Merger? Anyone Anyone
02-10-2026 | 05:02 PM
#1
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Merger? Anyone Anyone
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Alaska-Airlines-global-competitor-analysis
"It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
JetBlue a good fit?
Still, said DiFiore, Alaska faces a steep climb to compete with Delta and 13 foreign carriers in Seattle, including Korean Air, Delta's key Asian partner that placed large aircraft orders for widebody Airbus and Boeing jets in 2024 and 2025. He called Alaska's recent order of five Dreamliners "modest.""It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
02-11-2026 | 05:53 AM
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https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Alaska-Airlines-global-competitor-analysis
"It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
JetBlue a good fit?
Still, said DiFiore, Alaska faces a steep climb to compete with Delta and 13 foreign carriers in Seattle, including Korean Air, Delta's key Asian partner that placed large aircraft orders for widebody Airbus and Boeing jets in 2024 and 2025. He called Alaska's recent order of five Dreamliners "modest.""It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
& in 5 years, if we are still in the unprofitable phase we are in, as a smaller airline, we will hear how AK and maybe others have made offers, but current management turned them down as a partnership was more viable to keep the brand that everyone loves.
02-11-2026 | 06:40 AM
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Yeah, I mean, we can beat this merger horse to death. Nothing changes as we just can’t predict the future.
That said, I like flying Alaska, JS’ing with them, etc. I’d rather merge with them and build our own thing vs. joining a big 4 company that I already chose not to work at.
Gotta get that debt under control.
That said, I like flying Alaska, JS’ing with them, etc. I’d rather merge with them and build our own thing vs. joining a big 4 company that I already chose not to work at.
Gotta get that debt under control.
02-11-2026 | 06:42 AM
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From: A320 CA
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Alaska-Airlines-global-competitor-analysis
"It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
JetBlue a good fit?
Still, said DiFiore, Alaska faces a steep climb to compete with Delta and 13 foreign carriers in Seattle, including Korean Air, Delta's key Asian partner that placed large aircraft orders for widebody Airbus and Boeing jets in 2024 and 2025. He called Alaska's recent order of five Dreamliners "modest.""It's going to be really difficult," DiFiore said. There's no guarantee Alaska is going to succeed."
He predicted that in five years, Alaska's identity will still be as a West Coast regional airline, unless it does a third merger since its 2016 acquisition of Virgin America.
Ferguson said that only another acquisition within five years would enable Alaska to grow its co-branded credit card and loyalty programs on a scale required to compete against the U.S. network airlines.
He said money-losing JetBlue is the most likely candidate for a merger. Acquiring JetBlue would resolutely end any talk of Alaska being mainly a West Coast operator; JetBlue is strong on the East Coast and in Florida and the Caribbean. It also has a small network of Europe flights from Boston and New York.
The airline just might have the ambition to do it, said Ferguson, adding that Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci "appears to be a guy that wants to build something."
02-11-2026 | 06:43 AM
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During the Spirit trial, evidence was introduced (a board presentation) that said "Spirit is the next natural step in our longer-term goal to pursue Alaska.” I don’t think it would be unreasonable to think some kind of merger/acquisition scenario is still a consideration.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/jetblu...s-robin-hayes/
Of course our relative sizes and financial situations have changed in the last few years, so the dynamics would be different today.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/jetblu...s-robin-hayes/
Of course our relative sizes and financial situations have changed in the last few years, so the dynamics would be different today.
02-11-2026 | 06:53 AM
#6
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Management has a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders. They can’t just turn down offers without presenting them to the Board. The issue would be the actual offer. JB isn’t in a strong position to negotiate.
02-11-2026 | 11:17 AM
#7
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That’s not how that works.
02-11-2026 | 04:59 PM
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