Yesterday saw the opening of Brussels Airlines’ The Loft extension in Brussels International Airport. Brussels Airlines expanded the lounge to cater for it’s 1,500 daily passengers who use the existing facilities, providing an increased amount of space for up to 500 passengers at any time. The airline has taken a true ‘product placement’ approach to the space, teaming up with renowned partners, who are all driven by design, technology and innovation.
The capacity of ‘The Loft’ has grown a significant 66% to a total of 2040 m². But it isn’t just the space that will be attractive to the premium passenger base. The Loft now offers also new innovative experiences from Lexus, Miele, Grohe, Corian and Dyson, who are experts in design, technology and innovation.
“Customer centricity is at the heart of everything we do. We are known for our welcoming service and our Belgitude, which is reflected throughout The Loft. Business travelers remain an important part of our customer base; therefore we continue to invest in their comfort, working together with partners like Lexus who are driven by the highest quality service. With The Loft, we offer our customers an ideal environment, designed to meet their individual needs to relax, be productive or to be entertained,” said Christina Foerster, CEO Brussels Airlines.
The airline only recently announced it was partnering with JPA to redesign the airline’s long haul product, putting Belgitude at the heart of the concept, and this loft extension will also go further in positioning the carrier above increasing competition in Europe’s already busy skies.
Not missing an opportunity to offer lounge experiential elements that could indeed be sponsored, the additional 800m² includes an open space designed by Lexus, showcasing objects from the Lexus design awards, letting guests discover the brand’s luxury lifestyle.
The space has been created following the traditions of omotenashi, the Japanese concept of hospitality and one of the core values of Lexus. “Omotenashi fits perfectly with the Brussels Airlines mantra ‘We go the extra smile’. Customers are treated with the welcome and hospitality that would be given to a guest at home. Our guests spend a great amount of time in The Loft, so it is important to provide them with a high quality service and to make sure they have an inspiring space to relax or to work before the flight,” adds Tanguy Cartuyvels, Vice President Marketing at Brussels Airlines.
In fact, passengers spend 74 minutes on average in The Loft, which makes for a fairly long time to entertain the carrier’s passengers.
The new Loft also offers an enclosed VIP area for HON Circle members (the highest tier in the Miles & More loyalty program) with a living room showcasing a changing art collection of foreign and Belgian art. Next to this, a state of the art Miele kitchen is offered to make travelers feel at home away from home.
The Loft also offers private nap rooms, which not only offer a massage area, but offer a sneak peek into the new long haul Business Class cabin that the airline will launch at the end of this year. They showcase fine art images produced by cultural engineering agency Meta-Morphosis. The lounge also includes the Grohe Spa, consisting of 11 bathrooms, each with their own settings according to personal preference, steam bath, music and light therapy, creating 11 unique moods and spa experiences.
For those wanting a little more fun, a game room featuring an impressive red velvet pool table finishes off The Loft’s new experiences.
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