"Sabena" is for sale.

[airazurxtror]

"Le Soir", today, page 19 :
The administrator of Sabena want to sell the brand name "Sabena", If possible to Brussels Airlines.
Minister Melchior Wathelet seems to be in favor of that.
Brussels Airlines is not really thrilled : not sure that it would be a good idea, as the agony and bankrupt of Sabena have not left a good memory in Belgium. And after having spent millions of euros during ten years to make known the present name ..

[Streetstream]

Although for former employes of Sabena, the name will bring back bad memories, the name itself has a good reputation in other countries (except switserland). Therefor it could be use. Also, i miss Sabena.

[BrightCedars]

Honestly Brussels Airlines has had 10 years to establish a new brand and I doubt it would be interesting for them to rebrand to Sabena.

I think the issue is more as follows. Curators want to get the most money for the brand and Brussels Airlines just wants to get it as cheap as possible to avoid any competition using the brand.

There has to be a reasonable price for it, something around 1€ for Brussels Airlines as long as they don't intend to use it.

[Flanker2]

I bid 100.000€.

[Inquirer]

How will that work for Sabena technics then? Do they have to stop using the name?
If the name has any significant commercial value left, I think it is to be found outside of Europe.
The only outcome I can see is either Sabena technics buys the name, or Brussels Airlines gets it, to add it to their current name, like for instance: Sabena with subtitles Brussels Airlines? Could be useful for them in Africa or the US, but other than that, I fail to see who'd be interested to pay a significant sum.

[Boavida]

This is some good news!

Let's face it: Brussels Airlines is a lousy name. It sounds like a regional, low-cost company. And most important: the name is, outside of Belgium, practically unknown. I travel a lot and most of the people don't know 'Brussels Airlines'. But when I say that it used to be Sabena, they all say 'aaah, Sabena! Now I know!"

People at SN (and LH) must realize that a global brand like SABENA is priceless. Certainly in Africa, a key market for SN.

If they could create a 'new Sabena' identity I'm sure the airline would benefit hugely from it.


Bring it back, please!

[Stij]

Pffff... the recycling of "Pan Am" never worked either. If I were Bru Air, I would stick to Bru Air...

People choose an airliner for a price, schedule and service, in that order, not because of a name.

Cheers,

Stij

[RoMax]

Brussels Airlines may not be the perfect name. I'm not sure Sabena will be it.
It may still have a good name in Africa (tough people simply see the current SN as the new Sabena, so I doubt it'll change a lot), MANY people in Europe, the US and Asia only remember the latest 1-2 year(s) of Sabena. And in those days, Sabena had already lost most of its pride. Many people will see it as "the failed airline that's trying it again".

For aviation enthousiasts it would be great, but I doubt it will ever happen.

[b720]

Unless they decide to launch SABENA as a full service carrier focusing on AFRICA, US, TLV, DME. and some profit making European routes that sell full fare C class.. the rest of the european network can be regrouped in a low cost entity that will be Brussels airlines.. dropping C class and focusing on blite and bflex..

[cnc]

atleast i wouldn't like to see the name of my former employer being used again.

[Streetstream]

People choose an airliner for a price, schedule and service, in that order, not because of a name.
Stij

You choose your flight on price first? I look at available flights and than pick the safest airline. Only one time i couldn't choose because it was a package deal, but other than that, i fly Brussels Airlines. But i would rather fly Sabena. Damn the f*-ers who let the company go bust.

[crlhub]

In Africa they still use 'sabena' to say; quote''un avion''..even AF does not have this privilege.
But on a commercial point of view it is not going to change anything in terms of revenue.

[sn26567]

Seen in December 2012, not in Africa, but in Malta (OK, it is not far from Africa...):

Sabena still alive!

[Stij]

You choose your flight on price first? I look at available flights and than pick the safest airline. Only one time i couldn't choose because it was a package deal, but other than that, i fly Brussels Airlines. But i would rather fly Sabena. Damn the f*-ers who let the company go bust.

Well, I consider every European or North American or Far-Eastern airline flying to Europe safe. OK, won't fly Hewa Bora or Zambian Scairways, but they do not fly the routes I most often do. And yes, I consider FR to be safe. Safer for sure than the drive from / to the airport.

Sure, I would like to fly Sabena again and even more SAS back in the days half a lobster was served in C between Brussels and Copenhagen, but times have changed: in quality, but also in price: remember the days an SN LIN day return costed 40.000BEF? I think I wouldn't be to far off to correct it for inflation to 2000€ today...

