Issue Summary

Alaska-Hawaiian: A good combination? While the industry discussed and debated, Delta and JetBlue delivered some good news: Demand remains strong as the new year approaches. In Delta’s case, transatlantic markets continue to shine. In JetBlue’s case, close-in bookings — these typically produce highish yields — have “outperformed expectations.” And that’s true, the airline said, for both holiday and non-holiday periods. JetBlue of course awaits the judicial fate of its planned takeover of Spirit Airlines, which would create an airline even bigger than a combined Alaska-Hawaiian. JetBlue’s merger does appear riskier than Alaska’s but arguably promises greater revenue synergies.