It's official: Virgin America's days are numbered.
On Wednesday, Alaska Airlines Group said the Virgin America brand would be retired in 2019.
"We spent the last 10 months conducting extensive research and listening carefully to what fliers on the West Coast want most," Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
"While the Virgin America name is beloved to many, we concluded that to be successful on the West Coast we had to do so under one name — for consistency and efficiency, and to allow us to continue to deliver low fares."
However, many of the elements that made Virgin America the best airline in North America are expected to live on, including "enhanced in-flight entertainment, mood lighting, music, and the relentless desire to make flying a different experience for guests," Alaska said in the statement.
In December, Alaska Airlines completed the $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America. The newly merged airline will be the nation's fifth-largest — behind American, Delta, United, and Southwest.
The new Seattle-based airline will operate a fleet of more than 280 aircraft on 1,187 daily flights. With Virgin America in the fold, Alaska Airlines could bolster its position as a West Coast rival of Southwest Airlines. In addition, Virgin's boutique product offering and award-winning service are expected to give Alaska access to a different set of clientele.
According to Alaska, it plans to overhaul its operation to give passengers a more "Virgin-esque" experience in the form of a new satellite based wifi system, free inflight movies, redesigned interiors with mood lighting, more stylish crew uniforms, upgraded airport lounges, more premium seating, and more complimentary upgrades.
San Francisco-based Virgin America was founded in 2007 with Richard Branson's Virgin Group holding 25% of the airline's equity. With its sale to Alaska Air, Virgin Group divested its shares and will allow the newly-merged airline to use its branding under license.
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