Brussels Airlines Introduces Premium Economy Class on its African Routes

With 84 weekly flights and 17 destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, the African continent remains Brussels Airlines’ most important market. To better serve its different types of guests, the Belgian airline introduces its boutique hotel cabin on its African routes, including a brand new Premium Economy class.

With 84 weekly flights to 17 destinations in 16 countries, Africa is a crucial part of Brussels Airlines’ long haul network. The airline offers more than 1.2 million seats on its African flights this year and has a vast knowledge in operating to the continent, specifically to sub-Saharan Africa. The success of its flights to and from Africa lies partly in the connections to the rest of the Brussels Airlines network via its base at Brussels Airport, as more than 70% of travelers connect to or from other destinations in Europe and the US.

Although most of Brussels Airlines’ destinations in Africa have a primary focus on corporate travelers and passengers who visit their friends and relatives abroad (VFR) in Europe and the US, more and more holidaymakers find their way to the beautiful coasts and nature of Africa.

To better serve all of its travelers, the airline introduced a “boutique hotel in the air”, a brand new travel experience in its retrofitted A330 aircraft. By investing in a completely new Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class, Brussels Airlines wants to offer a personal experience, recreating a boutique hotel feel at 30,000 feet. Next to a renewed Business Class and Economy Class, the airline also introduces Premium Economy, a brand new travel class. As more retrofitted aircraft enter the fleet, the new class will gradually be rolled out to more African destinations (see a detailed schedule below). From now on, Premium Economy is available on flights to and from Kinshasa and Luanda.

With a focus on comfort, personal space and hospitality, Premium Economy aims to respond to customers who want to have a high quality service and superior comfort, but do not wish to pay a Business Class fare. In Premium Economy, customers can expect 23% more legroom than Economy Class, a wider seat with a bigger headrest and a generous 40° seat recline. Premium Economy is separated from the other cabins for maximum privacy and rest.

Premium Economy introduction schedule:

1 October: Kinshasa (Democratic Republic Congo), Luanda (Angola)

1 November: Kigali (Rwanda), Entebbe (Uganda), Bujumbura (Burundi), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Monrovia (Liberia)

13 January: Dakar (Senegal), Banjul (Gambia), Conakry (Guinée)

1^st February: Douala and Yaounde (Cameroon)

Mid-May: Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Cotonou (Benin) , Accra (Ghana) and Lome (Togo)