joet00

I'm helping a friend book his first AE award: YYZ > BRU. I think I've even convinced him to try it in J.

The AE website shows no availability (arriving in BRU on 28-Feb, departing 4-Mar) but having learned from the sages here, we're going to meet tonight to use the ANA tool to check out true availability -- shame the LX data isn't available.

A specific question: My few minutes in the ANA tool this morning suggest a routing via MUC. Is 45 minutes enough time to connect?

And a general one: Any suggestions as to cities to transit that will give us good availability?

Thanks much!

yyz-kin

Having flown this every two weeks for a year......here is the scoop!

A 45 minute connection is too short - you are asking for trouble. If you can connect via FRA that is a good choice - my wife would normally get that routing on AE. I would seriously recommend to fly to CDG and then hop the train up to BRU. It is fast enough and extremely convenient. Also, if you book the flight there to connect via YUL, you can definately get enough sleep to get over the jet lag.

Likewise, you could go to AMS and get a train down to BRU but this takes much longer than the ride up from CDG.

I would fly to LHR and generally visit family and then take the Eurostar to BRU. If you do go to LHR, BMI would do the connection - I only did this a few times and recall that the connection times were not the most convenient to get me to work. The Arrivals lounge at Heathrow is great - worth the visit for the bacon sandwiches alone! Same goes for the Star Alliance Lounge too!

sofasurfer

From the BD forum: SN taking LHR-BRU route over

Eurostar is indeed a pleasant way to travel, if the OP's friend has the time and inclination to break their journey. Scoring a cheap ticket is fairly easy, IME.

We found DUS was very good for transferring of a TATL to European flight. I think YYZ-DUS might be LH-only, though.

Looking forward to experiencing the arrivals lounge in LHR for the first time in about three weeks' time - even more so after hearing mention of bacon sarnies (thanks for the heads-up, yyz-kin! ^)

joet00

Thanks for the quick replies!

Since my friend is travelling on an award, and the point values are the same, I don't think it makes sense to introduce additional cost. Besides, he doesn't travel much (read: at all) so, while I will mention it to him (particularly if availability into BRU is poor), I'm inclinded to counsel him to keep it simple.


The *A website doesn't give a routing thru DUS, either.

Thanks. Will keep trying for something that works.

YVR Cockroach

FWIW, France has pretty hefty departure taxes, and the U.K. has even more hefty ones in front cabin. Belgium and Germany are cheap by comparison. I've found it cheaper to take Eurostar (GBP 39 OW tickets) to BRU than to pay premium class APD departing the U.K.

SYM

Thanks for this very helpful post. Amazingly, I just spent half an hour yesterday looking into BOS-BRU and decided that BOS-YUL-CDG and then the train was ideal. It looked good on paper but it is very reassuring to know that it works in reality. I will have to go straight into a meeting in BRU (actually Ghent, so there is one more leg in the trip). If it all goes seamlessly I should have time to get to my hotel and shower in Ghent, but do you know if there is an accessible arrivals lounge at CDG that offers shower (pay is fine) - I know I could look it up (and I will), but I assume you have this info at your fingertips.

Now all I have to do is persuade the bean-counters about the wisdom of this routing (being careful to avoid mentioning that Mrs SYM just happens to be flying into CDG on AE the very next day for a weekend in Paris)

joet00

Thanks for the input everyone!

Availability in and out of BRU was very poor...some in Y, but no J.

After days of trying via various cities, a J-class seat (non-stop AC metal to boot) opened up for the outbound, so my buddy bit the bullet.

He's flying YYZ > LHR on AC, making his way to BRU by Eurostar (thanks yyz-kin and YVR Cockroach!) for business, and then taking the train (Thalys?) to AMS for pleasure.

The route home has him on BD to LHR (shame about the lack of a true J cabin on BD's short-haul routes) and then back home on AC.

I've stressed the importance of the arrivals lounge (read: bacon sandwiches) at LHR (gotta live vicariously), as well as the regular lounges along the way.

Now I just need to find some suggestions for en route accommodation. Also, he is a very inexperienced traveller, so any and all tips and tricks are most welcome.

Thank you FTers!

ACflyerDE

Good to hear that everything worked out fine with the ticket and your friend is about to enjoy the J experience.

There is tons of good information on accomodation and things to do in the relevant forums of the Travel & Dining section:

Europe (for AMS)

France

UK & Ireland