Sabena: thanks!

[Londoner]

I was recently on a Sabena flight from Boston to Brussels and the crew kindly let me "sit up front" during part of the cruise portion. It was my first time on an A330 and I really enjoyed it.
Just wanted to express my thanks.

[CargoRat2]

Sabena? I don't suppose your baggage arrived on the same flight as you were on!
That shambles of an outfit have lost mine three times out of the last three trips. Wish I could position with someone else, unfortunately out of my hands.

------------------
rgds Rat

[Boss Raptor]

Same here CargoRat...lost luggage,lost reservations on confirmed seats,unpleasant cabin crew,uninterested customer service staff,poor punctuality,bus breaks down at BRU,stairs dont work etc. etc.

Unfortunately they have taken over many of the Swissair services to West Africa but it is just not the same...

Same Awful Bloody Experience...Never Again!

[Londoner]

Well I had all my luggage with me, so no problem there.
Service on-board was fine. Couldn't believe how empty the plane was mind you - might explain some of their financial difficulties. Also, for a newish aircraft, there seemed to be quite a few inop or half broken items in the cabin (e.g. footrests that didn't extend properly, knackered TV screens, etc.)
Mostly, though, it was the chance to get to see the flight deck that was nice. Not something I usually am able to do since I live in the US and mostly fly on US carriers.

[CargoRat2]

BR,
Here's a classic from a couple of weeks ago. Positioning BRU-BIO.
After a delay due late inbound, finally allowed through the gate. As usual, waited until just about last (no point in joining the scrum to get onto the a/c). There were about 15 of us waiting for the rest to go through.
Got down to the ramp where the bus was to pick us up; just as we got there it drove off (full). No probs I thought, the next one will be here momentarily. 20 mins later it showed up. Thing is, 15ish pax left to their own devices on BRU ramp! Of those 15, 3 of our crew in uniform, 1 other positioning crewmember in uniform. We took it upon ourselves to make sure everyone behaved. The security implications make me shudder!
I would hazard a guess that it happens fairly regularly, because there were cigarette butts lying around the area where we were waiting.
(PS my mother went to Cape Town via Johannesburg with SN on Dec22 - baggage found in BRU on the 24th, after they had promised it had been relocated and flown on the 23rd).
Such A Bad Experience Never Again (SABENA).
Got that off my chest!! :)
Edit for Londoner: Well at least you had a friendly crew. Its certainly not their fault that their organaisation is a total mess.
------------------
rgds Rat

[This message has been edited by CargoRat2 (edited 30 December 2000).]

[The Guvnor]

We used to operate connecting services for SN from BJM to KGL and EBB with Let 410s. SN demanded a one-way ticketing agreement at seriously reduced rates; demanded that their pax be allowed to carry two suitcases/40kgs (a major poblem on a 17 seater Let 410 - it meant that we had to take out two revenue seats for starters); and refused us so much as a single rebate ticket for senior staff. To add insult to injury, we had a weekly courier flying BRU-EBB-BRU carrying VAL shipments and on average once a month he'd find his reservation had miraculously disappeared from M class ... but he could upgrade to Y - after paying the difference, of course!

We very seriously looked at using BA instead - and if it hadn't been for the hassle at LGW to tranship the VAL we'd have used them and sod SN.

As it was, we pulled the KGL services and one of the EBB runs - that started SN squawking, as they had to pay for overnight accommodation for their connecting pax!

Awful organisation, staffed primarily by Jobsworths.

[CargoRat2]

Right-on Guv.
Can't comment on your airline's experience - wansn't there. Anyway, we won't have to put up with SN for much longer on the African routes; they've quit (bankrupt anyway - see Nationwide thread in African forum).
In ref to my previous post on this subject about Mum - I keep telling her to fly KLM...

------------------
rgds Rat

[Mike Oscar]

Sabena - (S)uch (A) (B)loody (E)xperience, (N)ever (A)gain

[This message has been edited by Mike Oscar (edited 03 January 2001).]