sabena airlines
 

has anyone traveled on Sabena airlines. I am planning on flying from chicago to europe and would like some infor on their service.

Dear Jane, <BR>My husband and I just returned yesterday from Venice having flown on Sabena, JFK-Brussels-Venice roundtrip. We flew coach, and the flights were mostly full. The seating was very cramped and uncomfortable and we are not very big people, although my husband is 6ft. tall. Hope that the person in front of you doesn't recline or you'll have his/her head in your lap. Sabena has been having financial problems (they were connected with Swissair)and random work strikes, and I don't know what effect this has had on their overall service. I'd be sure to take out travel insurance against the carrier going bankrupt...we did. That was a concern of ours while we were in Italy. The food left a lot to be desired. Not that we expect a lot from "airline food" and we're not picky eaters, but, we've had better. If I were to fly them again, I'd seriously consider taking my own food or snacks. On our flight from Venice-Brussels they announced that the caterers had been on strike and there would be no food service. It's only 1 1/2 hr flight, so I wasn't particularly bothered. But, they served shredded carrot sandwiches and warm beverages! No idea where the food came from. Overall service was ok. They passed out newspapers and magazines, came by with extra rolls, chocolates, etc. Can't rave about their service, but they got us where we wanted to go at a good price. Hope this information helps...

Dear Karen, <BR>Thanks for the insights about your flight to Italy on Sabena. It certainly doesn't give me high expectations for my flight.. Luckily, I boked the exit row which hopefully will give me more leg room. My worry was that they wouldn't be flying. I bought a non-refundable, non-transferrable ticket so I know I'm stuck with them. I may purchase the insurance as you suggested. Did you buy that at the airport?

Dear Jane, <BR>I purchased our travel insurance on-line from Travel Guard. I think you can just purchase "trip cancellation & interruption" portion, although we took out coverage for baggage, etc. I hate to read the fine print, but, I did when looking into the different insurance policies. There are several companies offering coverage whose names escape me at the moment. But you can locate them by doing a search for travel insurance. I may just be a worry-wart, but, given Sabena's history and current status having insurance did make us feel a little better. We also had non-refundable, non-transferable tickets. We didn't have exit row seats, which hopefully does give you more leg room, but, we were sitting in one of the 2-seat sides of the aircraft. I think their seating is 2-4-2, that's what it was going and coming back. Good luck! Wish we'd stayed longer.

Dear Jane- <BR>Just an update to my response regarding Sabena and travel insurance. Sabena, and Swissair, are still having major financial troubles. In the travel section of the Sunday NY Times 10/28/01 issue, it says that insurance companies are amending their policies to eliminate coverage for trip cancellations or disruptions due to default by suppliers. Travel Guard specifically mentions it won't cover Sabena for policies written after Oct. 3 and Swissair after Oct.1 due to bankruptcy petitions they filed. The article says that other insurance companies are also limiting or eliminating this coverage temporarily due to the current situation in the travel industry. So, I guess insurance isn't going to help. But since Sabena is a major carrier, maybe another carrier would honor the ticket if they stop flying while you are in Europe?? You could check that out if you haven't already left...Good luck!

Just heard on the news that Sabena has filed for bankruptcy and has suspended all flights

What a bad situation when Sabena filed for bankruptcy. they had previously rebooked my on a Swissair flight. Then Swissair said that I would have to pay an extra $360 to fly with them. After several phone calls, I sent my tickets backed for a possible refund and 4 days before leaving, I booked with Alitalia. I have read many bad reviews about them, but I haven't read a really great review about any airline.

Jane, yes Sabena have 'gone', you do not mention your destination in Europe (?). Lufthansa is excellent with good connections via Frankfurt. KLM reliable, basic service but usually very cheap. See if you can get a deal on Lufthansa or KLM.<BR>James