Alaska Airlines wants to replace Southwest Airlines as California's go-to airline
Executives at Southwest Airlines like to joke that they run a California airline, based in Texas. For good reason. The carrier flies more passengers in and out of California each year than any other airline, thanks primarily to a dominance in midsize cities including Burbank, San Diego, Oakland and San Jose. But there is a new suitor for California fliers. The parent company of Alaska Airlines is rushing forward with a US$2.6b deal to acquire Virgin America in hopes of becoming the predominant airline of the Golden State — and the entire West Coast. “Right now we are not your go-to airline if you live in California,” said Joseph Sprague, a senior VP at Alaska Air Group. “We plan to change that.” The deal sets up a David-and-Goliath battle to reign supreme in California. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/imagelibrary/news/hot-topics/2016-05-16/unaligned/alaska-airlines-wants-to-replace-southwest-airlines-as-californias-go-to-airline
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Alaska Airlines wants to replace Southwest Airlines as California's go-to airline
Executives at Southwest Airlines like to joke that they run a California airline, based in Texas. For good reason. The carrier flies more passengers in and out of California each year than any other airline, thanks primarily to a dominance in midsize cities including Burbank, San Diego, Oakland and San Jose. But there is a new suitor for California fliers. The parent company of Alaska Airlines is rushing forward with a US$2.6b deal to acquire Virgin America in hopes of becoming the predominant airline of the Golden State — and the entire West Coast. “Right now we are not your go-to airline if you live in California,” said Joseph Sprague, a senior VP at Alaska Air Group. “We plan to change that.” The deal sets up a David-and-Goliath battle to reign supreme in California. <br/>
