Brussels Airlines has opened a business lounge at its main hub that is four times the size of its old facility.
The lounge, known as The Loft, is located on Brussels Airport’s Pier A and can hold 300 travellers. The 1,240 square metre room is made up of eight zones or ‘hubs’, each with a different function including ‘nap boxes’ for sleeping.
Brussels Airlines has teamed up with Microsoft and Designit, Europe’s largest Strategic Design and Innovation firm, to enhance the lounge’s digital facilities. Guests can borrow a Surface Pro 3 during their stay and have access to the Brussels Airlines digital lounge assistant app called Connected Lounge.
Connect Lounge controls booking of a shower room and the availability of nap boxes or meeting rooms – the latter can be booked by frequent flyers with a HON Circle or Senator status. The app also keeps passengers informed about their flight status. In addition, Telenet offers its video on demand service Yelo for free on the Surface Pro 3, so passengers can enjoy movies and TV series while waiting for their flight. Those who prefer to use their own tablet can download the Connected Lounge app on their device.
The Loft's Nap Boxes
More than 300,000 passengers visit the lounge each year, spending an average 74 minutes. The airline says the Belgian character of both Brussels Airlines and The Loft is reflected in the living zone, “where the universe of Tintin is omnipresent”. Other quirks include showers with music that changes depending on the mood chosen when entering.
Catering includes local cheeses and beers, healthy breakfasts and fresh quiches and meat. Other choices include Belgian waffles, rice pudding, apple pie and chocolate mousse made with Callebaut chocolate.
The airline’s chief commercial officer Lars Redeligx said: “This unique lounge concept positions Brussels Airlines as a qualitative trend setter for a strenuous business audience, based on the best ingredients of Belgian hospitality and digital technology.
“We want to walk the talk, and showcase our new slogan ‘We go the extra smile’, both on board as well as on the ground. Thanks to the talented people of Designit and our partnership with Microsoft, we didn’t only create a fantastic physical space, but also a unique digital experience in The Loft.”
Gary Noakes
