FRA and TXL (because SN had cancelled 2 flights I had booked with them on Monday and Tuesday ) and ALL LH people I spoke to referred to SN as "Sabena" ( ) and none of them was really aware how close the links with LH are ... ...