In the past year, Seattle-based Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) acquired smaller West Coast rival Virgin America and made plans to retire that brand. Over a 10-year period, Virgin America has built up a loyal customer base, particularly in the Bay Area, and many of those fans have been worried that Alaska Air would take away the amenities they’ve come to love.
But Alaska Air isn’t following the legacy-carrier playbook and removing perks that used to be free. Instead, it’s mimicking JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) by trying to make the in-flight experience even better.
Alaska Air wants to keep the best of Virgin America
It wasn’t much of a surprise that Alaska Air decided to retire the Virgin America brand. It’s far more efficient in terms of marketing and crew scheduling to operate under a single brand. But Alaska Air doesn’t want to throw away the customer-pleasing aspects of the Virgin America experience. Where possible, it wants to incorporate them into its own Alaska Airlines brand…
