March 22, 2017 will forever be a sad day for some loyal airline passengers. It marks the date when "Alaska Airlines and Virgin America shared their vision for the future of the combined carrier." Or as others see it, that day commemorates the beginning of the process by which Alaska Airlines began "removing the Virgin America brand."
An Evolving Merger
The merger between the two airlines has not been without controversy. In December of 2016, the CEO of Alaska Air Group, Brad Tilden, announced that "there would be no changes" to Virgin America's onboard products and experience. He also acknowledged that there was "great interest in the future of the Virgin America brand" and stated that Alaska Air would devote months of "thoughtful and thorough analysis" as to whether it would retain VA branding in the future.
However, in March of 2017, Alaska Air announced that, while flights formerly serviced by the airline would retain Virgin's "flair," including free in-flight entertainment, boarding music, and mood lighting, the airline was erasing Virgin's brand and fully merging it within their fleet of aircraft.
No one could be less happy about the merger than Richard Branson himself. From the beginning, the former CEO of Virgin America expressed disappointment with the deal. As a British citizen, Branson was unable to control voting interests of the US-registered company during the acquisition phase, and he has since called Alaska Air "foolish" for "just absorbing" Virgin, which had been voted best airline in the US for 12 years running.
What Virgin America Passengers Can Expect Going Forward
On April 25, 2018, the two airlines became one, marking the official end of Virgin America as a separate entity. With the $2.6 billion merger, Alaska Air has become the United States' fifth largest airline and may prove to be a powerful rival for Southwest Airlines, particularly on the West Coast. The airline now operates a fleet of 286 aircraft and 1,187 daily flights.
According to Alaska Air's official website, the airlines now share a single website, mobile app, and call center.
The company plans first to repaint the exterior of Virgin's fleet with its own logos; throughout 2019, Alaska Air will be updating the interiors of the craft to remove the last vestiges of Virgin America branding.
Former members of Virgin America's Elevate plan are now Mileage Plan members and were either given a new Mileage Plan account or matched to their pre-existing account. Points from Elevate were moved to the new account at a rate of 1 point per 1.3 miles. Many of the other perks of being an Elevate member transfer into the equivalent services through the Mileage Plan.
Alaska Air is quick to point out an important advantage to former Virgin America customers: they will now be able to redeem miles for a far greater number of flights and destinations than before.
The End of a Legacy
However much Alaska Airlines seeks to soften the blow, their move to absorb Virgin America was swift and appears to be all-encompassing. "We went through a lot together.... Businesses come and go but beloved brands make lasting impressions and remain in your heart," Branson muses in an extraordinary farewell letter to the company. "This was the ride and love of a lifetime."
