Tockeyhockey From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 935 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 9064 times:
I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
Why would Airbus create a name that connotates all of these things?
What was the thought process at the time they named the company?
Hawaii12 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 9046 times:
Airbus was formed in 1970 as a consortium of France's Aerospatiale and Deutsche Airbus. I suppose those in charge wanted to keep the legacy alive of the prior companies and Airbus was the most universal name.
That said, it guess the same question can be asked about Deutsche Airbus.......
go oilers.
Petmbro From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 260 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 9040 times:
Quoting Tockeyhockey (Thread starter): I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
This obviously has nothing to do with it but when you enter a coach bus, the seat layout is similar to that of a commercial jet. Although if you add noisy to the list of adjectives then you've basically just described what an Airbus is.
[Edited 2006-05-02 03:45:46]
"don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining!" - Judge Judy
Dogfighter2111 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 1968 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 9027 times:
Again, this may not have anything to do with it but:
A Bus is a mode of Transport, and an AIRcraft is a mode of transport. Put them both together and you get Airbus.
Col From Malaysia, joined Nov 2003, 2042 posts, RR: 22 Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 9015 times:
Many things have different meanings globally. In Asia for instance an Airline means good service, quality and a pleasant experience. In the US it means the opposite
Going on a bus in Taiwan is different than getting a bus in Springfield, MA. In Taiwan you get a movie, water and recling seats. In Springfield you get what you say in the thread start.
So yes it depends where you are.
In Europe you would be scared to go on a Boeing, as this sounds like there is a lot of flexing going on
BDL2DCA From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 313 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 8980 times:
Quoting Col (Reply 5): Going on a bus in Taiwan is different than getting a bus in Springfield, MA.
Steeler83 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 8857 posts, RR: 19 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 8966 times:
Is it just a figment of my imagination, or was there another thread about this topic already???
Do not bring stranger girt into your room. The stranger girt is dangerous, it will hurt your life.
Clickhappy From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 9463 posts, RR: 72 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 8957 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Didn't American Airlines 'invent' the term 'airbus' when shopping for what eventually became the L1011 and DC-10?
Areopagus From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1357 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 8793 times:
Quoting Clickhappy (Reply 8): Didn't American Airlines 'invent' the term 'airbus' when shopping for what eventually became the L1011 and DC-10?
I believe you are right. I certainly remember the term "airbus" applied as a generic term to the L-1011 and DC-10 before I ever heard of Airbus Industrie. The idea was that the widebody jets would make flying more affordable for the masses.
NAV20 From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 9165 posts, RR: 37 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 8763 times:
It had to be an 'international' name to suit all the nations involved. That problem had been encountered before - British public opinion nearly staged a re-run of the Napoleonic Wars when the French insisted on adding an 'e' to Concord as a condition of their participation.
I agree that 'bus' is normally a 'down'-word in marketing terms. But given that Airbus has enjoyed a large measure of commercial success until recently, I reckon the name achieved its objective and worked well for a long time.
"Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards.." - Leonardo da Vinci
NZ767 From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 1620 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 8736 times:
Quoting Tockeyhockey (Thread starter): I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
That may be the case in the US and yes, I've travelled on your Tour "buses" and they're pretty basic.
I run a long distance "coach" company here in NZ as in Asia and throughout Europe, my vehicles are fitted with video/dvd units, rest rooms, reclining seats, air con sitting atop 400hp of pure grunt. It is considered the way to travel here especially between the smaller cities where airfares can be quire restrictive. Not slow. Not dirty and not too many dirty stinky poor people either
Anyway, Airbus is short and catchy and a well recognised brand nowadays.
Bestpilot From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 100 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 8703 times:
Quoting Tockeyhockey (Thread starter): I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
It's really fun when you're on a band tour bus with a bunch of hot girls*.
*girls meaning young women of 18 or more years in age
Columba From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 6839 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 8678 times:
There was a similar thread a few weeks ago, where I also addedthe following:
As Lufthansa got its first 707 and the 727 were on the merge they had to find a good use for their Lockheed Super Constellations -on transatlantic routes they were out dated.
So they started a FRA-HAM service with on board ticket sale, no service and offered these tickets for really low fares.
Since it was as easy as going by bus, they called it "Airbus-Service".
The service was stopped not much later due to the intervention of the Deutsche Bahn (German railroad company) because it was too much of a competition for them and both Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn were State owned by that time.
