Virgin America has flown its final flight
Low-cost U.S. airline Virgin America is no more.
The air carrier, which merged with Alaska Airlines in December 2016, had its branding erased from 29 airports across the nation in the overnight hours, after its final flight from Los Angeles touched down in San Francisco around 11 p.m. PT. This includes all signs and screens at curbside locations, gates, ticket counters and baggage claim areas. The airline stopped using its original air traffic control call sign – “Redwood” – in January, having since been operating under “Alaska.”
Customers will use Alaska’s website, mobile app and will reach one call center when contacting the airline by phone.
Some of Virgin America’s red and white Airbus jets are currently being repainted in Alaska’s blue and white colors, and interiors are also in the process of changing, though certain flights may be operated on a plane with an Alaska Airlines exterior and Virgin America interior. Alaska said the competition of a single-brand experience will likely take until the end of 2019.
Virgin America began flying in 2007 as part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, and was acquired by Seattle-based Alaska in a $2.6 billion deal in 2016. With the deal, the total number of aircraft in the fleet increased to more than 280 and combined, the airline will operate about 1,200 daily flights.