Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said Wednesday that he might keep the Virgin America brand, running it and Alaska as two different products within the same airline group. In April, Alaska announced plans to buy Virgin America for $2.6 billion, a deal which would make it a West Coast powerhouse. Virgin America, which is based near San Francisco airport, has its own loyal following, especially in Silicon Valley. In the past three years, Virgin America has spent more than $22 million in license fees to a company controlled by Branson. A decision hasn't yet been made but Tilden noted that European carriers have kept their own identity following mergers.

Source: ABC News June 15, 2016 20:03 UTC