Alaska Airlines — Buys Virgin

: Alaska Airlines outbid JetBlue to secure the acquisition. The primary goal was to expand its footprint along the West Coast, specifically gaining a stronger foothold in San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) .

Alaska Airlines has continued its growth through acquisition; in , it officially closed its takeover of Hawaiian Airlines. This newer merger is currently in the late stages of integration, including the retirement of the "HA" flight code in favor of Alaska's "AS" code in April 2026. alaska airlines buys virgin

: The two airlines officially merged their operating certificates on April 24, 2018 , after which Virgin America ceased to exist as a separate brand. : Alaska Airlines outbid JetBlue to secure the acquisition

: Virgin America operated an all-Airbus fleet (A319, A320, A321neo). Alaska Airlines eventually retired these aircraft in favor of maintaining its traditional all-Boeing 737 mainline fleet. This newer merger is currently in the late

: The merger was designed to help Alaska compete more effectively against "Big Four" carriers (American, Delta, United, and Southwest). Integration and Aftermath

: While early bids were cited at approximately $2.6 billion, the total deal value including debt and leases was often estimated at roughly $4 billion.

: Even after dropping the brand, Alaska Airlines faced legal complexities regarding the use of the "Virgin" name. Recent litigation involves approximately $160 million in ongoing royalty payments to the Virgin Group for a name that is no longer in active use. Comparison with Recent Activity