This is a Brussels Airlines connecting flights guide.
It covers everything from how to book connecting flights with Brussels Airlines to baggage rules and air passengers rights in EU, EEA, and UK. Brussels Airlines is the flag carrier of Belgium. It’s one of the Lufthansa Group network airlines. The airline is based at Brussels Airport, and operates flights to over 100 destinations in Europe, North America, and Africa.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
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1. Brussels Airlines Connecting Flights
Brussels Airlines is a full-service traditional airline.
As a such, it offers airline-protected connecting flights. These are connections protected by Brussels Airlines. It means you don’t have to worry if the layover time is very short. Because, in this case, the airline takes a full responsibility if because of their fault you miss a connecting flight.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- More safe. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
Brussels Airlines sells airline-protected connections.
1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline
In some situations all your flights will be with one airline.
However, it’s not the same every time. You may have a connecting flight with Brussels Airlines, booked through their website, but it may still be operated by different airline.
1.2 Brussels Airlines Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
This is how it works nowadays. You may book a flight from Brussels Airlines, but it might be Lufthansa flight you will have to take. Lufthansa flight, Lufthansa airplane, Lufthansa staff. Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation. It’s not unusual at all. Flights like these are called codeshare flights, and airlines sharing a flight — codeshare partners.
In case with Lufthansa, they are basically the same company.
Brussels Airlines is a part of Lufthansa Group.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight, it’s Brussels Airlines’s responsibility. If they sold a flight, it’s their responsibility to find you an alternative flight. They are called marketing airline in this arrangement. They are responsible for flight changes and finding solutions.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not Brussels Airlines, then they are called operating airline — and they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of Brussels Airlines codeshare partners here.
2. What If Brussels Airlines Cancels a Flight?
Airlines do cancels flights, sometimes tens of flights.
The main reasons why it happens — staff shortage, technical problems, weather problems or airport congestion. The important thing is that whenever it happens due to airline’s fault you may be entitled to cancellation compensation. More on this further below.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
Brussels Airlines is a European airline.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
If you are going to miss connection, it’s their responsibility to provide you with a new flight. They must take you to your destination. In some situations you also have a right to care. The rules are the same with all Brussels Airlines cancellations. If you don’t wish to fly anymore, you may opt for a full refund instead.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, airline must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all Brussels Airlines commercial flights.
The rules are the same with Brussels Airlines charter flights.
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 Brussels Airlines Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
If you don’t want to fly anymore, ask for a refund. In Europe you have a right to choose. Brussels Airlines cancelled flight refund has to be transferred to your bank account within seven days.
3. Brussels Airlines Missed Connecting Flight
Why you may miss a connecting flight?
Due to delay of the previous flight. Cancellation of the previous flight. Airport congestions. Reasons could be different. It may also be your mistake. You may end up waiting for a flight at the wrong boarding gate in a completely different part of the airport.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss Brussels Airlines Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from Brussels Airlines, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa or some other airline, you should still contact Brussels Airlines. They must find a solution. It’s their responsibility.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from Brussels Airlines
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
With Brussels Airlines it applies to all commercial flights, including charter flights. If you will be late, and it’s due to Brussels Airlines’s fault, you may have a right to compensation. Mostly it’s necessary for the delay to be at least 3 hours long. In this case, you should look at the time of arrival at destination. How much later have you arrived to your destination? What matters in this case is the moment when doors of an airplane are opened and passengers are free to go — that’s the actual time of arrival.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
Submit your Brussels Airlines complaint online.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from Brussels Airlines
On all Brussels Airlines flights you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary;
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. So, you can let your family know about your whereabouts, and to rearrange your travel plans.
It applies to all domestic and international flights with Brussels Airlines. Including Brussels Airlines flights to Africa. Again, it’s because Brussels Airlines is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with Brussels Airlines?
You can do it directly or via a third-party.
You can go to the website of Brussels Airlines. This is the easiest and safest option you have. Alternatively, you can use a third-party flight booking website. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them. Use only sites that you trust.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. Brussels Airlines Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since Brussels Airlines is a traditional airline, it’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with Brussels Airlines are simple.
In short, Brussels Airlines takes care of your baggage.
You just check in your baggage once, and that’s all.
No need to recheck the baggage during layovers.
Brussels Airlines takes care of that.
This is how checked baggage transfer happens on connecting flights with most full-service, traditional airlines, when flying to most destinations. However, there are also exceptions. US is one such exception. In the US everyone has to recheck their baggage. If you have any doubts, just ask the staff during the baggage drop-off. They will know. Alternatively, look at the baggage tag you’ve been handed by staff or received from baggage drop-off machine — see the final destination of your baggage; if it’s the same as yours.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not Brussels Airlines? As we already talked, you may experience this, because Brussels Airlines does share some of its flights with its partner airlines. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline operating the flight.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 Brussels Airlines Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
It varies depending on your class of travel and destination. These rules change time after time. Hence it’s a good idea to double-check the rules before every flight. Just look at your confirmed reservation in your email or on the website of your airline. You can see the same information before you make a booking too.
5.3 Economy Light
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
Brussels Airlines has been offering Economy Light since 2014.
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with Brussels Airlines.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with Brussels Airlines (Most Common)
For this example I’ll be using the website of Brussels Airlines.
For example, I want to fly from Paris to Kinshasa, DRC.
I look for flights on July 6, and these are my options:
On their website Brussels Airlines sells only protected connecting flights. This is the easiest option to book protected connecting flights, though, often not the cheapest. Here we have two options. One is fully operated by Brussels Airlines. There is a layover in Brussels. The other has 3 stops, is operated by 3 different airlines, takes more time, and is also more expensive.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with Brussels Airlines
Now, let’s assume, that your plan is more complex.
You want to travel from Paris to Kinshasa, spend two days there, and then travel to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Here’s how you can book flights:
- You book a connecting flight from Paris to Kinshasa, like in the example above.
- And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other online flight booking platform, and book a flight from Kinshasa to Addis Adaba two days later. You may also book a flight on an airline website. For example, the website of Ethiopian Airlines. They operate daily flights to Addis Adaba.
You can leave the airport during a layover like this.
Until Kinshasa you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your flight to Brussels (first flight) is delayed or cancelled, Brussels Airlines will take care of that. Most likely they will give you another flight for free. It may be on the next day. It may be with another airline. However, the last leg, flight to Addis Adaba, is a self-transfer flight. You have to check in for that flight separately, if you miss it it’s your responsibility, etc.
What is your experience with Brussels Airlines? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with Brussels Airlines? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from Brussels Airlines?
Featured photo by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
About the author:
Kaspars is a digital nomad and travel blogger who’s been traveling the world extensively since 2013. Since 2017, Kaspars has been writing about the less-known aspects of air travel, things like air passenger rights laws and regulations. He’s really good at simplifying complex concepts and making them easily understandable. Kaspars favorite airlines are Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