Thinking Sabena days come back is an illusion, a dream. Demand for full fare short haul premium traffic will drop, for medium and long haul it will remain. Look at what happened in the US, we're to follow: in the end: How far from are U2 and SN B Light offerings still from each other? The free bag? LH is Germanwingsinizing all traffic but FRA and MUC Hub traffic and I wonder how many years it'll take before the service level will be cut down even further.

Sorry, of topic, I know.

On Topic: Maybe this will sound like cursing in church on this forum , but I think the Sabeniens want Sabena back a lot more then the pax. The majoirty doesn't want to pay those fares anymore.

Cheers,

Stij

[Boavida]

Sure, I would like to fly Sabena again and even more SAS back in the days half a lobster was served in C between Brussels and Copenhagen, but times have changed: in quality, but also in price: remember the days an SN LIN day return costed 40.000BEF? I think I wouldn't be to far off to correct it for inflation to 2000€ today...

Thinking Sabena days come back is an illusion, a dream.

It is not about bringing back the old Sabena, ofcourse. It's just the NAME. Nothing more. It would be the old, classy and global name for a NEW company.

I still have the impression many of you don't realize the importance of having a globally recognized name/brand. I have studied marketing and believe me it is priceless.

[Streetstream]

Sure, I would like to fly Sabena again and even more SAS back in the days half a lobster was served in C between Brussels and Copenhagen, but times have changed: in quality, but also in price: remember the days an SN LIN day return costed 40.000BEF? I think I wouldn't be to far off to correct it for inflation to 2000€ today...

Thinking Sabena days come back is an illusion, a dream.

It is not about bringing back the old Sabena, ofcourse. It's just the NAME. Nothing more. It would be the old, classy and global name for a NEW company.

Agree for 100%

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

I think that what Bru.Air. tried to push and publish with their name, all the efforts...
... was good.. but..
bringing the NAME Sabena back in will give them a nice positive flow..
First the name is STILL stronger alive then Bru.Air. , won't feed the people who say that they fly sabena nowadays when boarding a BRU.Air. flight! this proves my point..
Nice time would be when introducing the successor of the AVRO..
a rebrand cost much but will give them also free advertisements for I guess a whole week or so...

The code SN would mean something again, and the S tail is still more classic then a few red dots...

Why did they threw SN away from the beginning really.. after ten years we knew sn isn't the old sn but the more modern one..
Swissair changed to swiss not zurich airlines ! Anybody noticed the differce ?

So I would buy it,just in case or the future,..
Maybe FR could bid too and start their aer lingus project in BRU with sabena !
Guess 1 euro is a bit too less and Flanker would earn big money with it haha

But guess the SN management is too right about their own brand so they won't do the effort to obtain it...
Go MoL

CXB

[CTBke]

Actually at this time even in Europe they still call us Sabena (Spain, Italy, Portugal, .... ) its easier to pronounce in other languages ... cause most of the people say Brussel Airlines and so on and so on . .. there are even other companies who still don't know Brussels Airlines but if you say the start trough of Sabena then they know it ..

so like been said in the topic it's not about bringing back Sabena with everything like before but just the name which is still very known throughout the world and Europe

[cnc]

Hi,

I think that what Bru.Air. tried to push and publish with their name, all the efforts...
... was good.. but..
bringing the NAME Sabena back in will give them a nice positive flow..
First the name is STILL stronger alive then Bru.Air. , won't feed the people who say that they fly sabena nowadays when boarding a BRU.Air. flight! this proves my point..
Nice time would be when introducing the successor of the AVRO..
a rebrand cost much but will give them also free advertisements for I guess a whole week or so...

The code SN would mean something again, and the S tail is still more classic then a few red dots...

Why did they threw SN away from the beginning really.. after ten years we knew sn isn't the old sn but the more modern one..
Swissair changed to swiss not zurich airlines ! Anybody noticed the differce ?

So I would buy it,just in case or the future,..
Maybe FR could bid too and start their aer lingus project in BRU with sabena !
Guess 1 euro is a bit too less and Flanker would earn big money with it haha

But guess the SN management is too right about their own brand so they won't do the effort to obtain it...
Go MoL

CXB

outside switserland most people still say swissair because they are used to the name just like sabena but that doesn't affect their booking behaviour.
changing SN's name to sabena wouldn't give them more pax or higher yield...
sabena is better known but you people overestimate the brand.
plenty of failed examples with world famous american airlines...
stop dreaming

[Flanker2]

If SN don't want it, I want it.
I know what to do with it.

So dear curator, if you want money, I have money. I'll pay more than 1€ for sure, and can bid on it. I want the logo as well, don't forget that.

But I thought that SN already owned the brand name and it was acquired in the wake of the formation of SN Brussels Airlines?