How do you like Sabena?
 

My husband and I will be flying from Chicago to Brussels to Paris. <BR>How are the flights? I'm not sure what kind of plane we will be flying in.

I've flown Sabena a handful of times, most recently last summer from DC to Brussels. No complaints. Service was excellent, food was digestible, flight was smooth. I wish I could say comparably favorable things about the Customs official in Brussels who removed from a suitcase and confiscated my son's brand new foam and plastic baseball bat, claiming it could be used as a weapon. Have you ever tried to buy a baseball bat in Europe?

<BR>Sabena is a dumb airline. <BR> <BR>They do fly real airplanes <BR>just luike evryone else and the food and service stinks just like everyone else <BR> <BR>

Our family has taken Sabena numerous times overseas and I think that they do a great job! The staff are friendly and helpful. We have flown them from Chicago and their major equipment was 747's and airbus 300's. <BR>You do have a bit of a walk in Brussels for changing so be sure and bring some type of wheels for your carryons. You will usually have time "in transit" in Brussels so be sure to go upstairs ( in the transit lounge) to the cafeteria type restaurant to get a great brie cheese sandwich(among other things). If you are into SWATCH watches-there are tons to choose from in the duty free shop and at a great price.Great people watching when all the flights come in. Any other questions-let me know.Debbie

Try to get the seats near the windows as the group in the middle has less leg room. The food is ok and the people are nice and helpful. In Europe I heard that Sabena means "such a bad experience, never again". That was before they upgraded and became partners with American. You do have individual seat monitors and can play games as well as watch movies & shows and listen to music.

Don't count on those personal videos working. There were numerous broken on our flight last May. Otherwise, the flight was uneventful. But boy are those flight attendants attractive. :)

Right on the video monitors not always working, but when they do, it is a great way to pass the time. But most of all, I must endorse Sabena because they held an international flight for me, which if I had missed, would have been at least another day getting back to the United States. They really went out of their way: personally met me at the plane that had been delayed (I wasn't expecting them), whisked me across the tarmac, hustled me through passport control, and literally pushed me into the jetway. <BR> <BR>Also, since they are not as popular as some other airlines, they are often half empty. On a trans-Atlantic flight two weeks ago, there were fewer than 50 people.

Correct: Sabena stands for "such a bloody experience never again! They are having a lot of trouble at the moment! Reputation in Europe is pretty bad.

Okay, you're starting to worry me. What kind of trouble are you talking about. I have already bought my tickets.

Nancy: Don't worry too much. I am sure your Sabena flight will be ok. But they are in a bad financial situation as neither the Belgian convernment nor Swissair as co-owner want to put more money in.

If you like sitting on a rock for 8 hours, then Sabena is your airline. The most uncomfortable seats ever! Food was fair at best, service sucks.

I flew D.C. to Brussels in December on United and returned on Sabena, so I had a chance to compare the two. My impression (and I'm a little foggy on details) was that the food, utensils, etc. seemed marginally cheaper on Sabena, but the service was better. I recall lots of little things (candy, etc.) being passed out during the flight, which was a nice touch. I think the seats were at least as comfortable as on United, and there may have been a little more leg room, although I'm not sure about it. The best part of both flights was that there were lots of empty seats - - I'd guess Brussels isn't a big destination in mid-December.

I am going to Paris in June on American , then Paris to Prague (via Brussels) on Sabena and then back to NY from Prague again on Sabena. All of this was using frequent flyer miles. <BR> <BR>Should I try to change airlines? I am very concerned about the note that they are having a lot of trouble. <BR> <BR>thanks <BR> <BR>

Sabena recently got some cash to help them out. They are not doing very well financially. Did you know that Swissair owns a big chunk of Sabena?

Yes, I did know that about Swissair - does that mean I don't have to worry about potential cancellations or are you suggesting that I change my flights to Swissair? <BR> <BR>thanks

Hi again - where can I find more information about the status of Sabena? <BR> <BR>thanks

Hey, you air travelers... <BR>STOP asking all these questions, worrying you won't get to your destinations, worrying that the food might not be tasty enough, worrying about service... <BR>YOU WON"T BE LEFT UP IN THE AIR, that's for sure. <BR>I have flown many many times in my life, so far crossed the Atlantic with most of the European airlines. And I say: <BR> <BR>--- There are no good, or bad airlines. There are good flights and bad flights. There are better AIRPORTS, and there are worse. <BR> <BR>But generally, don't change your plans, certainly don't pay more, because somebody here had a bad experience with Air France or British! <BR>Maybe people should ask more about how convenient are the AIRPORTS they are planning to go through, and, again, as long as they don't have to significantly change their plans, and pay more, regard it as a useful information. <BR>Flying today is the pleasant part of any vacation. You might as well regard it as a "wasted, dead" day. Don't have any expectations, you won't be as disappointed. <BR>Amik. <BR>

OOOOOps, <BR>Sorry, I wanted to say, of course, that: <BR> <BR>Flying today is NOT the pleasant part of any vacation. <BR> <BR>Thanks for your patience... <BR>Amik.

Hmmmmm... <BR>Well written, Good Point. <BR>Jeff.