SABENA fail to impress

[BRUpax]

I have to say that SABENA haven't impressed me just of late.

Yesterday my sons were booked on the 1920 SN2048 BHX-BRU. Checking Ceefax they noted a delay of 2.5 hours on the inbound service. Living relatively close to the airport, one of them called Servisair at BHX to ask if, in view of the serious delay, they could check-in late. The answer was "no" on account that Servisair check-in staff were only contracted by SABENA to work until 1900! Consequently passengers were made to check-in at the normal time and thus forced to take the delay at the airport. The flight subsequently departed 3.5 hours late. Adverse weather conditions was given as the reason for the delay.

Tonight the SN2048 was again running significantly late because of the late arrival of the incoming flight "due to adverse weather conditions". I was boarding BD659 for BRU at the time (the a/c having arrived from BRU 25 mins earlier) In fact the weather both in BHX and BRU was well above limits.

The truth is that SABENA/DAT are running too tight a schedule with their RJ85/100 fleet and the aircraft accumulate delays from which they cannot recover as the the day progresses. All in all a poor show SABENA. And do try to sort something out with Serviceair with regard to your contract with them

[The Sleeping Pax]

BRUpax. Have you never heard that SABENA is an acronym for Such A Bloody Experience Never Again? :rolleyes:
My main gripe with Sabena is that the food they serve is Awful. Beef with Prunes was one sacrificial offering, during one flight I endured with them.
I would have thought that their alliance with Swissair would have improved things.

------------------
Wake me up when we get there

[OO-AOG]

I've worked for SN a few years ago, and that was definitely a bad experience - never again. Now, I flew many times as a pax with them as well, and I think that the service is pretty good. The new Airbuses are perfect and I won't miss the 737s, I like the RJs as well. The main usual reasons for delays are these bloody ATC slots and ramp congestion, direct consequences of the hub and spoke concept. I don't see anything an airline could do against that.
I am just coming back from DXB with AF via CDG. The DXB-CDG sector was just perfect, friendly staff, good catering, on time departure and arrival. 1 hour turnaround in CDG and on time boarding for the BRU connexion. Due to ATC slot, startup clearance was 20 min late, followed by 25 min taxy before takeoff, then holding over BRU for 15 min before landing..finishing by another 10 min taxy before arriving to our gate (we landed on RWY 02). Of course the return leg to CDG will be late for the outbound passengers...but what could do AF about it?...nothing!, only apologize to the angry passengers with the well known sentence '' due to late arrival of the aircraft...''
Now the only thing on which I complain with SN are these LON flights operated by Virgin Express, they've lost so many business travellers over the years.

[VnV2178B]

I think everyone is suffering from the congestion over Europe for whatever reason. I did the BHX-BRU on SN2040 Tuesday and it nearly made it to time, the only reason we didn't was that another flight had a problem and we were held until it was on the ground. My main gripe is that the ground ops people like Servisair never seem to know what is going on. More and reliable information for pax would probably defuse a lot of the anger you see around terminals lately. I was delayed out of BRU going to GOT and there was no-one who seemed to know the reason. I only found out what had happened by chatting to the FA once we were en route.

VnV...
Home for Christmas, SABENA permitting !

[SECs Machine]

Hey, there's always BA for BHX-BRU!

[BRUpax]

In fact I'm a regular on BA's BRU-BHX-BRU SECs Machine. Occasionally it has to be SN or BD because of scheduling or availability of cheapo fares when the family travel with me.