It will forever be a McDonnell Douglas MD 80 , Boeing MD 80 sounds so wrong
Solnabo From Sweden, joined Jan 2008, 795 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 8462 times:
IIRC there was a airliner in US that was called Jetbus in the 80´s, maybe NW commuter a/c. I saw it in Seattle, the letters was on the engines (727 n DC-9)
Maybe I´m wrong here but I remembered the name Jetbus.
Art From Lebanon, joined Feb 2005, 2979 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 8385 times:
Quoting NAV20 (Reply 10): That problem had been encountered before - British public opinion nearly staged a re-run of the Napoleonic Wars when the French insisted on adding an 'e' to Concord as a condition of their participation.
I don't think you're on the mark on this one, Nav20. The francophone and anglophone versions of the word were both used in the early years of the programme. At the rollout of 001 at Toulouse British technology minister Anthony Wedgwood Benn announced that the British aircraft would also be called Concorde. The "e", he said, stood for "excellence, England, Europe and entente".
VinnieWinnie From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 741 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 8337 times:
And why is Boeing called Boeing? this question has puzzled my mind a few days ago but I had since forgotten about it! Now that you have raised the question for Airbus it suddently came back to my mind...
Can think of Boo Inc but that reminds me of Monsters INC the movie
Wedgwood-Benn played a pretty honourable part in the Concord(e) affair. Apart from settling the naming dispute he also, as the relevant Minister, faced facts and ended the loss-making production programme once all hope was lost. Beyond that, he travelled down to Bristol and personally explained the decision to the aerospace workers concerned. His action was all the more courageous because Bristol was actually his own parliamentary constituency.
As a matter of personal recollection, I was living and working in London at the time and had a French girlfriend who lived on the South Coast. She used to travel up to London on Friday evenings - I was in an office on the South Bank and she used to hate meeting me at 'Waterloo Station' after work, because of what Waterloo symbolised to the French.
Came the time that I was transferred to an office off Whitehall and we were on the phone fixing a different rendezvous. Im afraid that I couldn't resist the temptation to suggest Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.........
[Edited 2006-05-02 13:23:31]
"Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards.." - Leonardo da Vinci
Naritaflyer From Japan, joined Apr 2006, 549 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 8064 times:
Quoting Tockeyhockey (Thread starter): I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
Why would Airbus create a name that connotates all of these things?
What was the thought process at the time they named the company?
Not to be cocky here but all the world doesn't see things the way Americans do. In fact, "bus" could have a very positive connotation in Japan. So your description of a "negative connotation" I believe may be unique to the third world of the United States of America.
Just kidding....
Airbus is a universal word that could be understood everywhere and passes for French as well.
Tockeyhockey From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 935 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 7862 times:
Quoting Naritaflyer (Reply 21): Not to be cocky here but all the world doesn't see things the way Americans do. In fact, "bus" could have a very positive connotation in Japan. So your description of a "negative connotation" I believe may be unique to the third world of the United States of America.
stupid comment.
part of the reason for my post was to try to understand the other connotations for "bus" throughout the world. the whole reason i posted was because i'm sure that bus doesn't have the connotation in the US that it does in europe, but i wasn't sure why.
thanks for showing your intellectualy inflexibility!
Breiz From France, joined Mar 2005, 1815 posts, RR: 2 Reply 24, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 7804 times:
Quoting Tockeyhockey (Thread starter): I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US, the word "bus" has a very negative connotation. A bus is considered a terrible way to travel -- it's cramped, slow, dirty, and filled with, dirty, stinky, poor people.
Why would Airbus create a name that connotates all of these things?
What was the thought process at the time they named the company?
Does "bus" mean something different in Europe?
Already 22 posts without much of an answer.
I have always believe that the Europeans had to find a name starting with A in order to be listed before Boeing in the telephone directory. So when airline CEOs would look for airliner manufacturers, they would find Airbus first
25 Naritaflyer: I think you are reading too much into it. Breiz seems to have the answer. the connotation you are referring to probably never even figured out in the
26 DeltaDC9: Don't forget the Playboy Channel, no tour bus is complete without DirecTV. His question is valid, here in the US it does have a bad connotation. Seei
27 Naritaflyer: I dispute your claim that the US is half the airline industry (it may be close bad declining very fast), but regardless, even if your claim is right,
28 GDB: Clickhappy is right. In the mid '60's the term 'Airbus' was banded around as a generic term for proposed new short/medium range airliners, widebodied,
29 Irobertson: Buses are disgusting stinky dirty and traveled by poor people?? What? If you're referring to city transit buses, the gas prices are forcing plenty of
