Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.
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[tpg_rating tpg-rating-score=75 ground-experience=7 cabin-seat=21 amens-ife=6 food-bev=21 service=20 pros=Brand-new cabin with modern finishes, impressive food and beverage selection cons=Incredibly slow service, limited IFE selection, no Wi-Fi /]
Brussels Airlines Business Class Meals
Sponsors there. Any PeaceJam trip is an incredible experience from start to finish, and adding to the fun, of course, is the journey. Part of joining the crew on one of these trips is the expectation to find interesting products to review there and back.
On the way there, I flew with South African Airways on its refurbished Airbus A330 nonstop from Washington-Dulles to Accra (review coming soon!). And when I was searching for a way to get home, I stumbled across a brand-new transatlantic product that hadn't yet been reviewed on
As we first reported back in February, Brussels Airlines is in the process of reconfiguring its entire wide-body fleet of Airbus A330s with a new business-class product.
Review: Brussels Airlines A320 Economy Class From Berlin To Brussels
With the first aircraft with the new product already flying, this would be a perfect opportunity to try it out, since the airline operates a fairly extensive African network. Brussels advertises the new business-class product as a boutique hotel in the air — so did the seven-hour, 21-minute flight from Brussels to New York-JFK really feel like I was in a boutique hotel?
Booking the new Brussels Airlines business class is a bit like finding a unicorn. There's currently only one refurbished plane (registration OO-SFD), and it just re-entered service on May 1. While this plane has mostly been flying to and from JFK, it has spent a few weeks flying to cities in Africa.
The next plane to feature the new product will be OO-SFE, which is currently undergoing the cabin refurbishment in Amman, Jordan. I've got to imagine that once the second reconfigured plane enters service, the JFK route will consistently feature the new product.
Brussels Airlines New Business Class Seat Long Haul Flights
As Brussels Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, there are multiple ways to redeem miles for flights to and from North America, including:
Brussels Airlines releases a fair amount of award availability, but if you can't find availability on the JFK route, you can check its other North American routes -- Toronto (YYZ) and Washington, DC (IAD).
My stay with Brussels Airlines began in Accra with a red-eye flight to Brussels operated by the carrier's oldest angle-flat business-class product.
Flight Review: Brussels Airlines Business Class Jfk Bru
It certainly felt like Brussels Airlines was trolling me when I got onto the flight to BRU and found a card advertising the new business class.
I'm happy to report that connecting in Brussels passed my test for a great European connection. In my book, any good European connection shouldn't involve remote stands and bus transfers to what feels like a neighboring country.
After arriving in the B Concourse, I followed signs for connecting flights and identified that my flight to New York would also be departing from the B Concourse.
New Brussels Airlines Business Class A330 300 Ife
The transfer process required walking down a long hallway, clearing transit security and entering through a maze of a duty-free store before entering the departures level of the B Concourse.
Brussels Airlines has three lounges in the airport: The Loft in Terminal A for European Schengen flights, the Sunrise Lounge in Terminal T and The Suite in Terminal B, both for non-Schengen flights.
To access The Suite, you needed to take the stairs or elevators near Gate B1 or B15. You were then in the lounge corridor where you followed signs for The Suite.
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I had arrived a bit before the morning rush, and the lounge already felt quite crowded. With only 160 seats for all Star Alliance business-class and Gold passengers flying from Terminal B, the lounge was way undersized. Compare the pictures for what the lounge looked like at 7am versus 9am.
The lounge was shaped like an especially long and narrow rectangle with sweeping apron and runway views. There were two main sitting areas, one to the left of the entrance desk and the other to the right of the desk.
There was also a small relaxation room with four reclining chairs that were occupied the entire time I was in the lounge.
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Finally, the lounge had a tiny business center. Wi-Fi in the lounge was slow (download speeds of about 5 Mbps), so I instead connected to the airport's free high-speed Wi-Fi, which was 20 times faster.
