Review: Air Belgium Airbus A330neo Business Class (Johannesburg to Brussels)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Last summer, I enjoyed a phenomenal safari & beach holiday in South Africa and Mozambique, probably my best holiday ever. You can read my trip reports here:

Review: Air Belgium Airbus A330neo Business Class from Brussels to Johannesburg
Review: Air France Boeing 777 new Business Class from Paris to Johannesburg
Review: &Beyond Tengile River Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
Review: Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
Review: Kruger Shalati – The Train on the Bridge, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Review: Kisawa Sanctuary (Mozambique)
Review: Air France Boeing 777 new Business Class from Johannesburg to Paris
Review: Air Belgium Airbus A330neo Business Class from Johannesburg to Brussels (today)

Today: Review of Air Belgium’s Airbus A330neo Business Class (Johannesburg to Brussels)

Last summer, I traveled with friends to Southern Africa. I flew with Air France onboard a Boeing 777 equipped with the carrier’s newest Business Class cabin with sliding doors. My friends booked Business Class flights with Air Belgium and I asked them to take some videos & photos of their onboard experience (I believe they did a pretty good job, so kudos to them). Air Belgium is a Brussels based airline operating a fleet of 9 aircraft including 4 passenger aircraft and 5 full-freighter aircraft: 2 Airbus A330-900 (A330neo), 2 Airbus A330-200, 2 Airbus A330F, and 3 Boeing B747-8F. Unfortunately, due to a restructuring process, Air Belgium ended all scheduled passenger flights in October 2023. The carrier currently only operates cargo flights as well as chartered flights on behalf of other airlines (e.g. British Airways, LOT Polish Airlines). As an aviation geek and to honor Air Belgium’s great onboard service, I decided to still publish this trip report (despite the fact that it is not really relevant anymore).

Have you ever flown with Air Belgium? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

Trip: Johannesburg (JNB) to Brussels (BRU)
Airline: Air Belgium
Aircraft type: Airbus A330neo
Aircraft registration number: OO-ABG
On time departure: yes (7 pm)
On time arrival: yes (6 am)
Miles: 5510 mi (8870 km)
Flight time: 10 hours
Seat: 4A
Class: Business Class

In this review (more information & photos below the YouTube video):

1. COST OF THE TICKET

The price for the roundtrip ticket (Brussels-Johannesburg-Brussels) was 1800 euros. The ticket was booked on the Air Belgium website during an online sale.

2. SHONGOLOLO LOUNGE AT JOHANNESBURG O.R. TAMBO AIRPORT

Air Belgium offered its passengers access to the Shongololo Lounge lounge at Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport. The Shongololo lounge partners with several airlines for their premium cabin passengers, including Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines. The lounge offers plenty of seating and a contemporary decor. A self-service buffet offers a decent selection of hot meals, sandwiches, vegetables, fresh fruits, pastries,, instant noodles, curries and desserts. The drinks selection is excellent and includes several famous South African red and white wines.

3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

Air Belgium’s Airbus A330neo aircraft features one Business Class cabin at the front of the cabin with 30 lie-flat seats. Behind this are 21 Premium Economy Class seats, with another 235 Economy Class seats at the aircraft’s rear. This gives a total passenger capacity of 286.

The carrier has chosen to install Solstys-style, fully lie flat seats in its Business Class cabin. The seats are spread over 8 rows and arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, with all seats facing forward and offering direct aisle access. The window seats are solo seats, and they alternate between seats closer to the window (which offer more privacy) and seats closer to the aisle (which are more exposed). The seats in the center of the plane are paired seats, alternating between ‘honeymoon’ seats (seats next to each other with a divider which can be raised or lowered) and seats separated by a console. The middle pair and window seats have a few inches/cm more length in bed mode compared to their aisle counterparts. This is a similar product like the one you find on Iberia, Emirates (A380 aircraft), Qantas, Asiana, and Thai Airways.

Air Belgium’s Business Class cabin has a clean, stylish but somewhat sterile look. The color palette varies from white (cabin walls) to soft grey (seat shells, tray tables, and bedding) to dark grey (seat cushions). The only colorful touch in the cabin is formed by Air Belgium’s signature red logo, which is prominently displayed on the wall in the aft of the cabin.

Click here for a seat map of Air Belgium’s A330neo.

AIR BELGIUM A330NEO BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)

Air Belgium’s Business Class seat features a pitch of 78 inch (198 cm) and width of 26 inch (66 cm). The seat is comfortable and well-padded.

