Aberdeen to Brussels Delta Flights

  About Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a port city located on the coast of the exquisite North Sea. The city is famed for its offshore petroleum industry. Interestingly, the city houses many international populations, including the Italians and Japanese. The city also connects the beautiful rivers, Dee and Don.

Best time to visit Aberdeen

Aberdeen's weather is extremely erratic and inconsistent. The weather continues to show varied sides without any warning. It might be rainy in the morning but turn sunny within the next minute. You simply can't determine what is going to happen next in terms of weather in Aberdeen. Hence, figuring out an ideal season or month to visit the city is quite pointless. However, you can follow the season that would best work for you. The spring season is from March through May with the temperatures ranging from 5 degree Celsius to 10 degree Celsius. You can imagine how cold the winters are if the spring temperatures do not go beyond 10 degree Celsius. While it doesn't seem like the best time to visit as the temperatures are still very less, it might be good if you wish to soak in all the brisk cold breeze. It is advised that you do carry proper parkas and other clothing as it would come in handy. Also, no matter what season, you should ensure to keep an umbrella with you as it can rain at any random time. It can get cloudy and terrible to deal with as the rains tend to affect the touristy plans.

Summer, on the other hand, is the best time to visit out of all the seasons. Aberdeen's summers are cold, irrespective. However, it is pleasant and would certainly be the fun winter vacation that you have been opting for. The temperatures during summers in Aberdeen range between 15 degree Celsius and 20 degree Celsius. June through August sees some warmth in the air. As it is on the coast, the breezy North Sea brings cold air in the city. The summer is actually quite pleasant with clear skies and lovely vibe. Even though it is cold, you would still feel happy as the air of Aberdeen is fresh and invigorating. The hotel prices during this season does see a slight spike. You might want to make your hotel bookings in Aberdeen in advance to ensure that you do get good deals. Winter is definitely not the best time to visit as the temperature does drop below negative. December through February is not the best time for you to venture to Aberdeen. Not to mention how it also rains out of the blue during the winters. It can get supremely cold and not favourable for tourist activities. You wouldn't be able to check out any of the famous attractions, and you cannot even take a stroll down the beaches. Hence, it would be best to avoid winters in Aberdeen. Do make a note of the fact that the hotel prices are lower than usual, making the accommodation extremely cheap. But, thanks to the bad weather, it doesn't work in your favour.

Places to visit in Aberdeen

The best way to get around Aberdeen would be to first visit the Aberdeen Maritime Museum. The museum is located close to the harbour and has quite the exemplary architecture. The Maritime Museum is a perfect way to start learning about the city's history and its relationship with the popular North Sea. As an art patron, you would be happy to witness some of the fabulous art exhibitions that the Aberdeen Art Gallery. The huge gallery has a melange of traditional and modern Scottish art. You will also find some artwork by international artists. These include works of Ivor Abrahams, Bruce McLean, Ken Currie, to name a few. Another major tourist attraction in Aberdeen is Craigievar Castle. The structure with its pink walls and authentic Scottish architecture is too beautiful. Another pristine castle that would definitely work perfectly in your postcards (if you plan to make any) would be the Balmoral Castle.

Things to do in Aberdeen

To enjoy the lovely Aberdeen sun amid a gorgeous environment, you should visit Duthie Park. The place was built back in 1881 by Lady Elizabeth Duthie. She dedicated the park to her uncle and brother. The spectacular 44 acres of the park is nestled close to the banks of the Dee River. The place also has a greenhouse which was once demolished but was built back. If you do get tired of all the tourist activities, you can visit Codona's Amusement Park. The place has many fun rides and activities that you would enjoy. You should also visit the Gordon Highlanders Museum. The place does have an interesting collection of artefacts and exhibitions that would give you a peek at their history. The museum also houses a lovely tea room that you would enjoy.

Food and restaurants in Aberdeen

Aberdeen's food is eccentric but heavily influenced by Italian cuisines and seafood. You will be able to find the best of Italian trattoria in Aberdeen, at Rustico. The neat little cafe is run by an Italian-family where they offer exquisite seafood such as king prawns tossed on linguine, pork ragu with rigatoni and some Sicilian-style lamb meatloaf. The whole spread is beautiful and flavourful. Another Italian restaurant in the city is Carmine's. The food establishment is very low key and quaint, which works well on the pockets. They also have an authentic Japanese restaurant in the city where you can find some of the famous dishes from the cuisine. Yatai Izakaya is your place, which is affordable as it falls within a perfect budget. They also have sake, so you don't have to travel all the way to Japan for the same. The Conservatory Restaurant located in the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa is a place you simply cannot miss. Although it is pricey as it is situated in the premise of a five-star hotel. But this would be quite the indulgence that you should opt for in Aberdeen.

