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- Review: TAP Air Portugal A321LR Business Class
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- Review: Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport
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- Review: Thai Airways Business Lounge Bangkok Airport
- Review: Turkish Airlines Lounge Bangkok Airport
- Review: Miracle First Class Lounge Bangkok Airport
- Review: Thai Airways A350 Business Class
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- Review: Santa Marina, Luxury Collection, Mykonos
- Review: British Airways A320 Business Class
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- Review: Delta Air Lines 737 First Class
After flying from Newark to Brussels on United, I had a roughly 2.5 hour layover before continuing to Vienna in Austrian… economy?!
When I went to book this ticket there wasn’t award space in business class, but I expected it would open up, and I could change last minute. It didn’t. Ultimately that wasn’t a big deal at all, since it’s a short flight, and intra-Europe business class is nothing to get excited about.
However, it also meant I wasn’t entitled to lounge access on account of my ticket, so I instead spent my layover in a Priority Pass lounge (with Star Alliance you only get lounge access based on the cabin you’re flying on your outbound flight, unless you have status).
I proceeded towards immigration so that I could enter the Schengen zone. It was a bit of a walk to get to the A-gates, but I appreciated the opportunity to get some movement after the overnight flight.
Brussels Airport
The Priority Pass lounge in this part of the terminal is the Diamond Lounge, and the escalator to the lounge is located above gate A42.
Escalator to lounges Brussels Airport
There are two lounges up here — there’s the Brussels Airlines Lounge, which I’ve reviewed before, and which is excellent — and then there’s the Diamond Lounge.
The lounge is open daily from 5AM until 9PM, and can be accessed by Priority Pass members, and is also used by many non-Star Alliance airlines for their premium passengers.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport signage
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport exterior
Well, let me say that “Diamond” perhaps isn’t a word I’d use to describe this lounge. Inside the entrance and to the left was the main seating of the lounge, which featured a bunch of mismatched furniture that I imagine they must have picked up at several different clearance sales, or something.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
It’s bad enough that the furniture is so mismatched, but the condition it’s in also leaves something to be desired.
Well maintained furniture!
In the center part of the lounge is some high-top seating.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Then at the far end of the lounge are some L-shaped leather benches.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport seating
The lounge didn’t really have direct views of the apron, but rather overlooked roadways and fields in the sterile part of the airport.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport view
The buffet is in the center part of the lounge.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport buffet
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport buffet
The selection wasn’t too bad, and included cheese cold cuts, salad, cookies, snack mix, cereal, croissants, bread, and more.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport buffet
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport buffet
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport snacks
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport snacks
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport snacks
Drinks included water, juice, coffee, wine, beer, liquor, and soft drinks.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport drinks
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport drinks
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport coffee
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport drinks
Towards the center part of the lounge were some newspapers and magazines.
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport newspapers & magazines
The lounge’s bathrooms were fairly clean, though the lounge didn’t have any showers, best I could tell.
I spent just under two hours in the lounge getting caught up on work, and then headed to the gate for my flight to Vienna.
My Austrian flight to Vienna was scheduled to board at 9:45AM from a nearby gate. So I headed there around that time.
Brussels Airport terminal
Unfortunately we had a bit of a delay, as the inbound plane had a bird strike, so they had to carry out some inspections.
Austrian A320 Brussels Airport
I lucked out in that I had an empty seat next to me, even though the plane was nearly full. There must have been just a few empty seats, and I got one of them. So I basically got intra-Europe business class after all. 😉
Austrian economy
The only other noteworthy things about the flight was that:
- The purser seemed to think he worked for Southwest and not Austrian, because he was full of jokes (and his translation of his jokes was funnier than the jokes as such)
- The plane had Wi-Fi, which sure is a nice feature to increasingly see on intra-Europe flights
Austrian Wi-Fi pricing
Diamond Lounge Brussels Airport bottom line
The Diamond Lounge was the only lounge option for me in this terminal, so I guess it was better than the gate area? But big picture this is not a nice lounge, and I would do what I can to minimize my time here.
Worth noting they're not Priority Pass anymore as of late 2021
Are you sure Kafka. Its still in the Priority Pass app as a lounge included in the program.
@ theluxurytraveller….
I do wonder about you. You have this annoying egotistical habit of posting comments that have little or no relevance to the specific article, and which are centred around bragging rights and "bigging yourself up" with regards to your own travel, in much the same way as your chosen name does.
I actually wonder if you do travel for real or not. I suspect not....
Hey Ben,
We just missed you in BRU- peter and I were next door at The Loft *A lounge, which had just ok offerings but a good aesthetic. Hope you remember us from early FT days (Where2next?) Pls hit us up when in DEN.
Uhm maybe I'm a bit confused here - but the Brussels Airline lounge is by definition a *A lounge, just like all the LH lounges.
Let's be honest, while it isn't in the class of many of the upper class lounges, it is still far better than 99% of lounges servicing the US airports.
@Lucky, how do you not have *G status?
@Wingslover, there are some *A hubs that have *lounge. For example, BMI era LHR had both the BMI lounge and *A lounge. (My least favourite of all *A lounges)
LAX, a UA hub, has a *A lounge.
NGO, an NH hub has *A lounge.
So yes, I would imagine it would be unlikely and unnecessary for BRU to get *A branded lounge, though it is clearly not merely in non-hub airports.
Still way better than U.S. Priority Pass lounges. For example, the "Club at ATL" looks like it hasn't been cleaned in about a year.
It's still better than some of the Priority Pass lounges I visited, which had no windows at all
@Arthur: Star Alliance lounges are for airports with a strong *A presence but is not a hub for any *A airline.
