Alaska Airlines has now answered the question it’s been asked since buying Virgin America last year: One airline or two? The answer is one, and the Virgin name will disappear by 2019.
But not, Alaska says, without leaving its mark. As the airline moves toward the phase-out, it “will adopt many of the brand elements that Virgin America enthusiasts love,” such as “enhanced in-flight entertainment, mood lighting (and) music” across the entire fleet.
Alaska will also add more premium seats to Virgin planes. And those planes are part of the remaining questions. Alaska has been, famously, an all-Boeing, all-737 airline; Virgin America’s fleet consists of Airbus A320s. While the Virgin planes will soon be repainted in Alaska livery, there’s been no decision on whether the future holds a mixed fleet.