At the food establishment, you will find some lovely seafood menu. While you're there, do not miss their Shetland scallops, Perehead monkfish, North Sea shellfish bisque and cod. The place also brings about an interesting spin to beef and other meat-based dishes. You might want to keep enough money in your pockets to visit this place. Although relatively new, the Bonobo cafe has already managed to find fame in the neighbourhood for its exquisite vegan food. The place serves only vegan food, so if you do not wish to have any of the seafood or meat cuisine, you can visit this place. Their vegan take on Scottish breakfast, which includes scrambled tofu, seitan sausages, veggie haggis and tattie scones is delicious. Not to mention how they have a coconut milk latte as opposed to the usual regular-milk latte. Coffee connoisseurs on the trip should visit Foodstory as the place makes lovely brewed coffee merged with healthy desserts and baked goods. Plus, the place also offers yoga and drawing classes. It would be quite an experience, if anything. Their take on the local cuisine is also quite good and would go down well with your sensibilities.

How to reach Aberdeen

Flights to Aberdeen are aplenty, but they do not particularly fly from India. There are no direct flights to Aberdeen, and you will have to opt for a flight with layovers or even change flights at London's Heathrow Airport. Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, KLM Royal Dutch, British Airways, Air France, have immaculate flight connectivity to Aberdeen. This makes the travelling far easier. Most of the flights flying to Aberdeen have layovers that cannot be ignored. However, from Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, you will be able to get flights flying to Aberdeen without much concern. The most popular route to Aberdeen often chosen is from London and Amsterdam. Since British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch have direct flights to Aberdeen, these international routes are favoured over the others. Many even choose to visit Edinburgh and take a flight to Aberdeen from here. However, to opt for the said international route, you will have to book a ticket to Edinburgh directly and drive up to Aberdeen.

The flight duration to reach Aberdeen from India ranges from 11 hours to 13 hours. It doesn't take much time to reach the Scottish coastal city as the flight connectivity is good and layovers are minimum. You will have to ensure to travel with a transit visa. As the airlines flying to Aberdeen traverse through European cities too, it is necessary to carry a transit visa. You can get hold of the visa at the embassy. The easier and viable option to get the transit visa is by applying for it online. The embassy sites are very quick to respond to the applications online so you wouldn't have to worry about anything. The flight tickets to Aberdeen are decently priced. It could range from INR 30,000 to INR 40,000. The season doesn't really play a massive role in the change of the flight ticket cost to Aberdeen. However, it would be recommended to make prior bookings to Aberdeen as that way, you will be able to avail some online flight deals.

  About Brussels

As the de facto capital to the European Union, Brussels is a city that celebrates Flemish culture with exquisite architecture. The city is blessed with rich Gothic and Baroque-styled architecture that adds to the beauty of Brussels. The city is the capital of Belgium and has influences of the Dutch and French as it was once a colony. Brussels is one of the populated cities in Belgian and enjoys the status of being the wealthiest city in the country. Brussels has also turned into an important political and financial centre on international levels. The city is bilingual with citizens speaking both Dutch and French. However, the population leans more towards the French language.

Brussels is blessed with some exquisite UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Grand Palace. While the city has some of the finest architectural bliss to witness, it's the food and beer culture that caters to a wide population of tourists. The Belgian witbier is a famous crafted beer that has been recognised worldwide. Even the waffles made by the Belgians have received honour and stature in the culinary industry to be the best. Booking a flight ticket to Brussels is quite convenient, as is living in the city. There are many options for a backpacker or even a luxury traveller to be entertained as Brussels does accommodate all kinds of travellers.

The hotel rooms are also cheap, provided you make some prior bookings and ensure to get your travel expenses sorted beforehand. It's all about planning perfectly.

Best time to visit Brussels

Spring and fall are the best seasons in which you can visit Brussels. The months March to May and September to October, see Brussels in new lights. With the onset of summer, the city rings in various music festivals as the climate is drier in comparison to other times. With the temperatures falling between 10 degree Celsius to 15 degree Celsius, the chill breeze roaming the city paints quite a romantic picture. This is also a favourable time to visit for many tourists, making flight tickets to Brussels slightly expenses. Even accommodations take a hike with tourists from the UK, Netherlands, Germany and other parts of the neighbouring cities visiting the city. Mainly, people flock over to Brussels to revel in the carnival hosted in the city. In the month of May, the city hosts Iris Day Festival and Brussels Jazz Weekend. These festivities often pique the interests of tourists who wish to engage in the carnivalesque celebrations. During this time, flight tickets to Brussels see a spike, as does the accommodation. The best thing that would make sense for you is to book your flight tickets and hotels in Brussels, months ahead. You might also receive some cheap flight deals online.

September to October sees the temperatures fall to the mid-60s. The atmosphere is quite breezy and beautiful, which makes travelling within the city a good trip. In September, Brussels hosts the Brussels Comic Strip Festival as well as Belgian Beer Weekend. These festivals are attractive, they don't bring in as much crowd as one would hope. Travelling to Brussels from India during September and October would be quite fun as the temperatures are lovely. Plus, with less crowd, the accommodation also sees a drop, giving you ample options to choose instead of settling for some hotel in Brussels.

Place to visit in Brussels

Brussels is blessed with some very European tourist attractions. From the Belgian Comic Strip Museum to the Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, many places in the city would give you the tourist vibe and at the same time will pique your interest. To start with, the first on your list should be the Grand Palace, a royal Gothic and Baroque-style structure that has even been tagged by the UNESCO World Heritage Site. While you're around this area, you can also visit the attractions close to the palace such as St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. The famous Manneken-Pis, literally a bronze statue of a small boy relieving himself, is a landmark that should definitely be witnessed. The city also has a museum dedicated to musical instruments called Musical Instruments Museum. It's quite a fancy place to visit as it houses 1,200 instruments extracted from around the world. You should also check out archaic Renaissance-inspired arcade Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubter, which is also popularly called 'umbrella of Brussels' in the city.

Things to do in Brussels

At Brussels, there are two things that you simply cannot miss, waffles and beer. The country is famed for its Belgian waffles and Belgian witbier. You can either go separately on an excursion to check out waffles and beers, or you can mix it up in one tour. Brewery hopping is certainly something you would enjoy as you will get to taste some of their finest crafted beers. A day at the theme park, Mini Europe, will do you good. You can take a day trip to the theme park and get to see miniature versions of all the famous European tourist attractions. Plus, their chocolates are another trip to the factory that deserve to be explored.

Food and Restaurants in Brussels

Brussels sees an interesting amalgam of flavours from the French and Dutch style of cooking. Needless to say, mussels also play an important role in their cuisine. Their dish for summer, mosselen-friet, is a lovely melange of mussels and fries, something that would definitely go down well with you. One of the main reasons why summer is ideal to try this dish out is because it is the harvest season of mussels, which means you will be blessed with some lip-smacking fresh mussels on a plate. Much of their cuisine gives seafood a lot of emphasis. Garnalen krokkettenm, one of their dishes, is basically varied types of teeny grey shrimp put together with rich béchamel sauce and served with bread. While seafood does take centre stage in their cuisine, the Belgians do know how to cook good meat as well. You will find some impeccable thick beef stew which is often cooked with beer. Speaking of which, beer plays a staple to their meals just like Belgian frites (fries), and stoemp is to their evening meals. They simply cannot do without the presence of potato and beer.

Talk about Belgian food, and you simply cannot miss waffles and chocolates. They definitely know how to make people go weak in the knees with their savouries. The country is literally recognised for the waffles made by them. While you will see various toppings put on the dessert, the best is the classic Belgian waffle with whipped cream and probably Nutella. Some patisseries don't even add these toppings and let the customer experience the true nature of a lovely plain and crispy waffle. For the classic Belgian food interspersed with French cuisine, head straight to Maison Antoine. As for some more interesting take on Belgian recipes visit Pistolet Original, Au Vieux Marché, Le Clan des Belges, Noordzee Mer du Nord, La Quincaillerie and Delirium Cafe, to name a few. You will return with a big smile on your face after visiting these restaurants and their exquisite culinary.

How to reach Brussels (Transportation)

By Air

As the capital of Belgian, Brussels airport witnesses a good number of tourists at the Brussels International Airport. Flight connectivity of Brussels to many important European cities is excellent. Although the city's airport is located in Flanders, which is away from the Brussels main city, thanks to airport shuttle services, buses and rentals, travelling within the city are possible and convenient. You can book direct flights to Brussels from India. Cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai. Kolkata, Kochi and Bangalore have provisions of direct flights to Brussels. While there are some airlines that would have layovers or might need connecting flights, usually that's not a problem.

The major Indian cities provide non-stop flights to Brussels, making travelling favourable and seamless. Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air India, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch, Air France, Gulf Air, have frequent flights connecting Brussels and India. Booking your flight tickets to Brussels from India should be done well in advance though, if you wish to get good flight deals. It would be even better if you peruse through online for flight as well as accommodation deals. Options from luxury stay to hostels are available. As long as you book your hotel in Brussels before leaving India, it would be favourable.

By Rail

Many travellers visiting Brussels are often travelling across Europe. The connectivity of the European countries is immaculate, making travel easier. Even for Brussels, you can take flights to Germany, Netherlands or France, have some good time exploring those countries and then take a train to Brussels. A majority of the big European cities are connected by rails. Not only would the trip be amusing as the scenic views are worth all the duration, but this way, you can save up as well. Multiple rail options are available from Munich, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin and more.

  Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines or more popularly known as Delta is one of the most important airlines of the United States of America. It is a legacy carrier and has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Delta Air Line is recognized for its massive fleet with operations of nearly 5,400 flights daily. This includes the subsidiaries and regional affiliates of the airline. Delta Air Lines serves about 325 destinations worldwide as it covers 52 countries across six continents. Delta, one of the founding members of the SkyTeam airline alliance, came into existence in 2000, along with Air France, Aeroméxico and Korean Air. The airline has nine hubs across North American with Atlanta being its major hub concerning passenger traffic as well as the number of scheduled departures. Delta is the second-largest airline in the world in terms of scheduled passengers carried as well as revenue passenger-kilometres carried as well as fleet size. The other hubs of Delta include Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's campus has been serving as the headquarters to Delta since 1941. In 2008, the airlines received an award for its use of an environmentally friendly non-hexavalent chromium surface treatment on its aircraft. The airlines replaced the hazardous chemicals that would be used as paint adhesion while simultaneously preventing corrosion. The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program acknowledged the airline's use of PreKote that also helped reduce the wastage of water. Delta's logo or also called widget was originally introduced in 1959. The logo is a triangle shape which represents the Greek letter delta. The current livery of Delta is called Upward and Onward. The fuselage of Delta aircraft features the name of the company in blue lettering while the widget is painted on the vertical stabilizer. The present livery was brought in the picture in 2007 as part of their rebranding strategy after recovering from bankruptcy.

Fleet size of Delta Air Lines

As of 2020, Delta Air Lines' fleet size is 840 aircraft. All the aircraft in the airline's fleet are manufactured by Boeing and Airbus. Delta Air Lines holds the top position for operating the largest fleets of Boeing 717, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767. It also operates the largest fleet of Airbus A330 for any US airline. Before the merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines' fleet solely comprised of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft. After the merger though, the airlines added Airbus aircraft to its fleet. Delta has worked towards enhancing its fleet and maintaining the fleet. Hence, they created an extensive maintenance, repair and overhaul organization going by the name TechOps. The primary focus of their MRO has been to utilize the older aircraft, especially the narrow-body ones and to refurbish them for commercial purposes. In 2011, the airline announced to replace their McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and McDonnell Douglas MD-88s with Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier Aerospace aircraft. Soon, the same year, they placed an order to acquire 100 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft and defer the smaller narrow-body jets.

Delta's expansion strategy to further operate less-expensive used planes brought in an agreement to lease 88 of Boeing 717s which were originally acquired by Southwest Airlines. With this, they replaced DC-9s and 50-seat regional aircraft, including the CRJ-200. The last of DC-9 was retired in 2014. The airline was the last of US carriers to operate DC-9. With continued expansion plans, Delta further ordered 95 Airbus A220 aircraft and also became the first American carrier to order the said aircraft. The airlines have not been keen on acquiring wide-body aircraft, especially those that are ageing.

Delta Air Lines Baggage Allowance

It is essential to know about all the baggage allowance enabled by Delta Air Lines. For efficiency and comfort of the travellers, the airlines have initiated pertinent information on their Fly Delta App as well as have details of the same on their official website. Unlike other airlines that offer the first checked baggage to be processed for free, Delta adds a fee. With this, you will receive one free carry-on bag along with one personal item to carry onboard. The size of the baggage can be checked at their website as they all differ depending on the cabin class as well as the membership one might own. For the second standard checked bag which should be under 23 kg, you will need to pay USD 40. Depending on the domestic route or international route as well as the cabin class, the checked baggage allowance will change. The airline's app and website have a baggage calculator which will help you with getting an estimate of your luggage weight.

There are few exceptions for military baggage as well as Medallion members and Delta SkyMiles Amex Card members. They usually have no excess fee to pay for the baggage. Passengers flying with special and fragile items such as musical instruments, medical equipment and sporting equipment, you will require to notify the airline ahead of time. It would be best to carry them as cabin luggage to avoid any damage or misplacement. It is required that you carry cabin luggage that falls under the necessary dimension as well as weight stated by Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines In-flight services

The airline offers about six diverse cabin service choices which include Delta One, Delta Premium Select, First Class, Comfort+, Main Cabin and Basic Economy. The availability of all the cabins varies from the airline route and the type of aircraft.

Delta One - Delta Air Lines' most exclusive cabin service can be found in Delta One. The in-flight services include a dedicated flight attendant to take you through the long-haul journey with the utmost ease. They are extensively available in long-haul international route flights as well as some domestic route flights. The seat is extremely relaxing, which aligns at 180-degree and can be converted into a flatbed. Plus, the airline offers special amenity kits to the passengers to help them reduce their baggage weight. The amenity kit includes eyeshadows, lotions, lip balms, socks and more.

Premium Select - The premium select cabins have comfortable reclining seats with features of fold-out footrest and leg-rest that can be adjusted. Besides great seating, the airline also offers the Tumi amenity kit to the premium select passengers. This also includes receiving priority during check-in, larger screens for entertainment and in-flight seasonal meals inspired by all the Delta destinations. You can also choose your in-flight beverages as a complimentary alcoholic beverage does accompany your seat.

First Class - In the first-class cabin of Delta Air Lines, there are personalized services offered to the passengers which include a dedicated flight attendant, extra legroom, 5.4-inch reclining seats and an 11-inch seatback screen. Along with this, the airline also provides various other perks such as pre-flight drink, a hearty snack and more. The seats are also hooked with power plugs to ensure that you stay connected to your work from everywhere. WiFi facilities are also available along with complimentary headphones, blankets and pillow. For medium and long-haul flights, the airline also offers meals on the flight along with hearty snacks.

Delta Comfort + - Delta Comfort + gives passengers affordable prices with some seating perks. The legroom and recline of the seats in the cabin are 50 per cent more than the standards set in the main cabin and economy class. The airline also offers the amenity kit along with a sleep kit for passengers travelling in long-haul flights to international destinations. Further, you can also avail premium snacks and meals on long-haul flights as well as some select domestic routes. Your meals will come with complimentary beer, wine and cocktails. In-seat power plug points are also available.

Main Cabin and Basic Economy - The main cabin and basic economy cabins have only slight variations that contain the standard amenities and in-flight services on Delta Air Lines. These include a standard recline seating which reclines up to 4 inches and has standard legroom and overhead bin space. While passengers of the economy class cannot select their seats before check-in, main cabin passengers have the benefit here.

Popular routes and top cities for Delta Air Lines

Over the years, Delta Air Lines has entered into joint ventures with quite a few airlines namely Aeromexico, Air France/KLM/Alitalia, Korean Air, LATAM Airlines Group, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia and WestJet. Some of the top cities of Delta Air Lines include Sydney, Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Dublin, Tokyo, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Madrid, London, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Mumbai. They are also the only US carrier to charter flights to Accra, Dakar, Lagos, Stuttgart, Johannesburg, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and Nice.

Why travel by Delta Air Lines?

Delta Air Lines is recognized as one of the best airlines in the US for its phenomenal connectivity and world-class services. Be it their ability to fly to a massive number of domestic routes as well as international routes, or their facilities such as web check-in, intimation about flight status, flight schedules of Delta Air Lines and more, they are ahead of the game. Delta Air Lines' in-flight services are exceptional thanks to the cabin upgradation that took place in 2015.