Alaska Airlines is phasing out the Virgin America brand. Those were the headlines I woke up to today. It’s a total shame because Virgin is the most interesting airline flying in the US today. From the white seats, mood lighting, and wild in-flight entertainment options, Virgin is clearly different from any other domestic carrier today. The saddest part of the whole story, to me, is that it makes the official end to a project Richard Branson was so passionate about.
I’ll never forget when I first heard Branson’s plans to launch Virgin America. He mentioned the lack of choices US travelers have when traveling domestically. He also mentioned how nearly all US carriers were the same; boring! Branson’s goal was to change the domestic in-flight experience forever. I believe Branson truly loved Virgin America because it was his chance to shake up the US airline industry. As much as Branson is a business man, it seems he always puts people ahead of profits. In fact he joked in an interview about how unlike it was for Virgin America to succeed.
“If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.”
-Richard Branson
Virgin America however did succeed. Year after year the airline continued to grow from its hub in California. In 2015 the airline reported $1.5 Billion in operating revenue and ended the year with a net income of $340 Million! Not to bad considering how competitive the US airline industry is. I think the entire Virgin American story is my favorite in the history of US aviation. Sadly, that story comes to an end sometime in 2019 when Alaska Airline will phase out the Virgin brand.
Richard Branson’s Blog Post
Similar to the post he wrote when the news broke of the Alaska Airlines merger, Branson took to his blog today to share his thoughts. The open letter is fount in its entirety here. In the open letter briefly mentions his disappointment with the decision, but goes on to reminisce over all of the incredible memories. If you have a few moments I highly recommend reading the letter. You can tell through his words that he is incredibly passionate about the Virgin America brand and extremely please by what he and most importantly, his team, have accomplished.
Upcoming Timeline And Changes
The official word from Alaska is that the Virgin America brand will be phased out “sometime” in 2019. No further dates are yet revealed. That being said, in the meantime, Alaska will ‘enhance’ its current fleet with some of Virgin’s in-flight amenities. Specifically, Alaska is adding mood lighting, high-speed WiFi, and in-flight messaging among other changes. Overall, Alaska plans to spend the next 2 years improving their overall in-flight experience.
On the other hand, the NEW Alaska Airlines will spend the next 2 years making the Virgin America brand worse. Well sort of. Most of the features will remain, but the huge domestic first class seats with 55 inches of pitch are getting thrown out in favor of a more “profitable” seating arrangement.
Additionally, Alaska airlines announced plans to open Alaska Board Room lounges in San Fransisco and New York by sometime in 2019.
My Thoughts
I don’t think this decision comes as a surprise. I’d imagine the logistics of running to airlines simultaneously must be difficult. Plus, as history shows us, when to airlines merge, only one brand survives (Delta, United, American, and now Alaska). I am happy however, to see that Alaska won’t phase out the brand immediately which allows loyal Virgin passengers and Virgin, eh, Virgins to give the brand a try before it disappears. Anyone hoping to try out Virgin’s first class seats, make sure to do so soon as they will disappear quickly!
Featured Image Courtesy Of Virgin America
