Traveling long haul – that is when good service really matters …

SAVOIR VIVRE – IT STILL EXISTS IN THE SKIES

(Posted 05th October 2015)

I should start this story with ‘Once upon a time’ because once upon a time it truly was when the predecessor of what today is Brussels Airlines, Sabena, flew to Nairobi where I then lived, giving me memories of fine food and excellent wines on board which lasted for decades to come.

First with the venerable Boeing B707, before later on switching to the DC 10, in those days there were two classes on board and for those, like myself, who flew First Class, it truly was their company motto becoming reality in the skies – Savoir Vivre’.

Sadly it all came crashing down when over-reaching Swissair, aiming to copy their main continental European rival Lufthansa, went on a massive expansion spree, including buying a controlling interest in Sabena, before going bankrupt and dragging the Belgian flag carrier down with it.

Thankfully within a couple of months did first SN Brussels take to the skies before being renamed into Brussels Airlines, a technically young airline but one with a pedigree inherited from Sabena.

It is no secret that my blog ‘flies’ with Brussels Airlines and so do I when on a rare occasions I have to spread my wings to Europe and not travel through the African skies which have become my second home.

I fly with quality airlines, making conscious choices based on safety, punctuality, staff disposition and attitude and, perhaps topping that list, the food and service on board.

Regional airlines like Kenya Airways and RwandAir never fail to disappoint while, when heading to the Gulf and beyond Qatar Airways tops my list.

But when Europe calls it is Brussels Airlines I choose, for all the reasons given above even though they do not fly daily – I rather adjust my travel dates to fit their schedule than travel with others which have regularly disappointed in the past.

Few airlines today offer First Class out of Entebbe but when looking back at the old Sabena days in First and comparing the service in Business Class on Brussels Airlines, few if any differences can be noticed – apart from no longer getting that coveted red boarding card which in big fat bold letters read ‘First Class’.

Family business recently took me to Europe, attending a family wedding, dealing with pending legal stuff – the old country keeps a firm grip on her citizens living abroad – and of course attending to some little tourism business and what better opportunity to give Brussels Airlines a try, all the way to my final destination Strasbourg.

After enduring the entry into Entebbe International Airport – in comparison with the region a right proper Jua Kali

facility these days – was it refreshing to approach the Brussels Airlines check in counters where station manager Kenneth Bainomugisha kept a keen eye on things, ready to intervene, support and assist and, importantly, greet his frequent travelers as well as those who travel not so frequently.

My one piece of checked baggage, in business class the allowance is two pieces of up to 32 Kg’s each, was promptly labelled with a Star Alliance priority tag before my boarding pass – I had used the on-line check in which opens 48 hours in advance – was handed to me and an invitation to the premium passenger lounge offered, allowing the remaining time until boarding to be spent filing some more articles for my blog.

One advantage of travelling in the front cabin is of course a late boarding – and at the other end first off the plane – and not having to worry about space in the overhead compartments and where to put one’s hand baggage, with two pieces permitted rather than one.

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The Purser of my outbound flight and the cabin crew assigned to the front cabin, Steven Vander Elst and Vera Van Der Peare, were all smiles, offering to receive and hang up coat and jacket in a cabinet before offering a selection of pre-takeoff drinks, Laurent-Perrier bubbly thankfully declined but water happily accepted.

As the doors closed, on time needless to mention, was the safety video played and the cabin readied for takeoff and within minutes did the Airbus A330-200 speed down the runway and took to the skies for the 7 hour 30 minutes flight to Brussels. I used the time until we reached cruising altitude and the fasten seat belts signs were switched off – I ALWAYS keep my belt fastened when seated – to study the extensive menu I was handed before takeoff to make up my mind what to indulge on.

While leafing through the menu did news catch my eye that Brussels Airlines for the third year running scooped the Global Traveler Magazine award for the ‘Best International Wine List’ award of the New York based publication’s annual ‘Wines on the Wings’ competition, and going by the selection I found entirely justified.

For those with a taste for good wines were the whites on offer a Pouilly-Fuisse’ Pere et Fils Burgundy 2013 and a Kendall Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013 while the reds made even better reading with a Chatau Godeau Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2010 and a Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon & Carmenere 2013. A red wine of the month was also on offer, this being a Californian Bogle Essential Red 2011.

Of course do beer aficionados get a broad taste of what Belgium produces with a total of eight exclusively Belgian beers on offer including a beer of the month which is added the the ‘regular’ seven choices on the menu. With alcohol levels reaching 9.2 percent for the Rochefort 8 Trappistes, good sleep should come assured on the flatbed seats which fold down to a full sized bed, cleverly inserted into a protective cocoon.

But back to dinner. After a seafood starter were three main course choices available, chicken, fish and pasta, besides a fast track version of only starter, cheese board and dessert which on this occasion was a warm Apple Strudel. Ably prepared in the galley by Chantal Damarey, who also then helped with the service – three dedicated staff for a maximum of 22 passengers – making it as fluid and attentive as it comes. ‘Another Glass of Water Sir’ soon gave way to ‘Another Cup of Tea Sir’ as the crew fussed over not just me but the entire group of Business Class passengers on board, accompanied by genuine smiles.

