Transit via Brussels in 35mins
 

I commute North of England - Geneva on a frequent basis. Now that summer is here the direct flights are almost non-existant so I'm transitting. For the last couple of trip I've gone MAN-ZRH-GVA with Swiss but for next week have booked MAN-BRU-GVA with Brussels. Just re-read my itinerary and I have a 35min transfer at BRU :eek:

I know you're all going to say "well they've offered it so it must be do-able" but has anyone any experience.

Sorry, this doesn't answer your question, but if you have a minute, how did you find the MAN-ZHR-GVA trips? I'm trying to work out if it's a better way of getting my (70-something) mother here than our previous choice, which has been to get down to London and fly out of City (also on Swiss). Very grateful for the benefit of your experience.

I 'found' the Swiss flights on the Swiss website :p

Assuming you're asking how the flights were then they were great. A little tight on the outbound with a 50min transfer (been ok most times but needed the minibus last week). Free drinks, a roll and a nice bit of chocolate to top it off. Comfy seats, check in beforehand and job's a good un.

Just fancied some Belgian rather than Swiss chocolate this time so hopeing it doesn't backfire on me

Hand luggage only?

The piers at BRU are miles long so where the respective aircraft are parked might matter. If you arrive on a bussing stand they may have a transfer vehicle for you. Make sure the cabin crew know about you before you arrive.

Particularly if you're in business or Flex, you're the sort of passenger SN wants to attract, and keep, so they should go out of their way for you.

:ok: Thanks very much, k3vlc

Supporting what SSK says. Be prepared for a possible, but very, very hurried transfer.

Unfortunately not but baggage should be checked through - not the end of the world if it doesn't arrive that evening

Thanks - just looked at a booklet Brussels airport have produced on the website about transferring and given I'm transferring non-Schengen to Schengen I don't hold out much hope :\

The non-Schengen passport queues are normally OK, - quicker than lhr, but try not to arrive behind a 747 from Korea/Japan/China, when the queues can last forever..

Ah - my Swiss colleague has just enlightened me. And I didn't even realise they were in the EU. Looks like you'll have time to browse the chocolate shops in the terminal.

Still, you never know...

Transited NCL -BRU - DME the other week. No hurry for my DME flight, but there was a couple on the inbound jungle-jet going to somewhere in Germany. Hostie made sure we all stayed seated until they were off first and into a waiting minibus c/w hold baggage straight across the ramp to the outbound. (And the pax were in the rear of the jungle jet, so probably B-lite).

Overall, I was quite impressed with the whole Brussels airlines experience. Only slight critism was coming back through Brussels in the evening from non-schengen to non-schengen, we were bussed off the DME to the non-schengen bus terminal in the middle of the pier, but the escalators and lifts upstairs were closed off, so it was walk all the way back to the main wing, then a walk back upstairs to the non-schengen bus terminal. I would not have wanted to be in a hurry for that one !

K3IVC.
You may not like the times,but easy appear to have a daily flight to Geneva from Manchester,
J

Used it before but

a) the times aren't optimal (I have a 90min journey at the other end)
b) I've suffered the EZY 'experience' of a MAN cancellation before and have no desire to repeat it
c) LX flights (although indirect) usually work out cheaper

With a transfer of terminals, 35 minutes is definitely pushing it to the limits. Asuming an on-time arrival at the gate there are various scenarios at BRU. The worse case is that you can be unlucky enough to park at Terminal A (Schengen) even though you're arriving from the UK - in which case you will be bussed to Terminal B (non-Schengen) to clear immigration. You then have to make the long trek on foot back to Terminal A, with possible delay at security. What is particularly annoying is that you get dropped off by the bus somewhere half way along the rather long pier on Terminal B. A similar scenario can happen on the return when your Schengen flight will park at the non-Schengen terminal. There's no way of knowing in advance as it all depends on that particular aircraft's planned rotations that day. As mentioned above, be sure to advise the CC of your approved but tight connection.

In much of Europe (apart from Britain), North America, etc, you can assume that if a connection is published, it is normally attainable.

At most of the transfer points (again, apart from Britain) if you arrive on a Short Connection this will all be detected by the system and you will find staff on hand to rush you across, maybe by shuttle van transfer across the ramp.

The joint inability of carriers such as BA at Heathrow with a brand new, optimised terminal where this traffic was never taken into account, the UK government, who insist on immigration, customs and security procedures that add nothing to their efficiency but greatly hold up transfer traffic, and the airport operator like BAA who are damned determined, at whatever cost, that you will have to walk past every one of their shops, means that if you have only ever transferred in Britain, not overseas, you will never have experienced this.

I have done 18 minutes (actual, inbound was late) at Munich between on the blocks inbound from London City, and door closed on a departure to Russia. That involved someone waiting at the aircraft steps with Herr WHBM's name on a clipboard, and a van transfer as well. All on a low price Y ticket. Presumably Lufthansa's skills have been applied to Brussels as well now.

k3lvc - please let us all know how it went :ok:

I did about three minutes at Luxembourg, inbound from FRA on a Luxair F50 to outbound to BRU on a Sabena Metro, with its stbd engine already running!

Why I was making an interline transfer at LUX on a FRA-BRU is another matter ... (the things you do to avoid Lufthansa)

Er, we are not ... Switzerland, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have joined the Schengen area, but remain outside of the Union ( :D )

Also note that Schengen deals with the movement of people, not goods. Meaning you can still buy duty-free for/on most flights to/from CH - but the customs inspector might ask to see what's in your bags.

A bit late to comment, and curious how it went but my few visits in BRU in the last decade taught me the importance of good physical shape because there are so many steps to take that it amounts to a free check up.


Rwy in Sight

Well I can confirm it's do-able but I won't be doing it again in a hurry. Landed at A gates, bussed to half way down the B terminal to passport control, hasty trek back over to A gates for security to then be bussed half way to France and the remotest of remote stands with an entire bus to myself. Crew on inbound disinterested other than telling me which gate to go to, Crew on connection wouldn't even give a cup of water after my 1.6km trek (measured the wallk out of interest).

Slick operation in that my bag made it but not to be recommended unless you're in olympic training mode

I've more than once noted that through-checked bags at a connecting point appear to follow a notably less convoluted route than their accompanying passengers.

Not an idle joke, because again more than once I've identified that the bag is reloaded but then the pax doesn't make it, leading to then substantial delay to the outbound while the bag is located and offloaded again.