Should Aegean switch brands?
Jul 30, 2019, 4:24 am
#1
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Should Aegean switch brands?
OK, so this is just me thinking out loud, but it might be an interesting topic for discussion here on the forum.
Most of us know the history of both Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air, and we probably know why the company has decided to keep both brands (no Star Alliance benefits with OA). But I sometimes wonder why the much loved Olympic brand has become the smaller entity. So here are my questions...
Who knows what the future will bring, but perhaps in the long term (say 10 or 15 years) Aegean will fly at least a couple of longhaul routes. Do you think it would be better if the company switched brands? That is to say that Aegean, which I think sounds more regional anyway, becomes the brand for the regional/domestic routes. Whereas Olympic Air becomes the brand for all European/International destinations. Or, dare I say it, Aegean is dropped altogether in favour of the Olympic brand.
Given the successful trajectory of Aegean, it's quite reasonable to assume that the brand will become even better known, so wouldn't it be sensible to a change now before it becomes too difficult?
I would be interested in your thoughts.
Jul 30, 2019, 7:44 am
#5
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Are you serious?
My first memory of Olympic Airways is about forty years ago on a 727 flying LHR-ATH. We left about six hours late, the plane was dirty, the crew were off hand at best and food was served by two crew pushing a trolley up the aisle, both with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. Olympic Airways never really got much better and IMO it didn't die quickly enough.
Aegean is the absolute opposite of those memories, it's as on time as it can be given European air space congestions, the planes are spotless, the crews smart and utterly professional and the pricing extremely fair for what they provide.
I can see the merits in keeping the Olympic brand alive for domestic services* but I don't think it would be welcomed back on the international stage at any point in the future. The Aegean brand is strong and recognised.
*Note to Aegean management - services to Cyprus are not Greek domestic services and should not be treated as such.
My first memory of Olympic Airways is about forty years ago on a 727 flying LHR-ATH. We left about six hours late, the plane was dirty, the crew were off hand at best and food was served by two crew pushing a trolley up the aisle, both with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. Olympic Airways never really got much better and IMO it didn't die quickly enough.
Aegean is the absolute opposite of those memories, it's as on time as it can be given European air space congestions, the planes are spotless, the crews smart and utterly professional and the pricing extremely fair for what they provide.
I can see the merits in keeping the Olympic brand alive for domestic services* but I don't think it would be welcomed back on the international stage at any point in the future. The Aegean brand is strong and recognised.
*Note to Aegean management - services to Cyprus are not Greek domestic services and should not be treated as such.
Jul 30, 2019, 7:50 am
#6
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What I was getting at, is that Aegean would be rebranded Olympic and vice versa.
I like the Aegean brand (although the logo is a bit 1990's!), but I think the Olympic brand is more powerful, especially for those who remember the glory days of Greek Aviation. Also the IATA designator code (OA) is much more logical than A3.
Jul 30, 2019, 7:57 am
#7
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Whatever about halycon days of yore, I tend to agree with the sentiment expressed above by another poster, that the Aegean brand now holds far more value and prestige than Olympic does.
Jul 30, 2019, 8:05 am
#8
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Are you serious?
My first memory of Olympic Airways is about forty years ago on a 727 flying LHR-ATH. We left about six hours late, the plane was dirty, the crew were off hand at best and food was served by two crew pushing a trolley up the aisle, both with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. Olympic Airways never really got much better and IMO it didn't die quickly enough.
Aegean is the absolute opposite of those memories, it's as on time as it can be given European air space congestions, the planes are spotless, the crews smart and utterly professional and the pricing extremely fair for what they provide.
I can see the merits in keeping the Olympic brand alive for domestic services* but I don't think it would be welcomed back on the international stage at any point in the future. The Aegean brand is strong and recognised.
*Note to Aegean management - services to Cyprus are not Greek domestic services and should not be treated as such.
My first memory of Olympic Airways is about forty years ago on a 727 flying LHR-ATH. We left about six hours late, the plane was dirty, the crew were off hand at best and food was served by two crew pushing a trolley up the aisle, both with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. Olympic Airways never really got much better and IMO it didn't die quickly enough.
Aegean is the absolute opposite of those memories, it's as on time as it can be given European air space congestions, the planes are spotless, the crews smart and utterly professional and the pricing extremely fair for what they provide.
I can see the merits in keeping the Olympic brand alive for domestic services* but I don't think it would be welcomed back on the international stage at any point in the future. The Aegean brand is strong and recognised.
*Note to Aegean management - services to Cyprus are not Greek domestic services and should not be treated as such.
That, plus I do have some fond memories of their lounge at ATH with the black and white photos of the history of Olympic. A staff member would magically come to get you at the last possible moment for the Mercedes drive to board last at a remote stand, after leaving the lounge from a door directly to the tarmac and walking across a red carpet to the vehicle. That part of flying Olympic was fun.
Jul 30, 2019, 10:32 am
#9
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After Onassis sold OA to the (Junta) Government in the late 60s, the down spiralling of the airline started. By the early 80s everybody in Greece, with the possible exception of its very well-paid employees, hated the airline. There were numerous attempts to re-privatize the airline and this cost the Greeks millions and millions of whatever currency you can think of. The airline was finally sold to a group of Greek investors (Marfin/MIG), which in turn tried to merge with A3 a few years later phasing out the latter's name. After the EU objected to that, a buy-out by Aegean was approved by the Commission in 2013 at a time when even the new OA was going out of business. There was no longer any talk of phasing out A3's name, given that this airline had earned a very positive image while OA was still suffering from its old image. If you look at FT posts you'll realize that there are many members who, still today, think that OA is a government-owned entity. Personally, since I don't own any stock of the company, I could not care less about their name and logo. But I doubt that anybody at Aegean HQ would be willing to rename a successful airline using a name that carries a very heavy, negative load.
Jul 30, 2019, 11:48 am
#10
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And here was me thinking that Olympic was a popular airline!
OK, so the general consensus is that they leave things as they are. Just seems a shame to me that an airline with such a long history has been consigned to basically an island hopper!
OK, so the general consensus is that they leave things as they are. Just seems a shame to me that an airline with such a long history has been consigned to basically an island hopper!
Jul 30, 2019, 1:38 pm
#11
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Jul 30, 2019, 1:39 pm
#12
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it WAS popular. But that WAS history...
Jul 30, 2019, 6:24 pm
#13
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PS The "old" OS was Olympic Airways. After having been Olympic Airlines, it is now Olympic Air!