BRU does not have a Star Alliance lounge yet, I believe. CDG has a renovated one, and AMS has a new one. I believe some may be thinking of the Loft, but that is a Brussels Airline lounge.
The lounge looks like the lobby of a poorly funded public hospital. They got the paint from the county for free after the sheriff thought it was too ugly to use on the jail. I imagine the furniture came from a nursing home that closed. Someone’s Aunt Mabel died on that chair.
@Jan
In fact I've yet not been in the Star Alliance Lounge. Although, I find that an Airport like BRU should have more and better options. Obviously, I don't expect Lounges like the FCT at FRA, MUC or ZRH in BRU. On the other hand you have the same problem in some Business Lounges at FRA, MUC and so on, they are overcrowded most times but at least they serve better food/drinks.
@Nelson
"Actualy, as a Belgian citizen on average I find ALL lounges at BRU awfull and which I almost Always tend to avoid."
Have you actually been in the Star Alliance lounge? It is by far one of the best business lounges in Europe.
Lucky, how come you don't have status on Star? Even I (and I do a fair bit of flying incl some MRs, but nowhere near you) can maintain *G and ST E+. Just curious...or are all of your flights award redemptions?
Vienna to Urumqi on China Southern???
If you're flying Austrian you can order premium meal, it's the same as business class(and could be even better)
How was...EVA's 787? (Am I right?)
By the way, do you EVER sit on the right side of an A350?
This lounge is the old SAS Lounge.
My guess is you’re taking a 5th freedom BR flight to BKK to try out their new C product on their 787!
The loft has been renovated and extended a while ago and has become quite a nice lounge. Space has almost doubled.
Been there still better than most U.S. domestic lounges
There is not really that much difference between them all. I’ve noticed that Brussels, BA and Diamond all use the same caterer. The Loft is physically the nicest. You would think that Brussels would have nicer lounges.
The lounge has three things going for it:
A. The beer, while not great by Belgian standards, is far better than what you get in most lounges. But usually, I'm not in the mood for beer when I'm there.
B. The food isn't horrific.
C. The view isn't quite so bad. Sit in one of the high tops at the window and you're looking down on the Ryanair corrals: yes, that open,...
The lounge has three things going for it:
A. The beer, while not great by Belgian standards, is far better than what you get in most lounges. But usually, I'm not in the mood for beer when I'm there.
B. The food isn't horrific.
C. The view isn't quite so bad. Sit in one of the high tops at the window and you're looking down on the Ryanair corrals: yes, that open, covered structure down there on the right of your photo is for human beings, and they park 737s along the far right. Off photo to the right, you have the threshold of 7L, and beyond that, you can see the Atomium in the distance.
@Wingslover; Thanks for the Update! In fact it's a while ago I was personaly in BRU. So in that case today, the only Lounge you mention I was in is the Sunrise Lounge and the both Diamonds.
Anyway, Lucky could easely have used any Brussels Airlines Lounge out there, suposing he has a Star Alliance Gold or Hon. And I have to admit, that the Sunrise is/was quite a nice Lounge. I visited it...
@Wingslover; Thanks for the Update! In fact it's a while ago I was personaly in BRU. So in that case today, the only Lounge you mention I was in is the Sunrise Lounge and the both Diamonds.
Anyway, Lucky could easely have used any Brussels Airlines Lounge out there, suposing he has a Star Alliance Gold or Hon. And I have to admit, that the Sunrise is/was quite a nice Lounge. I visited it several times back in time and the nicest part was due to the fact that it was at the end of the terminal nobody wanted to do the walk, so after the African Flights departed is was empty.
@Nelson: The SAS lounge has closed a while ago and has been replaced by the very nice “The Loft” of Brussels Airlines ;) Lounges at BRU are
-Brussels Airlines The Loft in pier A
-Brussels Airlines The Suite in pier B
-Brussels Airlines Sunrise Lounge near gates T (only open when flights to Africa departs from there)
-British Airways lounge in pier B
-Diamond Lounge in pier A and B
Actualy, as a Belgian citizen on average I find ALL lounges at BRU awfull and which I almost Always tend to avoid.
Lucky, there are a few more than two lounges in Terminal A, as you mentioned. When you reach the top with the escalators, in fact you have at your left side the Brussels Airlines and the Diamond Lounge. But at your right side you have some more Lounges. The best Lounge in...
Actualy, as a Belgian citizen on average I find ALL lounges at BRU awfull and which I almost Always tend to avoid.
Lucky, there are a few more than two lounges in Terminal A, as you mentioned. When you reach the top with the escalators, in fact you have at your left side the Brussels Airlines and the Diamond Lounge. But at your right side you have some more Lounges. The best Lounge in my opinion in BRU is the SAS-Lounge, which in your case (I Supose) you can enter with a Star Alliance Gold or HON. On the other hand if you wanna have some rest I undoubtly recomend the IBERIA Lounge, which you can also use as a Star Alliance Gold or HON. Always empty. Just because there isnt anything besides a few drinks and a restroom.
Interesting; just like @Max I also would have thought that you still held *G status...
The Diamond lounge of pier A is indeed awful. Very sad compared to Brussels Airlines very nice lounge. Actually the Diamond Lounge in pier B is much better (but still very poor).
That said you’ll find plenty of nice bars in pier A so it’s not much an issue. ;)
Economy? Lucky?
We live in interesting times.....
Awful lounge. Not surprising to find it in Brussels which was voted several times the most boring capital in Europe.
This trip is very confusing. The last report said you were connecting to Bangkok, but now you're going to Vienna?
Don't you have a Star Alliance Gold Status @Ben?