Tag Archives: brussels

TravelMagic 2013 – The Hotel Brussels


Pic: TravelMagic 2013 – Saturday September 21 at The Hotel Brussels Belgium
It is with great excitement that we announce our first TravelMagic 2013 speaker:  one of the most influential travel bloggers on the planet… Ben Schlappig!
About Ben Schlappig (aka Lucky) 
Ben is a travel consultant, full-time travel blogger at One Mile at a Time and avid points collector living in Bellevue, Washington.  He travels over 300,000 miles per year and spends around 100 nights per year in hotels. He has visited over 40 countries on six continents, and loves sharing tricks about how others can use miles and points to do the same.  Ben has been cited as a travel expert in various publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and many more.
About TravelMagic
The first edition of TravelMagic, the seminar for Luxury Travellers on a Budget, took place on Dec 1, 2012 at Holiday Inn Brussels Airport.  With more than 50 participants and many raving reviews, it was a huge success.  For the 2013 edition, organizers Bart Lapers and Erlend Debast have set the bar even higher.  The brand new 5* The Hotel Brussels will host TravelMagic 2013 on Saturday September 21.  The seminar will feature a Beginners (Dutch) and Advanced (English) track with national and international speakers with proven track record in luxury travel on a budget.  Registration for TravelMagic 2013 isn’t open yet, but interested travel fans can sign-up for our mailing list at TravelMagic.be

TravelMagic 2012

TravelMagic 2012
As you might have noticed, it has been a while since my last blog post.  I’ve been extremely busy preparing travel talks and hosting my own travel seminar in Brussels, Belgium.  Last Saturday (Dec 1) was the big day, TravelMagic 2012.  For the first time in Belgium, travel enthusiasts had the opportunity to learn and exchange tips & tricks on how to travel luxurious with a limited budget.  With more than 50 participants and many raving reviews, we can call the event a success.  The next edition will be held on April 27, 2013.

Video: After movie TravelMagic 2012 at Holiday Inn Brussels Airport

Brussels Airlines new Business Class JFK-BRU


Pic: Brussels Airlines entrance at New York JFK Terminal 1 (Jun 2012)

Pic: Lufthansa Senator Lounge at New York JFK Airport (Jun 2012)
On Friday June 1, I joined inaugural flight SN501 from Brussels to New York JFK.  I flew economy class and was seated on the first row (14D) in Y.  As frequent Brussels Airlines flyer (almost weekly now thanks to their Flyday promo) and Miles and More Senator, I was upgraded* to business class on the return flight from JFK to BRU.  Both the hard and soft product were outstanding.  I think my pictures speak for themselves regarding the quality of the hard product.  The only two negative experiences I had during the BRU-JFK-BRU journey were out of Brussels Airlines control:  A queue of almost three hours (!) at JFK Terminal 1 Immigration to enter the USA and a 1,5 hour queue on the JFK runway before take-off back to BRU.  Not sure what’s wrong with JFK airport, but I hope they fix these issues soon!

Pic: Brussels Airlines A330-300ER OO-SFM at JFK Airport (Jun 3, 2012)

Pic: My Brussels Airlines Business Class seat 4K on flight SN502 JFK – BRU

Pic: Brussels Airlines new business class – Seat controls (Jun 2012)

Pic: Brussels Airlines new business class seat in lounge mode (Jun 2012)
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Brussels Airlines Inaugural flight SN501 BRU – JFK


Flew Brussels Airlines inaugural flight SN501 from Brussels to New York today.  I was seated on the first row in economy class (14D).  Quite exhausted now, not from the flight, but from queuing at JFK immigration (2,5 hours)!  My flight back (SN502 JFK-BRU) is on Sunday.  Will post full review early next week.

Brussels Airlines New Business Class (A330)

Brussels Airlines presented the new A330 Business and Economy class cabin at their B.House headquarters in Brussels on Jan 10, 2012.  More details about the new cabin on the Brussels Airlines website.  Hope you enjoy the pictures I made at the press event!

Michael O’Leary (Ryanair) about EU Commission

Video: Michael O’Leary (CEO Ryanair) at the European Commission Innovation Convention 2011 (Dec 6, Brussels)