30 JohnJ: When I was a kid I was the proud owner of the model kit shown below, produced in 1973:
31 DeltaDC9: Never been on a Greyhound or in a Greyhound terminal I suspect.
32 DeltaDC9: The success of Airbus in the US and Japanese market is not so good now is it? As for the half thing, thats pretty well known, but never have I heard
33 FRAspotter: The Houston Main Bus Terminal does come to mind...
34 Tockeyhockey: i'm not reading anything into it. that's why i asked the question. i'm just curious about it, and it seems that dozens of other airnetters are as wel
35 Naritaflyer: This may be for a different thread but the fact that Japan always buys Boeing has nothing to do with the merit of the aircraft. ANA, JAL and JAS befo
36 Tockeyhockey: maybe in canada they are better than they are in the US. all i know is that if you've ever taken a bus from NYC to, say, DC or Philly, you know what
37 DeltaDC9: I don't think you grasp the spirit of the thread. What if Airbus chose a more market friendly name in the US? And why they didnt..... All I know is w
38 Cadet57: HELL NO! Hey, Col! we're neighbors, sorta, right here in CEF!
39 Tockeyhockey: exactly! it's like trying to sell airplanes to china but calling them "air rickshaws" say what you want about americans, but we are born with an unde
40 JohnKrist: It's a shame that buses have a bad "aura" about them in the US. They are environmentally friendly (sort of) if you count gas per mile per passenger. O
41 IFEMaster: Air Rickshaws? Silly comparison. People 'born' with an understanding of marketing and advertising? Silly comment. Do you have a scientific study to b
42 DeltaDC9: I think you will find that Ad Exec is one of the most common jobs depicted on TV and movies due to the fact that Americans are in fact fascinated by
43 IFEMaster: I don't dispute those claims, but people aren't born with an understanding of advertising and marketing. Fascination doesn't equal qualification. If
44 KLM685: Well I'm really sorry for the bus system in the US, but at least of what i've seen in the rest of the world, a bus is a cheap, quick, efficient, prob
45 Byronsterk: [sarcasm] Well, in Europe the bus iss concidered to be a *very* deluxe method of travel! [/sarcasm]
46 DeltaDC9: Dont be sorry, our new bus system has "Southwest" painted on the side. We will be just fine.
47 HB88: In Europe 'bus' simply doesn't have the connotations that the word does in the US. Given the multilingual nature of Airbus and Europe in general, it'
48 Aither: My mistake, go to the next message.[Edited 2006-05-03 00:15:34]
49 Tjc2: This thread is quality... Maybe the relevant people could have done some homework on the connotations of the word 'bus' around the world, specially co
50 DL787932ER: Off topic, but every football game (at least at college level or above) takes 3-4 hours to play. There are 60 minutes of clock time, but of course th
51 Tjc2: That what I was getting into at the top of my thread. True 5 day test cricket does go on for 5 days, (Funny that )
52 Chris133: I guess that is what Mr. Air and Mr. Bus decided to name their company. lol
53 Art: Shame they could not think up a name with a more positive ring, though. "Airbus" sounds utilitarian to an English person. Your comparison offers litt
54 Rampart: I agree! It may have been Peter Pan Trailways, I'm not sure, but I used a fine commuter bus between NYC and New England that had clean bathrooms, mov
55 Superhub: Buses in the US are not efficient at all simply because there is no demand for buses. In the US, petrol prices are cheap (compared to Europe), roads
56 Boeingfanyyz: Boeing was already taken. Cheers, Boeingfanyyz
57 Irobertson: Greyhound Canada seems perfectly clean to me, so is Acadian Lines and SMT in Eastern Canada. Never had a bad experience with Greyhound, but then agai
58 Bond007: ...and are almost as good as most everyday European (especially British) commercials. If US TV commercials are examples of the amazing marketing and
59 Glareskin: Airbus is the perfect name for the transportation devices we use nowadays for travelling over larger distances through the skies. I suppose the regula
60 HKGKaiTak: Well, even with these connotations, Airbus is doing pretty well, even in the US, so this argument is pointless. I must agree though that "bus", espec
61 DeltaDC9: Way more complicated than that. While it is true that there are a few "TV timeouts" because they cant count on real time outs, one of the main compon
62 Naritaflyer: Let me get this straight. US Airways, JetBlue, United, Northwest, America West, Frontier all fly Airbus aircraft and some have the balls to say that A
