After spending a few hours in the great The Loft at Brussels Airport, I still had enough time to try out The Suite in the Non-Schengen area. Now you don’t have to.
With most airlines you can expect their lounge offering for intercontinental business class flights to be superior to what you will get before a regional flight. Unfortunately, The Suite at Brussels Airport is an example of the opposite. Unlike Brussels Airlines flagship lounge The Loft, The Suite is a huge disappointment.
The Suite at Brussels Airport – First Impressions
To get to The Suite at Brussels Airport, follow the signs to airline lounges after exiting passport control. One floor above the departure area you will find the lounge at the very end of a long corridor.
The Suite is open to passengers flying business class with a Star Alliance carrier and Star Alliance Gold members. You can also purchase access to the lounge for €29 if you have a Flex&Fast, Flex or Premium Economy ticket with Brussels Airlines.
My first impression is that this lounge is something completely different than The Loft. And not in a good way. Take to the right after entering the lounge, and you will enter a seating area that reminds me of classroom more than a dining area. Even with floor-to-ceiling windows along the entire long side of the room, the room still feels quite dark. The room is simply completely devoid of any atmosphere.
At the other end of the lounge, there is a smaller area with more comfortable furniture. However, the room doesn’t offer much in terms of capacity. There is also a small working area without windows.
Food and beverage
The food and beverage selection are also inferior to what you will find in The Loft. The buffet offers simple hot dishes, cold vegetables, pasta, hummus, bread and soup.
The selection of beverages is not that different from The Loft, but somewhat more limited and far less inviting.
Amenities
Apart from the working area, a few magazines and some TV screens, there isn’t much to write home about. You will find no shower rooms with Aquasymphony shower systems, nap rooms with twinkling galaxy ceiling or premium meeting rooms here.
Bottom line
Even if you are travelling out of the Schengen area, you will be better off spending as much time as possible on the Schengen side. A suite might sound fancier than a loft, but at Brussels Airport it’s not. Brussels Airport is a relatively small airport with short walking distances. With a European passport it took me less than two minutes to get through passport control. On my next Non-Schengen flight from Brussels I will stay at The Loft as long as possible and go straight to gate before boarding.
