eeebee

This may be a weird question... but I can't seem to find the answer to this anywhere... not in the FT glossary, not scanning posts, not on my itinerary... what is the two-letter code for Brussels Airlines? You know, like UA=United, CO=Continental, B6=Jet Blue, etc. What is it for Brussels?

jefi99

SN

fratboy

inherited from its predecessor Sabena, who were declared bankrupt in Nov 2001. pity...they were a great airline but with ambitions way beyond their (or partner Swissair's) resources.

hillrider

Google returned this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_codes-B

TPJ

My travel agent still calls them SABENA 'SN' used to be a 2-letter code for SABENA

HONcircle

SN used to be the callsign of SN Brussels Airlines, which inherited the IATA code.
When SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express merged, they founded Brussels Airlines as it is known today, yet keeping the same IATA code.

I would be very worried if my travel agent is trying to sell me a Sabena ticket. Just don't understand why some travel agents (!) can't keep up to date with their own workfield.

Cyba

And who can blame him? Frankly 'Sabena' rolls off the tongue so much easier than "es en brussels".

Imagine if all airlines had the same naming convention? You'd end up with:
"El Ex Swiss"
"El Aitch Lufthansa"
"Oh Es Austrian"
It's all a bit silly really isn't it? I vote for bringing back the old name!

fratboy

I don't think it can given that it was liquidated. Not sure how they managed to keep the SN code though. The new name sucks and doesn't have the same ring to it.

They operated two daily flights and code-shared a further two with Aer Lingus until their demise. From Dublin, and probably other European markets, they offered a fantastic business class fare of 770 euros to most European destinations that was a good way to rack up 10,000 Qualiflyer miles as it was then. I used to do monthly DUB-BRU-MXP trips like this. Very fond memories of them

I think it started to go pear-shaped when they began code-sharing with Virgin Express who were essentially a low cost airline offering an incompatible product. Plus, they overstretched themselves with the excess capacity to many cities: 8 x daily to LIN/MXP, 4 x daily to LUX, a dozen or so to CDG/ORY. It would have been nice to see a bigger presence outside Europe, but instead they were used to fill in the holes SR didn't want

Bralo20

[QUOTE=fratboy;16325428]I don't think it can given that it was liquidated. Not sure how they managed to keep the SN code though. The new name sucks and doesn't have the same ring to it.[quote]

SABENA N.V. (in liquidation) still exists today, so does other SABENA companies... However SABENA sold the rights to the SABENA brand to SN Airholding N.V. (the parent company of Brussels Airlines and other companies) (via Delta Air Transport NV which was also used to start SN Airholding) so currently Brussels Airlines (or rather SN Airholding NV) is owner of the SABENA brand. QG the IATA code of DAT was dropped and so was SAB the ICAO code for SABENA. SN, the IATA code from SABENA and DAT, the ICAO code for Delta Air Transport where kept for the new company SN Brussels Airlines. Later the DAT ICAO code was dropped and BEL, the new ICAO code was adopted. When SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express merged the famous "S-tail" was also dropped in favour of the "dotted B".

Many people are saying that the Brussels Airlines brand sucks and I have to admit, I have the same opinion... Brussels Airlines sounds as a very tiny local airline, it doesn't sound like a flag carrier (which it actually is). For some reasons the management of SN Airholding never wanted to change the name to SABENA, even though they had the perfect opportunity back in 2007 when SN Brussels Airlines & Virgin Express merged into Brussels Airlines. SABENA was (and still is) a solid brand, a name that rings a bell, a name connected to one of the oldest airlines in the world, a pioneer in several cases... SABENA was know for his service, his Africa experience, the aviation school who delivered some of the finest pilots in the world, etc... Unfortunately SABENA, back in the old days owned by the government, was also a bottomless pit, a company where everyone could get a big paid job if you knew the right persons... It was funded solely through governement money and when the day came it wasn't allowed anymore by the European laws they sought and found an investor, Swissair... An investor that was responsable for the bankruptcy of SABENA due bad decissions, lack of investments (that where promised), etc... The 90's were also the years when the service lacked of quality, even though flying with one of the newest fleets in the world... So in Belgium SABENA isn't connected with a glorious airline anymore, most of the people know SABENA as the company where one who knew the right person got a job, the company that burned a lot of governmental money, a failed company... This is (was) one of the main reasons why Brussels Airlines isn't called SABENA...

Maybe the brand can be revived when LH ownes SN in full, when they buy SN completely in the next couple of years (if it happens) they will also own the SABENA brand...

However, this year, 10 years after going in liquidation, it would be a nice time to re-introduce the SABENA brand...

tsastor

Such A Bloody Experience - Never Again!