If you're looking to shower, bad news: There weren't any showers in The Suite. On a space-available basis, the lounge attendants could arrange a shower in the nearby Priority Pass lounge.
Brussels Airlines flights to the US left from the end of the B Concourse, near Gate B40. There was an additional security check to enter the gate area, and I was thrilled to find seating and space in the sterile US-bound departure area.
Trip Report: Delta B767 Business Class Brussels To New York
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When you see an ad for a boutique hotel in the sky, you might expect something like Etihad's Apartments or Singapore Suites. Not a 30-seat cabin of staggered fully flat seats.
As I entered the plane, I turned left at the lobby/bar. The cabin's finishes definitely felt fresh and snazzy, especially with the mood lighting.
Airlines Improving First , Business Class Flights
However, there are some seats that are better than others. If you're traveling alone, I'd definitely recommend one of the throne seats, 1A, 3A or 5A.
Rows 2, 4 and 6 are the best seats on the K side, or starboard side, since they are flush with the window and further away from the aisle.
Finally, if you're traveling as a couple or with a group, I'd recommend seats in the center D and F section of the plane.
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The worst seats on the plane are the couple seats on the A and C side, or port side, of the plane, as they are the tightest and feature the least amount of storage space.
The biggest improvement in the new seats were the finishes and larger storage compartments. The finishes definitely felt modern and upscale, especially the square lamp next to the AC outlet.
Most seats featured two shelves of storage for shoes or loose items, and some seats also had deep storage compartments next to the tray table for laptops, books, etc.
Trip Report Brussels Airlines A319 Business Class Brussels To Marseille 5
I was seated in 1A, the bulkhead throne that offered an extra storage compartment on the floor as well as an oversized footwell.
There were basic seat-control functions on the right armrest, and opening the IFE remote compartment revealed advanced seat functions like lumbar support, massage functions and an adjuster for the way the seat cushion felt.
I wish Brussels had placed the seat controls elsewhere. As I relaxed my right elbow on the armrest, I kept inadvertently adjusting my seat during the flight.
Trip Report Brussels Airlines New Business Class Jfk Bru
There were two bathrooms for the 30 passengers in business class: one in the front by the cockpit and one in the back by the premium economy cabin. Neither restroom had any special features other than Rituals hand cream and single-use cloth towels.
If I were reconfiguring a plane in 2019, I'd want to install the latest technology, like Wi-Fi and high-definition screens. Someone at Brussels Airlines, however, decided to keep the carrier in the 2000s.
Business-class seats featured 15.4-inch touchscreen TVs with 46 movies and 21 TV shows. Of the 46 movies, many were in French, but there were some Hollywood new releases like Aquaman, Black Panther and The Mule.
Brussels Airlines Business Class Pros And Cons
Annoyingly, the IFE only had one TV episode per season. Some of the titles included The Big Bang Theory, Arrow, Marlon and Westworld.
The touchscreen TV could also be controlled using a trackpad on the remote -- the Apple TV-esque remote was really the most modern-feeling aspect of the IFE system.
The two biggest issues with the IFE were that, one, the TV was highly reflective, so everyone needed to close their windows in order to really see anything other than yourself, and, two, the TV software kept resetting my movie to the beginning and also took more than two minutes to register a touch or remote command.
Brussels Airlines Seat Maps
Aside from the IFE, pillows and amenity kits were waiting on the seats during boarding, and comfortable blankets were distributed after takeoff. Don't expect any pajamas or mattress pads on Brussels Airlines.
The amenity kits were designed by Essentiel Antwerp, and, yes, they contained the essentials like Rituals hand cream, dental kits, eye mask, earplugs, socks and a pen.
Just like one might be impressed by the curated selection of food and drinks at a boutique hotel, I was similarly impressed with the food and beverage offerings on my boutique hotel flight.
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Service began on the ground with predeparture beverages including water, Champagne, orange juice and apple juice. Shortly after takeoff, menus were distributed. The food service began with lunch, transitioned to a midflight treat of IJsboerke ice cream and
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