BRU passengers need to be at the gate 60 minutes prior to departure?
Aug 15, 2019, 9:43 pm
#1
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BRU passengers need to be at the gate 60 minutes prior to departure?
United website says
“
Would prefer to stay in lounge longer if I don’t have to.
“
- For domestic flights, except flights departing Guam and flights that are part of an international itinerary, at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure.
- For international flights, including flights departing Guam and flights that are part of an international itinerary, at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure, with the exception of the following locations, where the time limit is 60 minutes: Brussels, Belgium (BRU), the Marshall Islands (Majuro – MAJ and Kwajalein – KWA), and Micronesia (Kosrae – KSA, Pohnpei – PNI, Truk -TKK, Yap – YAP).”
Would prefer to stay in lounge longer if I don’t have to.
Aug 15, 2019, 9:46 pm
#2
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You don't have to be on board, you just have to be at the gate. If you're not there, you run the risk of being dropped from the flight (and having the rest of your itinerary canceled).
Aug 15, 2019, 9:50 pm
#4
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Aug 15, 2019, 10:52 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
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Might also want to give yourself sufficient time to get past security.
Exiting EU at BRU: horrible delays
Exiting EU at BRU: horrible delays
Aug 15, 2019, 11:53 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: EWR
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I connected in BRU to UA from LH a couple of months ago. Only thing was to make sure you had your passport looked at and another sticker put on at the gate. I did this then went to the lounge and it was business as usual. Lounge was horribly packed though and not great. Tried the SQ lounge which was quieter, and better food.
Aug 16, 2019, 6:00 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
I think that's UA's way of getting people to show up to the airport early so the show that is outbound immigration doesn't cause them to miss their flight. What takes < 5 minutes at AMS can take an hour at BRU.
Once you're actually past la migra there's no need to show up to the gate any earlier than you would for any other long-haul flight.
Once you're actually past la migra there's no need to show up to the gate any earlier than you would for any other long-haul flight.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 16, 2019 at 4:36 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Aug 16, 2019, 6:23 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Only the SN Suite lounge and its overflow space, Diamond lounge which also accepts priority pass, and a BA lounge in the non-Schengen non-Africa flights area.
At gate, they perform the usual document check and security questions, not any different from most ex-EU flights.
Aug 16, 2019, 7:17 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
The 60 min requirement was added after the ISIS bombings in 2016; as they were doing extra gate checks in the months after. Those extra checks have now been integrated into the regular security screening process, but the UA requirement remained. I'm convinced they just forgot about it, as nowadays there is nothing different in BRU vs. any other EU non-preclearance airport. No extra checks, no additional security, no extra any other requirements vs. what you'd see in LHR, CDG, AMS, etc. You won't be denied boarding if you only get there 30 mins before; usually, they're still boarding BG1/BG2 at that time.
AFAIK it's the inbound immigration that is a mess due to lack of capacity to handle the increased amount of pax. They'll have to build a new terminal to solve this issue as there is no room to expand immigration in that 80's-era part of the terminal. Outbound "immigration" is in a newly built block of the terminal and has always been quick for me.
AFAIK it's the inbound immigration that is a mess due to lack of capacity to handle the increased amount of pax. They'll have to build a new terminal to solve this issue as there is no room to expand immigration in that 80's-era part of the terminal. Outbound "immigration" is in a newly built block of the terminal and has always been quick for me.
Aug 16, 2019, 8:26 am
#14
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Do you end up in a different place if you're originating in BRU?
The only thing I saw that might have explained the 60-minute thing is that the "wait in line to answer security questions" process near the gate was slower than at other European airports I've transited. The people in front of me were getting the third degree: "where did you go in Europe? What did you do there?" So, if you showed up at the gate at T-30 without having gotten your Magic Sticker of Safety™, you could well be in trouble.
Aug 16, 2019, 8:46 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PWM
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 1,335
INTL<DOM?
I can imagine a tiny PWM-EWR flight that's over by 1 and finished boarding early at T-20 with 2 stragglers: INT,L and DOM,E. Are you telling me the GA would be permitted to offload INT,L just because they're headed to Europe? In practice, I should hope the GA would wait to see who shows up first or at T-15 offload them both!