Brussels Airlines is improving its short-haul and mid-haul catering in business class, with refreshed menus and a major upgrade to the meal presentation. This marks a substantial improvement for the Star Alliance carrier.
Catering Matters: Brussels Airlines Plans Upgrades To Business Class Menus + Presentation
Let me start by what I love most about what Brussels Airlines is doing: bringing back porcelain dishes and steel cutlery. Presentation matters and the way food is presented can greatly impact how we perceive it. Sandy Coenen, an Inflight Product Manager, explained:
“Providing our passengers with porcelain dishes will elevate the presentation of the food and brings a more environmentally friendly solution. Reducing to a maximum extend the use of plastic remains a clear focus for us. As such, little yoghurt pots will disappear from the tray. Guests are presented with a fresh yoghurt in a porcelain bowl instead. We continuously work on reducing waste to further improve our ecological footprint.”
I love this logic! I’ve lamented that fellow Star Alliance member SAS has eliminated porcelain dishes in its intra-Europe premium cabin in favor of paper and plastic containers and wooden cutlery. SAS also claims this is better for the environment than pure plastic, but it also produces a great deal of waste.
Kudos to Brussels Airlines for going in the opposite direction.
Now, on to the meals themselves. Here is what you can expect onboard Brussels Airlines starting next month:
- The breakfast menu on flights below 80 minutes offers a fresh sandwich accompanied by a pain au chocolat or a croissant and fresh fruit
- Lunch and dinner menus will include classic fruit and cheese brochette and Belgian tapas, with a finger food-sized sandwich or quiche, accompanied by a fresh salad and petit fours made with Belgian speculoos, cuberdon or chocolate
- On flights above 80 minutes, passengers will be presented with a fresh seasonal salad, along with a dessert of macarons or Neuhaus chocolates
- On flights over 2.5 hours, passengers can enjoy a hot meal with a dessert and fresh cheese
- The meals will vary from week to week, providing the loyal frequent flyers with variation on their travels
‘
One other tidbit of info struck me: Brussels Airlines claims that in April 2023, the number of sold seats in Business Class even doubled, compared to the same period in 2019 (pre-COVID). That’s quite illuminating, isn’t it, in demonstrating how travel has bounced back?
CONCLUSION
Brussels Airlines is not only updating its catering menus with more Belgian touches, but reintroducing “real” cutlery and dishes. This goes a long way toward creating a more premium product.
It has been many years since I have flown Brussels Airlines and I intend to do so again, hopefully sooner rather than later. I want to review a longhaul and a shorthaul flight, though I am thinking about Rwanda due to the carriers extensive route network to the former Belgian colonies.
(H/T: Economy Class & Beyond)
Better than what AFKL offers… wish they took a page out of this
Looks good. Their P-class pricing for connecting itineraries is pretty keen- anyone who hasn’t got *G status and needs to check in two suitcases probably saves money with Business Saver compared to buying an economy fare and paying the excess charge. The problem is that those of us who do have an interest in frequent flyer miles are not keen on buying a business class ticket that earns nothing in most *A FFPs…oh, and if you do end up in economy, there’s no *G access to their non-Schengen lounge as it’s operated by the airport!
Still, SN is a pretty convenient option for intra-Europe travel, with well-timed connections and a compact hub airport making up for its rather utilitarian approach.
You can still visit The Loft when flying non-Schengen, although there is a bit of a walk. And normally you should be able to access as *G when travelling on a Brussels Airlines operated flight leaving from the B-gates. The Sunrise Lounge (T-gates / Africa flights) is now closed for renovation works. https://www.brusselsairlines.com/ca/en/extra-services/lounges/brussels-airport-lounges
I swear that sometimes these reviews/airline news pieces read more like a restaurant guide. SO MUCH of an airline review is about the silly little amounts of food/snacks offered aboard. If I wanted a food review I’d look elsewhere. Why is so much emphasis given to on board dining?
The SN Lexus lounge at BRU is a pretty good lounge by EU/Schengen country Star Gold lounge standards.