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Intro
I flew Brussels Airlines economy from New York (JFK) to Brussels in 2014 on an evening departure, with dinner after take-off and breakfast before arrival. At the time, Brussels Airlines included meals on long-haul flights, while short-haul passengers paid for food onboard.
New York to Brussels
Dinner was chicken or fish. I took the chicken: pieces in an Asian-style sauce with snow peas and rice, alongside a chicken Caesar salad, Monterey Jack cheese and a carrot and walnut cake. The Caesar was the surprise, a bigger salad than I usually see on an economy tray, and the Asian-style chicken was the best part of the meal. Between the salad, the cheese and the cake, it was a filling tray.
The crew were friendly but ran the service in very different ways. Some chatted with passengers and topped up glasses without being asked, while others moved through the cabin as fast as they could to finish the service.
Before landing, the crew handed out a breakfast box with a muffin, a mini Toblerone and a juice. After a filling dinner, I didn’t need much more, but a muffin and chocolate is a sugary way to start the day, and there was nothing fresh in the box.
Conclusion
Brussels Airlines got dinner right: the Asian-style chicken and an oversized Caesar salad made a filling tray. Breakfast was the weak point: a muffin, a Toblerone, and juice, but no fruit or yoghurt. If you’re flying this route, eat well at dinner, because the breakfast box won’t carry you far.