MichielR

If you consider that the airport was closed and that flights were cancelled or operated from Antwerp, Liege, Amsterdam or Dusseldorf, there was indeed "maybe" a little inconvenience airside.

But of course you are absolutely correct in pointing out that operationally things are almost back to normal, especially when connnecting.

AlicorporateUK

Hello, Folks.

I haven't done a non-Schengen to Schengen connection at BRU for ages and, whilst I'm aware of the MCT, I was however wondering how long it would normally take (in normal circumstances, needless to say) to go through passports & security. I will be arriving from BHX at 19:50 and connecting to WAW at 21:05. Also, would SN offer an easy transfer à la LH (via dedicated mini-bus) should things go wrong?

With [many] thanks,

G

Ghentleman

See Security + passport control shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Then a 10 or 15 minute walk to the gate. There's no direct transfer because you cannot bypass passport control/security but in case the connection is tight you might get a chaperone to walk with you. Do not hesitate to ask the people at security to skip the queue if you're connection is tight. If your really in trouble they will allow you to get to the front.

pindi

I connected in BRU from ARN to UA flight to EWR.

I consider myself fairly healthy and in good shape. It took me a good 20 min of walking. When I got to passport control, it was a zoo - there were 50 people ahead of me!!! I would have missed my flight had I taken my place in that line. I kept moving forward asking each person ahead of me if they would please let me go ahead of them as I had a short connection (my original 1:20 connection turned into a 50 min connection). Thankfully every single person in line let me go ahead and I was at the front of the line in 5-7 mins and ran to my gate as they started boarding. Phew!

I would not do a flight with less than 1:30 connection anymore.

Ghentleman

Not the same thing:
1. A to B
2. In the morning, many longhauls to US, Canada and Africa leave in a short period, making for long lines. You should have spoken to one of the people managing the queue.
3. Was this when the new passport control in the "connector" (glass building) already in use? Or was it the old passport control close to baggage pick up?

pindi

This was just 3 weeks ago. I am glad folks in front of me helped me out.

My post was an FYI as I had asked a question about connection times on this forum for A-B connections. This wasn't in response to the previous poster's question.

AlicorporateUK

@Ghentleman - thank you.

G

Ghentleman

Thanks for posting your experience.
And I must make a correction: queue in front of passport control doesn't always have someone managing it (at security there's always someone). So sometimes the only thing you can do is ask the passengers in front of you.

AlicorporateUK

Just a brief report on my connection, as per above: we docked at B9 perfectly on-time (a couple of minutes before 19:50), I was amongst the last passengers to leave the aircraft, through security in not even 5 minutes, straight through at passports and, by 20:05, I was sat at the Loft with a nice Hoegaarden (WAW started boarding at roughly 20:45 and also left/arrived on-time). Again, many thanks for the response to my original post.

G

NYC1

Any updates on the situation getting to the airport (via car) and checking-in? Is it still wildly fluctuating in terms of how much time it can take?

Ghentleman

Getting to the airport by car: yes, sometimes it's quite backed-up. Check the Brussels Airport Twitter feed for live updates. This page http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passngr/tempdeppax/ gives an accurate prediction: when it's red, come early or use alternatives: drive to BruCargo then take the shuttle bus from there.
Check-in is back to normal, of course busy at times.

NYC1

Thanks. I may resort to the train...

chrisjpl

Hi all,

I booked with SN for BRS - LJU, changing at BRU.

When I bought the ticket, I understood that the second leg was operated by JP but I thought the first was on SN metal. I've now realised that the first leg is operated by BM, so actually neither leg is an SN flight, but it was sold by SN as one ticket.

My question is about my connection, because I only have 55 minutes at BRU. Given that my first flight originates outside Schengen, will I struggle to make that connection?

If it's not possible to connect in 55 minutes, am I right that it will be SN's obligation to make alternative arrangements for me (because they sold it as one ticket)? Will I struggle to make them honour that responsibility, given that neither flight is actually operated by them?

Thanks!

Ghentleman

For the connection: 55 minutes is plenty. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufth...tion-q-10.html

If the BRS-BRU flight is delayed and you miss the second flight, go to the SN transfer desk, they will most probably re-book you. They might send you to the JP counter (as that is the operating carrier) but I doubt it.

diburning

Flew LHR-BRU-HAM on Sunday. LHR-BRU was delayed about 30 mins (captain blamed and had a sarcastic remark about management) which cut my connection time from 1 hour to a half hour. I ran to security at BRU (I had fast lane access since I was on a Flex&Fast ticket) but it was unnecessary since I was one of the first off the plane. The security line backed up after I went through. The passport control desk was devoid of people being served. There were two agents, and the agent I had asked the usual questions, I got the Schengen stamp, and off I went. I ran to the gate, and would have made it anyway, but the connecting flight was delayed a half hour (incoming aircraft was delayed)

So, because of the short connection, Swissport (the ground handler at BRU) decided not to try to transfer the baggage (they probably weren't aware that my connection was late as well). Swissport is a bottom of the barrel handler. It took them 15 minutes to find a tug and maybe bring it over to push us back from the gate (the captain quoted what Swissport told him. Notice how sassy Brussels Airlines pilots are?).

1hr is definitely enough if nothing goes wrong. It appears that Brussels flies these flights with the intention of having these one hour connections because there were many people connecting at BRU as well, to other destinations, all of which were each given a pass for fast lane security if they weren't in the Flex&Fast cabin.