George Nugent Travels

I was looking for a way to travel from Brussels to Prague and was presented with two options, Ryanair or Brussels Airlines.

Seeing as I had never flown with them before, and I could not be bothered with another early start from an airport nowhere near Brussels, I chose Brussels Airlines, on one of their multiple daily flights between the two cities.

Some background for you, Brussels Airlines are based in, well, Brussels and are the flag carrier of Belgium. They are part of the Star Alliance group of airlines and are owned by the Lufthansa Group.

Flight Details

Date – 11/05/2022

Route – Brussels -> Prague

Price – €163.35

Aircraft Type – Airbus A320

Airport Experience

Having never flown from Brussels Airport before I decided to arrive 2 hours before my flight. The airport is served by at least 6 trains per hour from the city centre, and the check-in hall is located just a few minutes walk from the station.

Security was very quite when I arrived and I was processed in less than 10 minutes. Whilst waiting for my gate I took a seat in the main concourse. There are plenty of shops available for you to kill time before your flight.

The airport itself is pretty big and you will be able to find somewhere to sit and relax before your flight. However, due to its size it is advisable you arrive with plenty of time to walk to your gate.

Boarding Gate Experience

This flight departed from Gate A70, which is one of the furthest away gates from security.

When I arrived at the gate a member of airport staff approached me with an iPad and asked if I could complete a survey. The survey was asking questions about the airport and what could be done to improve the experience.

By the time I completed it we were ready to board. Boarding was organised and the gate staff were greeting every passenger and making conversation, which is always a good way to start a flight.

Onboard Experience

As I boarded the aircraft a member of cabin crew was at the door greeting each passenger. The rest of the crew were throughout the cabin greeting passengers as they walked past, and helping them to their seats.

The cabin of the aircraft was clean, but nothing spectacular. Despite this I found my seat (16A) and made myself comfortable.

Although the flight was busy I ended up having all 3 seats to myself. This made the experience even more pleasant as I had more space to stretch out. Legroom was sufficient for the 65 minute flight and the seats were comfortable as well.

The cabin crew then took us through the safety demonstration. Although I have flown this aircraft type regularly I still gave the crew my full attention and read the safety card in my seat pocket.

After a short taxi to the runway it was time for take-off.

Immediately after take-off we flew back over the airport, which offered some incredible photo opportunities.

When we reached a safe altitude the seatbelt sign was turned off and the crew began the inflight service. This was a fairly standard service with drinks and snacks available for purchase, however, what made it much better was the friendliness of the cabin crew throughout.

Nothing was too much hassle for them, and they treated every passenger with respect throughout the flight. Not only that, but they were visible in the cabin throughout the flight, something that is lacking on budget airlines.

I used this flight to write a post for this site (specifically about Southwest Airline which can be read here).

We descended into Prague and approached the city from the South East, an unusual approach into the airport but due to the main runway being closed this is now the standard approach to the airport.

Landing and Arrivals Experience

After a short taxi we arrived at Terminal 2 at Prague Airport (used for flights within the Schengen area). After a short wait we were able to exit into the terminal and exit the airport.

I was able to leave the airport on a bus to the metro system within 20 minutes of landing, pretty good going for any airport I would say.

My Final Thoughts

Overall, I felt Brussels Airlines offered a very polished and professional service. Despite this I do think the price was slightly on the high side, but I did book later than I normally would.

If I needed to do this route again then I would have no hesitations using Brussels Airlines. However, I would use them much more regularly if they flew direct from Glasgow, allowing me to connect onto this flight.

Not only that but their membership of Star Alliance makes them a more attractive airline for flyers looking to earn status within the alliance.