Originally Posted by LonesomeSky

Or, jetblue would've bought VX. The combined airline would've had the highest quality product, a true nationwide network, a loyal (almost fanatical) customer base on both coasts, and operating costs competitive with alaska and southwest.

I'm a fan of Alaska's conservative model that tracks in parallel to growth rate of the Pacific Northwest. Alaska Airlines is a geography play and a regional play, it has more in common with The Washington State Ferry Service than Delta Airlines. However, I also believe that a VX B6 combo would've been a possible extinction event for Alaska, It would be like unleashing an invasive species in a secluded environment. Alaska can live and thrive with an international network cariier next door, a carrier that dies back every time there's a downturn, but an LCC that's appealing to the tech crowd would've rotted out Alaska similar to how an emrald ash borer beetle destroys forests.

Originally Posted by rballan

While academic, VX would not have dissolved as it would have been acquired by Jetblue. You can debate the effect of the $2.5B price tag on Jetblue with the current circumstances.

Cheers - Rob.