Airlines in Asia could get a lift from Alaska-Virgin merger

Alaska Air's plan to buy Virgin America Inc makes the company a more attractive partner to Asian airlines looking for extra revenue from connecting passengers to flights within the US, industry executives and experts say. Foreign airlines could market Alaska Air's US flights to their customers in Asia and take a commission for those sales - a common airline practice called code-sharing. Travelers from Asia would earn frequent flyer miles under their preferred airline's loyalty program even while traveling on Alaska Air. Alaska Air said its US$2.6b purchase of Virgin America, based in California, gives it 22% of seats on North America flights from the US West Coast, more than any other airline. California was the No.1 US destination for visitors from Asia in 2014, according to US Commerce Department data. "We'll be a very desirable partner for these international airlines," Alaska Air's CEO Brad Tilden said Monday. The company's effort to woo Asian airline code-sharing partners comes as Delta, United Continental and American Airlines are competing more aggressively with Asian airlines for trans-Pacific passengers. Each of the three carriers said in the past month that it intends to add a route to China.<br/>