Such A Bad Experience, Never Again (Sabena Belgian Airlines)

Member Name: NFH.

Product:	Sabena Belgian Airlines
Date:	08/10/02 (604 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many routes, Zero accident record

Disadvantages: Unreliable, Discourteous cabin crew

Although Sabena went bust, it has now re-emerged under a different name (SN Brussels Airlines) but using much of Sabena's infrastructure and personnel.

In May/June 1998, I and many other passengers experienced an extremely disappointing standard of service from Sabena, following which I was never properly compensated. The events described on this page are entirely true and accurate, and have not been exagerated in any way. Furthermore, I was told by baggage handling agents at London Gatwick that Sabena lose baggage destined for Gatwick nearly every day.

I was living and working in Berlin and on 29th May 1998, I and two work colleagues boarded flight SN498 from Berlin Tempelhof to Brussels from which we had booked a connecting flight, SN667 to London Gatwick. We had arranged return flights so that we would enjoy 64 hours in London with family or friends.

The Berlin to Brussels flight left 40 minutes late and when we subsequently landed in Brussels, we were urged by Sabena staff to hurry to our connecting flight SN667, to London Gatwick, as we were told it was about to leave.

When we boarded the Sabena plane (operated by Virgin Express), we discovered that the plane was not due to take off at the scheduled time because of a delayed connecting flight from which other passengers were expected. Therefore we waited patiently whilst other passengers protested. It appeared that Sabena/Virgin preferred to keep around 100 passengers waiting an unacceptable period of time in order to avoid paying a hotel bill for just a few passengers. Furthermore, the lavatory floor of the plane was covered in urine and the basin was blocked.

When it was finally decided after around an hour that our flight would leave without waiting for the connecting flight, the pilot announced that we would be leaving in five minutes. However, it was then discovered that there were discrepancies between the passenger list and the baggage list because of an
error by Sabena. Following this, I and other passengers witnessed our own baggage being removed from the plane. When a Sabena ground staff representative boarded the plane, we questioned him about this and he assured us that our baggage had been reloaded on to the plane. We were therefore delayed a second hour at Brussels.

When we arrived 1½ hours late at London Gatwick, I and at least 20 other passengers discovered that our suitcases were still in Brussels as they had not been reloaded on to the plane, contrary to the assurances of the Sabena representative earlier. Despite my carrying only my laptop PC, with no change of clothes or other necessities, Sabena's agents (GHI) at London Gatwick were unable to provide me with any temporary replacements. I therefore completed the forms given to me by GHI in detail and requested an urgent delivery of my delayed suitcase.

I had to telephone both GHI and Sabena numerous times on the following day (Saturday) before Mr van der Perrens at Sabena at Brussels Airport agreed to send my baggage via London Heathrow to reach me for Saturday evening where I had a night out planned in London. Despite my explaining the urgency that I must receive my suitcase in that I had no change of clothes, I was told that it could not be delivered until flight SN609 arriving at London Heathrow at 18:45.

Despite numerous phone calls to Sabena's agents at London Heathrow (Aer Lingus), my suitcase arrived over 24 hours late at 22:20. Since we had to stay in to wait for my suitcase and I did not have a change of clothes, we had to cancel our entire evening out in London.

Furthermore, the outside of my brand new suitcase had been badly damaged by a groove and other scratches, a flap on the inside had been damaged by being ripped from its fastenings, my cordless phone had been switched on and left switched on and the floppy disk drive for my laptop PC had been tampered with and no longer worked. Also electrical
cables had been unravelled and left in a very untidy state.

Because I had lost all faith in Sabena to handle my baggage responsibly, on the return flight SN646 from London City to Brussels on 1st June 1998, I asked the cabin staff if I could watch my suitcase be loaded on to the (small) plane, having explained my earlier problems on the outward flight. The cabin staff were very understanding and I was able to witness my suitcase both being loaded in London and unloaded in Brussels, together with the suitcase of one of my colleagues. However, when we boarded the connecting flight SN497, from Brussels to Berlin, the cabin crew were not so accommodating. In fact, despite explaining how Sabena had ruined my weekend and that I therefore had no faith in Sabena to load my suitcase on to the plane, the cabin crew were obstructive and unhelpful and could not give me an assurance that my suitcase had been loaded. When I politely protested, the crew, including the Captain or First Officer, became rude and addressed me as "tu" (whilst speaking French). The Captain or First Officer told me I shouldn't book connecting flights and that if I didn't stop complaining he would call the police (as other passengers were becoming worried that their baggage had not been loaded, and their worries turned out later to be justified).

When I left the plane, I asked a stewardess for the name of the Captain or First Officer who had spoken to me so rudely. She refused and then suggested that I never fly with Sabena again.

When we arrived in the baggage reclaim area in Berlin, to my astonishment, my suitcase eventually appeared, but those of many passengers including that of my colleague had been left in Brussels despite his suitcase being next to mine when it was unloaded from our previous flight from London. This caused us to have to wait around an hour while a report was taken as we all were sharing onward transport.

I was working in Berlin
and was returning to London just for the weekend for personal reasons. All Sabena did to compensate me was to pay for an identical replacement suitcase and to give me a voucher for BEF 6400 (EUR 158.65).

SABENA stands for Such A Bad Experience, Never Again

Summary: