The future of Brussels Airlines with Lufthansa

[airazurxtror]

Shall we never get rid of that Sabena nostalgy ? Nostalgie de la merde, as they say !
If a new name is needed, what is wrong with "Delta Air Transport " or "Trans European Airways" or even "Belgian International Air Services "?

[Air Key West]

Delta Air Transport is not possible because a major airline called Delta already exists (but maybe someone who only flyes FR doesn't know that). As to the other alternatives, they are just pompous, unattractive and dull, even more so than "sn brussels airlines" or "brussels airlines" "tout court".
If sabena is still remembered today, it is because it was a strong brand (which does not mean it was a strong or excellent airline - I had both very good and very bad experiences with sabena), but even seven years after its demise, the name "sabena" is alive, whereas the names "sn brussels airlines" and "brussels airlines" never "took off", never made it to people's minds. If today people do'nt say "I'm flying sabena" when its b.air, they say I am flying with "SN". Never heard the new airline called by its own name by pax.
And if I suggested "SABENA by Lufthansa", it was because those who liked sabena would ge the name back, and to those who did not like sabena, there is the message "by Lufthansa", signalling it is a new/different sabena (Belgian compromise ?). Fact is "sabena" is still a well known brand worldwide (and even more so in Africa, which is SN's speciality, but everybody knows that, except maybe if you only fly FR out of CRL).

[airazurxtror]

Sabena is well known, like Pan American or Trans World, as a company who couldn't adapt to a new environment, like the dinosaurs.
Speaking of Ryanair, why is Belgium not able to launch as successful and as profitable an airline as FR ?
Easy to make fun of Ryanair and look down on them, less easy to be as successful as them ...

[airazurxtror]

Sabena is well known, like Pan American or Trans World, as a company who couldn't adapt to a new environment and disappeared, like the dinosaurs.
Speaking of Ryanair, why is Belgium not able to launch as successful and as profitable an airline as FR ?
Easy to make fun of Ryanair and look down on them, less easy to be as successful as them ...

[euroflyer]

Some crude mathematics now (excuse me), but... if Sabena's reputation was sullied in the '90s and best in the 80's, then assuming travellers back then were rarely younger than 20, they were born in 1960, so average age now is 50. For the last 15 years they've not seen the name Sabena, or just remember it failing (the most spectacular event in its history?). 60% of the population, and increasing, probably therefore have either no or a negative image of the Sabena brand.

Brussels Airlines (although I'm not the biggest fan of the name) has the potential to develop a quality brand. Although perhaps LH could employ some decent consultants to replace that ugly "b" logo which looks like it was drawn by a six year old with crayons...

Well, even I am below 40 years of age (just ) I can remember the Sabena name and I even flew with them a number of time between 1998 and their sad end between FRA and BRU. However, I cannot remember them as being of particular excellence on that route

So I have to agree with what had been said above, most of my colleagues to start coming to BRU regularly after 2001 and who might not be stupid enough to be interested in airlines and planes as I am have NO IDEA OF WHO SABENA WAS. They actually use the name "Brussels Airlines". That works with colleagues from Scandinavia the same as with those from Germany or Poland (I just tested it here tonight at a meeting in India where we are together). So going back to Sabena might be indeed a bit risky, because
- half of the potential customers at least in Europe do not remember the name
- for those who remember it is as much connected with mismanagement and bankruptcy as with the strong brand of the past
- it would be the third complete rebranding in less than 20 years

But I have to admit, Sabena just sounds much more classic than Brussels Airlines ...

[LX-LGX]

Yes, sure, Sabena is (was) worldwide known. But negative, not positive !

The Belgian public remembers Sabena as a poorly run, oversubsidized state owned company with a french business name who went on strike every few months and therefore went bankrupt. Callsign: such a ...

The Belgian travel trade only remembers the problems during / after the bankruptcy. Tickets issued on BSP were refunded, but contract bookings, allotments, MCO's, deposits were lost. I know at least one luchtzak-member who has lost 4.000 euro with the bankruptcy. Lufthansa knows this, and they will save the travel trade of doing business with Sabena again.

However, I also think that Lufthansa will go for a new name. As BA is already taken, I bet on "Brussels". On the planes, on the website and in adverts: "Brussels by Lufthansa".

[Air Key West]

Very interesting thread. The message in "Brussels by Lufthansa" is mainly "flying to Brussels by Lufthansa" which is not the message one wants to convey. Why not : "Lufthansa Brussels" ?
Of course, the young generation will probably not know sabena. Of course, many people especially in Belgium associate sabena with a poorly run airline that went bankrupt. But there are also those who remember sabena because of its African network and its excellent safety record (thanks to perfect maintenance and highly qualified and experienced pilots). And if people kept on flying sabena especially to Africa, even those who knew the airline was in the red, it was because they felt safe aboard sabena.
Of course, sabena is "history", but you have to know your history to build your future. And since we can reasonally expect (and bet) that LH will at least in a first stage develop b.air"s African network and make BRU the hub to Africa for Star Alliance's European airlines mainly, the historical link which exist between sabena and Africa could justify renaming the airline into

SABENA
by Lufthansa

or Sabena Lufthansa.

or (my third choice) Lufthansa Brussels.
I would just like to get rid of what is to me a boring nearly unpronouceable (too long) name (brussels airlines) with a boring logo (red dotted blue tail). But it's just a personal opinion which nobody is forced to share and it is interesting to read the other contributions (reactions and suggestions).

[Airbus330lover]

Just a point...

Tat industries is very happy with SABENA Technics.... part of TAT industries.
It's the best sample of the effect of a strong name

[brussels airlines]

People forget about Sabena. There is a clear agreement between Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa to keep tne name, brand and logo. And as long as Lufthansa just has 45% of the shares, this will not change. In 2011 Lufthansa is 100% owner of the airline, but then Sabena is banckrupt for 10 years...

[beaucaire]

Sabena is a good brand-name and still very much known by quite a many people outside Belgium.The current name is an unfortunate composure that nobody easily pronounces.Even if some of the Flemish might object and claim it's an abbreviation of a French-language company name-so what ? In international air-travel good branding is important, and to many Sabena just might look like the no-brainer revival once LH has acquired 100% of the company.

[Buzz]

If they were to rebrand the company, it would just be 'Lufthansa'. Why would they spend the time and money on yet another rebranding? If they would do it, they'd better use a name that everybody knows and that stands for quality.

[an-148]

....they'd better use a name that everybody knows and that stands for quality.

exactly therefore, the choice of SABENA !

[Megaman]

Personally, I think that the Sabena logo and name has much more value and style than the Brussels Airlines one and has much more notoriety (especially in Africa and probably in the US as well). Granted that Sabena did not compete with Singapore airlines in terms of comfort and service but I think the public opinion can accept that change can happen (meaning that they can make their come back with a better product).

However, one question comes to mind. How much does the logo & Name cost given that in order to use it, you need to purchase the rights from the liquidator.

As an off note: I really liked the bird from Magritte on the A340 & A330 wingtips.

[BrightCedars]

Why not rename LH into Sabena and use the SN code instead of the LH code when you're at it?

I would like to see the Sabena name grace the skies again, and I hope it will be done as a retro livery maybe in 2023 to mark the 100 years of Sabena's birth, but I don't think that it is in the cards, ever.

Brand positioning could make Brussels Airlines seem like Singapore Airlines if that was Lufthansa's intention.

AMS, FRA and LHR - not as much CDG - all have a point in common: they are saturated! This means that the large airlines based there: BA and VS at LHR or LH at FRA will tend to provide more point-to-point O&D service than hub and spoke service. This is not true at AMS where KL will have to adapt to this situation despite living on connecting traffic, fortunately for them they are allied with AF who have the CDG platform to help.

BRU is indeed ideally located to provide growth opportunities and to funnel some hub and spoke traffic for these large network carriers, and LH is definitely aware of that and interested in it. BRU is somewhat in the middle of one of the largest richest and densely populated regions in the world stretching between LON, AMS, FRA, CDG, and the periphery of that.

Long live Brussels Airlines!

[BrightCedars]

As an off note: I really liked the bird from Magritte on the A340 & A330 wingtips.

I would have liked to see that bird on a tail!

[Bralo20]

Shall we never get rid of that Sabena nostalgy ? Nostalgie de la merde, as they say !
If a new name is needed, what is wrong with "Delta Air Transport " or "Trans European Airways" or even "Belgian International Air Services "?

They just sound terrible...

[Bralo20]

Just a point...

Tat industries is very happy with SABENA Technics.... part of TAT industries.
It's the best sample of the effect of a strong name

Sabena Flight Academy

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Belgian Airlines or Air Belgium would make sense...
... but still off-topic...
Some news after the SN-LH press release? New contacts between the 2 airlines?

[brussels airlines]

The only new news is that the supervisory board of Lufthansa has agreed with take-over of Brussels Airlines. Now SN Airholding and the European authoroties still have to agree.

[Buzz]

....they'd better use a name that everybody knows and that stands for quality.

exactly therefore, the choice of SABENA !

You should really stop living in the (gloryfied) past, and see the present as it is. If LH were to rebrand SN, why take a chance with a highly emotional name like SABENA? Why not just integrate it into LH, and make BRU LH's 3rd hub? As much as I liked SABENA, you'd got to be realistic sometimes, and think with your head. SABENA is death, and the last rebranding of SN proved, whe should let SABENA rest in peace (just to much emotion and history attached).