USAirKid wrote:DFWGlobeTrotter wrote:
There is probably only room for one carrier (or less) on many of these routes, some of which require specialized training or equipment. I don't see any future for WN in Alaska, even to ANC, FAI, or JNU (although relatively speaking, those are the most likely).
I believe AS integrated the pilots that were qualified into the regular pilot group. Any AS 737 pilot can fly routes in Alaska, although there might be some brief additional training. I’m not sure WN would want to add the necessary training for Alaska flying to the whole pilot group, and they’ve shown a distinct unwillingness to have separate pilot groups. (See the MAX introduction, where they chose to retire the Classics instead of have a Classic/NG pilot group and a NG/MAX pilot group, that ultimately caused issues during the MAX grounding.)
I don’t think it is the case with any of the airports listed, but there are airports in Alaska where AS owns the terminal.
WN has been willing to have single bases with different training in the past (e.g., the 732 retirement when only Texas bases flew them at the end). That could work for Alaska, though I think that non-ANC Alaska flying is unlikely for a host of other reasons others have identified in this thread and elsewhere and ANC is only marginally more likely.