The entertainment programme, extensive and current as it was, stayed in my case hidden behind an extra-large dark screen as exhaustion from a punishing pre-trip schedule took its toll and the flatbed was put to full use.

Prior to landing in Brussels was then a light breakfast served, croissants albeit not chocolate croissants – perhaps I should have pre-ordered those when making my booking – and hey presto were we on the ground in Zaventem, Brussels’ International Airport.

There is still quite a bit of building going on at BRU but the signage is clear and one cannot get lost unless one wants to. After navigating the corridors, aided by people movers, was immigration clearance then fast, using the EU citizen track and the airport fast lane to which Business Class passengers are entitled.

I then had time to spare until my connecting flight on to Strasbourg and spent it in ‘The Loft’, an extensive premium lounge operated for Brussels Airlines and their Star Alliance partners. Passengers ‘drifted’ in and out of the lounge as their respective flights got ready for boarding while I had an extra hour and spent it trying out Belgian cheeses and sausage cuts with regular refills of my tea cup. An array of local and international newspapers and magazines, like already on board of the aircraft, was on offer though I used the free wireless connection to check out my regular news channels for interesting events. Eventually did boarding time for my own AVRO 100 service to Strasbourg also scroll up on the departure screens and I made my way to the gate. I arrived in time for boarding, again being able to use a fast track access lane and hey presto were we seated, pushed back and enjoyed a calm flight over the European landscapes to Strasbourg, seat of the European Parliament.

The sunny weather, even though with single digit temperatures at times, made my stay altogether pleasant as not a drop rained on my own or the parade of my oldest nephew who got married that weekend and who was, like everyone else, surprised to see me turn up, with other family members having arrived earlier in the week already, also flown by Brussels Airlines to the European capital.

Fast track forward to getting back home, this time first from Frankfurt on a code shared flight operated by Lufthansa to Brussels. No disrespect meant, would I have wished in retrospect to have been on a Brussels Airlines flight but alas, that was not to be. I guess, following this experience, there will be more than just some tears shed in Nairobi when Brussels Airlines has to withdraw in mid-October in favour of Lufthansa, taking over the Accra route from them, when the ‘Savoir Vivre’ gets replaced by German precision engineering.

Flights to Africa, both East and West, leave from a dedicated terminal in Brussels with T gate numbers, which after the last departure of the day is then opened up, i.e. immigration officials leave their booths and turn the gates into an open terminal for flights into the Schengen area.

A dedicated Business Lounge awaits premium passengers and those with higher status frequent flyer cards which allows them access to the lounge. The Entebbe via Kigali flight departed right next door to the lounge entrance and again, boarding late was easy with just a few steps down the air-bridge to the plane.

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(Destination followed by the display on the seat TV screen of takeoff and cruise – note the remarkable 960km speed)

While the outbound flight in Business Class was full did the return flight out of Brussels have a few seats available, probably due to the midweek departure day.

The crew on the return flight was again superb, led by Purser Pascal Scotty, ably assisted by Chantal Melsen and Valerie Diercky. The twist out of Brussels for the menu is that top ranked Belgian chefs, most of them Michelin Star decorated, create the meal. This season it was the work of Michelin Two Star Chef Pierre Resimont the passengers were able to enjoy in the skies over Europe and Africa. An appetizer, a choice of two starters and three main courses, a typical Belgian cheese selection and a divine Apricot Mousse left my taste buds buzzing after I made my selection, allowing me to reminisce to the old days on the venerable Boeing B707 of Sabena, when the ‘Savoir Vivre’ was born.

Travel then as is today, can be stressful, more so in modern days when one no longer just strolls from check in to the lounge and then on to the plane. Security checks make it a veritable hurdle race, at least in Entebbe while in Brussels a single, and I mean SINGLE check point takes care of all of ICAO’s recommended procedures. That said, once on board the aircraft, especially in the front cabin, does an atmosphere of calm, almost serenity surround the passengers, voices subdued and everyone, before takeoff, settling down while, once reaching cruising altitude, enjoying an award winning service with award winning drinks and food.

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The unique configuration in Business Class, offering single ‘King’ seats as well as twin seats, give passengers that priceless space, at a cost of course, while the 2x4x2 configuration in economy class is comfortable and of course much more affordable while also getting first class entertainment, a two piece baggage allowance of (strictly) 23 kilograms and good food served by friendly flight attendants.

After a brief stop on the ground in Kigali, that routing will shortly be revised to nonstop as Kigali will then be combined with Bujumbura, did we take off from the Land of a Thousand Hills to Entebbe and in just over half an hour were we on the ground. Notably did the priority baggage appear on the carousel first, again allowing Business Class passengers to be not only first off the plane, beating the queues at immigration, but then also claim their bags and leave the airport before traffic builds up towards Kampala.

It was an all-round enjoyable experience to travel with Brussels Airlines and the three flight segments flown with them left nothing to be desired or missed. The airline offers an extensive directly operated network of flights across Europe, more yet through codeshares and of course the two North American destinations, a daily service to New York year round and a seasonal service to Washington DC during the summer months.

Back home and preparing for the next journey, memories still clear and precise, was it both a pleasure travelling but also writing about it. For added information about Brussels Airlines click on www.brusselsairlines.com