Originally Posted by
FlightPhoenix
I also see Southwest buying Alaska Airlines next. Makes sense and would complement them very well.
Good fit? Maybe, but it would be an ugly merger - I doubt that WN would be interested in keeping AS's 400's (pax and freighters) and 900's. (just look at how much effort WN has put into MAYBE ordering 800's) So that means parking 42 of 116 planes or 36% of their fleet. WN would get good west coast routes as well as lots of Mexico and Hawaii - but they would also get the state of Alaska, outside of ANC and FAI I'm not sure that's an operation that they would like to deal with. Also, a purchase of AS would be VERY expensive - DL would see to it.