As one of the most closely watched airline mergers of recent times comes to a finale, many travelers are wondering what will happen as the two airlines become one. Making this more interesting is that both small-ish airlines have a loyal following, and for totally different reasons.
As of December 19, 2016 :
- Fliers on both airlines earn rewards on each other’s flights
- Elite benefits are accepted on each others’s flights
- You’ll be able to purchase Virgin tickets on Alaska’s site
- No changes to the Virgin flight or brand experience
As of January, 2017
- Virgin elites will be able to status match to Alaska’s elite plans as of January
- More information will become available on points transfers, elite statuses, etc
- Single operating certificate for the newly combined airline
- Branding and marketing questions to be answered once a more complete evaluation of the Virgin brand and it’s value proposition to customers can be finished