63 DeltaDC9: There is no deal, just the remnants of one. Look at the numbers, not very impressive actually. United only went with them because of timing. US only
64 Columba: You can also add some smaller airlines like Spirit and USA 3000 that fly Airbus as well. Continental used to fly A300s but they were aquired through
65 Naritaflyer: As I posted earlier, so long as Japan runs a huge trade surplus with America we will always buy Boeing to balance that trade surplus. It's a fact, an
66 DeltaDC9: I dont think that is a statement that you can say si 100% true, nothing is ever that simple. Huge factor? Yes. If Boeings planes did not meet the nee
67 PanHAM: Well, it had to be a name that is easily pronounced in any language all over the World, it had to have a connotation with the mode of transport and it
68 DeltaDC9: I always wondered about that. I have always liked the Datsun name better than Nissan Nissan 280Z...I dont think so. Datsun 350Z, now that sounds good
69 Greyhound: Most of the terminals aren't bad. Greyhound's a cheaper way to travel... so yes, poorer people can afford it better. As far as being dirty and stinky
70 Naritaflyer: Nice story but I believe PanHam meant it as a joke. Datsun was a car maker that went bankrupt. Nissan was a supplier to Datsun and seeing its largest
71 DeltaDC9: Which is different than the story I heard years ago from a Datsun dealer. He said that the Nissan was how it was know everywhere but the US, then man
72 JohnKrist: It was known as Datsun here as well and was a crappy car that rusted so bad that the cars were on the scrap heap after a couple of years. I always th
73 PanHAM: I have to admit it was a joke and I like these word games.
74 Drinkstrolley: Sounds like a typical Ryanair flight...............
75 Prebennorholm: The original idea was to build an efficient, large short haul plane which could be operated with the simplicity and economics much like a bus. That ga
76 Breiz: You get some more details in my reply no. 24.
77 Superhub: Well...taxis around the world are like that. However, the only place in the US where taxis are relatively cheap is NYC. Still they look dirty inside.
78 Naritaflyer: Try Taxis in Japan. Extremely clean and extremely expensive especially once you go above the initial 2 km. What might cost you $20 in NYC costs $50 o
79 Superhub: Indeed. Japan is probably the cleanest country I have ever seen.
80 Tockeyhockey: that's exactly my point. maybe i should have clarified when i said that americans are born with an innate knowledge of advertising and marketing (alt
81 PIA777: Because this name was already taken: http://www.furbus.com/ pia777
82 Breiz: Not all Americans do. Read the last paragraph of the attached link: http://www.airlinequality.com/main/airbus-2003.htm
83 HKGKaiTak: And as we've pointed out here already ... who cares? Enough American airlines are flying Airbuses to shoot down your point completely. I know you and
84 BR715-A1-30: HEY!!!, ITS ALL WE CAN AFFORD signed, dirty, stinky, poor people
85 Superhub: "Dreamliner" is not only marketed to Americans by the way. It's marketed for airlines around the world. And ultimately, airlines don't care what a pr
86 RIHNOSAUR: what ever...first, the whole majority of the market MAY be true ..but it doesn't have to be that way for ever... and even if it were, it shouldn't di
87 Tockeyhockey: Let's see -- Philly has 1.5 million citizens, and the metro area has 6.1 million. not exactly a small town.
89 DeltaDC9: 1) Have you ever studied marketing? If you had you would understand why this is a fascinating question. 2) Who is talking about passengers? We are ta
90 Naritaflyer: Dreamliner sounds pompous to represent something that it is not. The dreamliner is a bus that flies, and hence is an Airbus.
91 RIHNOSAUR: to deltaDC9: in the order you ask: 1.NO I have not studied marketing..but It seems I do not need a marketing intensive study to figure out that, an ai
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 935 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 1968 posts, 
From Malaysia, joined Nov 2003, 2042 posts, 
From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 9165 posts, 
From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 1620 posts, 
From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 6839 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Jan 2008, 795 posts, 
From Lebanon, joined Feb 2005, 2979 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Jun 2005, 975 posts, 
From Japan, joined Apr 2006, 549 posts, 
From France, joined Mar 2005, 1815 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