Next to the seat is a console with some storage space that can be used to stow away smaller items such as glasses, wallets or a mobile phone (larger items need to be stored in the overhead bins or under the ottoman). This side of the seat also features a reading light, a panel & handset for the seat & inflight entertainment controls, a USB port, an audio jack, and a power outlet to charge personal devices.

In front of the seat is a fixed 16-inch HD entertainment screen with an ottoman (footrest) underneath. The latter becomes part of the flat-bed (when the seat is reclined) and allows you to extend your legs as much as you like to. Next to the entertainment screen is a large tray table, which is attached to the back of the seat in front and which can be pulled out quite easily; the table can also be moved out-of-the-way when you need to get up.

At the push of a button, the seat reclines into a fully and very comfortable flatbed with a length of 78 inch (200 cm), including the footrest.

What are the best Business Class seats on Air Belgium’s A330neo?

Solo travelers should go for the window seats. Windows seats are alternately located closer to the window (in rows 2, 4, 6 and 8) or to the aisle (in rows 1, 3, 5 and 7). The seats closer to the window are the ones you want to choose (you will feel more exposed in the other seats, which are more located along the aisle than the window).
Couples and good friends should go for one of the so-called ‘honeymoon’ middle seats (in rows 1, 3, 5 and 7).

What are the worst Business Class seats on Air Belgium’s A330neo?

Seats in row 1 and 8 may suffer from some noise from the galley and toilet.
I also suggest to avoid the last row of Business Class, row 8, which is located in front of the Premium Economy bassinet seats.
If you are traveling solo, you don’t want to choose one of the honeymoon seats (it would be downright awkward when you end up next to a stranger in that configuration). In case you would be assigned a honyemoon seat, there is a divider that you can raise though for more privacy.
The windows seats in rows 1, 3, 5 and 7 face into the aisle and are not as private as the window seats in rows 2, 4, 6 and 8.

Click here for a seat map of Air Belgium’s A330neo.

5. AMENITIES & BEDDING

Air Belgium’s Business Class passengers get the following amenities during a longhaul flight:

An amenity kit with a dental kit, comb, socks, eye shades and ear plugs
Decent bedding, comprised of a fluffy pillow and warm blanket
Air Belgium labelled noise-cancelling headphones

6. MEALS

On this overnight flight, a dinner (after takeoff) and breakfast (prior to landing) were served.

My friends choose the following selection from the menu:

Starter: roasted kingklip with Cape Malay curry, pineapple, peppers and red onion salsa
Main course (first choice): pan-fried Norwegian salmon, mild harissa sauce, butternut and baby squash purée
Main course (second choice): mushroom ravioli with herbs, tomato sauce, boccocini cheese, and fresh pesto

Snacks were offered in the Business Class galley during the night (in case someone would get hungry again).

Ninety minutes prior landing, a breakfast was served with a hot dish: brioche French toast, caramelised pineapple purée, passion fruit coulis, and vanilla sauce. After breakfast, quality artisanal chocolate bars made from African Grand Cru cocoa beans were offered as a goodbye present.

7. ENTERTAINMENT

Air Belgium’s inflight entertainment system offers up to 120 films, documentaries, cartoons and TV series. There’s a diverse range of entertainment and passengers can access a library of 600 music tracks and a dozen games for all ages. ARC maps offer all the necessary route information, including information on the country overflown, views from the cockpit, and 3D visualization.

8. ONBOARD INTERNET

Air Belgium’s A330neo planes are equipped with WiFi and 3 different internet packages are offered:

Chat (5€): allows to send text messages from a tablet or smartphone including WhatsApp, iMessage and Messenger for the entire duration of the flight.
Surf Easy (12€): allows to send emails, surf on web light pages and social media for the entire duration of your flight.
Surf Plus (20€):: allows to browse on larger web pages and access VPN and audio streaming for the duration of your flight.

9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES

# CREW: The cabin crew on this flight was very polite, courteous and ready to help.

# LAVATORY: Air Belgium’s A330neo aircraft features three lavatories for Business Class passengers: one is located behind the cockpit and the other two in the galley behind the Business Class cabin.

10. VERDICT

Cabin design: 8/10
Seat privacy: 8/10
Seat comfort (upright): 8/10
Seat comfort (bed position): 8/10
Food (quality): 8/10
Food (quantity): 9/10
Inflight entertainment : 8/10
WiFi: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Overall experience good: 8,2/10

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