Why Singapore Airlines’ new Brussels route sprouts good news for Australians
Belgium-bound flights are a definite frequent flyer temptation.
So Singapore Airlines announced a new route this week. From late October 2020, it will fly four times a week from Singapore to Brussels. Flight SQ304 to the Belgian capital will depart at 11:55pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Monday, arriving at 6:50am the next day. The returning SQ305 service will leave at 11:20am, landing in Singapore at 6:55am one day later.
The flights will operate on the A350-900. That's a familiar aircraft for Australians flying on Singapore Airlines, since it's also used for services from Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
There are plenty of brilliant attractions in Belgium, but this is a useful development even if you feel no immediate urge to check out the Manneken Pis or the medieval delights of Bruges. For me, the most exciting aspect is the potential to connect to Eurostar services running through to London.
Eurostar trains run up to four times a day between Brussels and the United Kingdom, creating a useful alternative to flying into Heathrow or Gatwick. Airport charges for the UK are high, so that makes it a potentially expensive choice if you're redeeming a rewards seat.
Availability of reward seats is also often scarce, so flying into Belgium and then continuing by train might well be an appealing alternative if you're looking for a KrisFlyer rewards flight into Europe. You could also easily connect to other cities with additional Star Alliance airlines, including Lufthansa, SAS and Brussels Airlines.
Singapore Airlines runs 140 services a week between Australia and Singapore, so connecting up shouldn't be a major challenge. Earning points on Singapore Airlines can be challenging for Australians, but it is one of the two most prominent Star Alliance airlines flying here. (The other is Air New Zealand; let's just not talk about United, okay?)
I've just booked myself a trip to Belgium later in 2020, so I can't immediately make use of this. But I'll add it to the ever-growing list of less-obvious ways to fly into Europe.
Angus Kidman's Findings column looks at new developments and research that help you save money, make wise decisions and enjoy your life more. It appears regularly on Finder.
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