Lunamoth

On a recent flight, a FA stated "that within the next year, AS is changing its name." Management, according to the FA, doesn't want to be called "Alaskan" on the East Coast.

Thoughts on what it will be?
Northwest?

BearX220

Sounds very far-fetched to me. It only makes sense if AS aspires to be a national network carrier. The Alaska name has enormous positive brand equity on the west coast and in, well, Alaska.

It's not "Alaskan" anyway, BTW...

FAs are not known for reliable predictions...

dave1013

This conjures up memories of the proposed aircraft logo switch ~10 years ago. Management wanted to replace the smiling Eskimo headshot with a stylized mountain image. In the court of public opinion, the idea was not unlike the FY-1981 Federal budget, which landed with a thud in the White House and elicited a famous quote from President Reagan that it was dead on arrival. Accordingly, the idea of a stylized mountain logo quickly went away, with management saying "We heard you" while in full retreat.

In my opinion, the word "Alaska" (not "Alaskan") still has major marketing appeal and it would be a mistake to change this horse in the middle of the stream. I mean, AS appears to have done fantastically well from a dollars-and-sense standpoint with the title "Alaska Airlines". I wouldn't want to do anything to rock the boat, but that's just my two cents.

dgreen12

I agree with you on the likelihood of a name change, but in an effort to correct history, it was Reagan's budgets that were quoted as "dead on arrival" when they were submitted to the Congress in the early 1980s.

The President proposes, the Congress disposes. Or at least it used to.

dave1013

Point taken; but he did say those words.

Scottrick

The biggest flaw with this rumor is that it assumes people on the West Coast care what people on the East Coast think.

BearX220

There's a cruise line named Norwegian whose ships usually don't sail anywhere near Norway. It does just fine. You don't hear rumors of a name change to Seven Seas Cruises, or whatever, because it doesn't want to be called Norwegian on the west coast or in the South Seas.

steadyASshegoes

I've heard "US Airways" is coming available soon. Maybe they'll call themselves that?

beckoa

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I heard similar 'galley talk' two months ago. It kinda scares me...as much as I understand AS trying to keep competitive and relevant as its service expands, not just East but South too. The same FA's also talked of extra service to some DL hubs too that did come to fruition...

At this point it is all rumors.

fairviewroad

Likewise, the "Southwest" Airlines route map certainly extends to places far beyond the Southwest. Don't think people flying BWI-PWM particularly care about the name.

CDKing

I never trust "rumors" from front line employees. Most of the time they dont know what they are talking about especially something that high above their paygrade

CZBB

That's OK, they're not called "Alaskan" on the west coast either

rybob1

What reason could there possibly be to change names? As others have stated, Southwest, Northwest, Norwegian, Holland American lines just to name a few, have had no problems thriving in markets other than their namesakes.

In the case of Valujet, selling/changing names to become AirTran made sense to do, but Alaska has recovered all equity lost and then some after the 261 crash, IMO. Why throw it all away?

missydarlin

I'm pretty sure they are renaming the airline after me

beckoa

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They'd have to change the gender of Chester