Security/check in at BRU
 

I'm looking for some information on the check-in times at the Brussels airport (BRU) and I came across these forums which have been pretty helpful so far. I'm flying into BRU from the US and I'm looking to spend a few days in Europe before continuing on my trip to India. I have a 10:30am flight on a Sunday morning from BRU to India on Jet Airways and wanted to see how early I would need to get there.

I have a train that can get me back to the BRU airport train station at 9:10am that morning. So far I have found out that Jet Airways departs from Terminal B and that I can use the Fast Lane (flying in business class).

Will 1 hour and 20 mins be early enough or do I need to be at BRU two hours before? Also, does it matter how I check in for the flight? I've read that you have to have a code on your boarding pass that will allow you to use the Fast Lane. I was planning on using web check-in.

Thanks in advance.

I've only flown out of BRU back to the US so my experiences may be of limited use. In my case security was pretty quick and I ended up with plenty of time to kill (I think I arrived at least 2 hrs early).

I didn't have any bags to check. No shoe removal, etc. The line moved quickly. This was in May 2010. I think from the time I got out of the taxi and to the gate area it was well under 30 minutes (on a coach ticket).

Personally I always feel better to arrive 2+ hrs for all international flights but I always worry about those things.

Yes, it does matter for the Fast Lane. If you check-in at the airport, they put a sticker with a barcode on your BP. The elite security line has a gate and reader (automated, unmanned) that scans the barcode to permit access.

Thanks for the info, I normally would get to the airport earlier but I can't find an earlier train that morning.

Good to know that I need to check in at the aiport to get access to the fast lane. Andreirublev, do you know if I can get the fast lane barcode from a self check in kiosk or do I have to check in with a person?

I don't actually recall seeing any kiosks (for AA, didn't look at other airlines).

But anyway, the barcode was an actual sticker they put on, it didn't print out on the BP from their machine.

The machine reader will read barcodes on self-print BPs. Having said that, this is based on my experience with other airlines (SK, LX, SN) not 9W. There is usually no one to help you with this. You may just want to check at the counter, if time allows.

Sunday mornings are better than weekday mornings with regard to the security queues; ime the fast track will save you a few minutes at most - unless there happens to be a bunch of charters departing at 11:00. Most 9W pax transit through the mini-hub in Brussels. If you ask nicely, you'd probably be able to move to the front of the queue if fast-track doesn't work and your flight is already boarding.

Although trains are generally reliable in Belgium, please do bear in mind that this is a relatively tight schedule, especially if it involves train connections. You might be better off arriving back in Brussels the night before and save yourself lots of potential stress.