Introduction: Flying Brussels Airlines To Tomorrowland

@Lucky…wait, you didn't even go to the festival?!

@ Ace -- La Compagnie was calling, that seemed higher priority to me! I was going to go to Tomorrowland, but when La Compagnie was actually flying...

This is madness and so awesome. You are crazy Ben

Was the music being played through the plane's PA speakers or were there actual speakers set up throughout the plane?

@ Luis -- They hooked up what the DJ was playing to the plane's PA system.

What aircrafts are Brussels Airlines using to operate these flights? From the pictures and video it doesn't look like the usual A320-family aircraft you expect on the short-haul hops. More like an A330 from the looks of the video?

@ Pietro -- Yep, they used two A330s for this special service.

Well, I do expect a special segment on engine noise and noise cancelling headsets on Brussels Airlines 😉

Now THIS is a trip report. Aside from the trips with your parents, this trip makes the most "sense" to me since it embodies so much of why we travel.

Okay @Lucky, so how jet lagged were you in Brussels or once you got back to the states? I have one of these less than 48 hours on the ground trips coming up, and have been wondering how I should approach prepping for the crazy travel time period, but also being able to be human and function both at my destination and when I return.

@ Drew -- I just live in a state of perpetual jetlag. My strategy is a bit different than I'd recommend for most, since I try to be awake during US east coast business hours as much as possible, since that's when I'm "busiest" with work. So usually I just sleep for a few hours at night, and then take a nap again in the afternoon. On this particular trip I hardly slept. Was a rough one!

Would love to be walked through how you go about deciding that what are the only TA options for your dates. Do you go to aa.com, united.com, delta.com, aeroplan.com, flyingblue.com...? What's your hit list? What's your decision tree? Do you use the ANA tool? What currency would you use first... second... third?

Super curious...

@ stvr -- My thought process wasn't quite that complex, and I search space all day, so it's almost a bit subconscious for me. I was simply looking at transatlantic departures out of JFK or EWR after 8PM, which was the earliest I could fly. There were some products available I wasn't really interested in flying (like angled business class products that I've done before). Since I didn't see anything that would make an especially interesting review, I went with what I considered to be the most comfortable/convenient option.

I will actually be staying at the Sheraton Brussels Airport for <24hours Wednesday. Any tips for getting to the city or anything you especially enjoyed?

@Lucky, for shame…thought you were a huge electronic music fan!!

Did you have to eat any costs related to Stockholm? How much did that factor in?

@ CMD -- Train to the city is fairly convenient. At times had issues with the internet, but other than that a really solid hotel, in my opinion.

@ johnbom -- Nope, actually hadn't yet booked my Stockholm flight. Planning last minute pays off sometimes. 🙂

I am in complete and utter disbelief by the fact that you flew on a Tomorrowland flight but didn't actually go to Tomorrowland. This may be the single oddest thing I've ever read.

You spent 625,000 miles on a BA first class flight?!?! Mate, I think you've been ripped off. Unless you mean 62,500 miles which is slightly better :p

They are definitely on to something here. I wish all the daytime flights would have the windows closed it would be a lot better not to have the sun beating down on you during the flight.

@ The numbers guy -- Whoops, fixed, thanks.

Took the flight but didn't stay for the party? I looked up the website the day you originally posted this and all tickets appeared to be sold out. Maybe SN could have pulled some strings? I would have passed up the La Compagnie flight and at least checked it out for one day. Yeah the overnight tent camping thing is a bit too woodstockish, but maybe just stay for the day? Too bad, would have been cool to have seen it, both for you and for us.

Great story, you lucky thing! Sounds amazing. I had never previously heard of Tomorrowland, but I think I might look it up for next year. It sounds like just my thing as I'm very into dance music.
I llive in Berlin and ever since the "Love Parade" moved away from Berlin, it's never been the same. It's a pity that you never actually got to be at the festival, but it happens! Next year, fling a couple of tickets over. I'll go on your behalf LOL!

Great choice Ben, I wouldn't have stayed for the party. But Brussels seems to have done a solid job on the special flights:)

@Lucky
Was the 62500 AA miles just for the first class flight between New York and London or was that the cost for New York to London to Brussels?

@ Oliver H -- That covered both segments.