The process of merging two beloved airlines known for innovation and customer service just moved one step closer to completion. Today, the Department of Justice cleared Alaska Air Group’s acquisition of Virgin America, an important hurdle on the way to closing the deal.

While a specific close date for the acquisition of Virgin America has not been set, Alaska Airlines plans to close the deal in the very near future. Until then, it’s business as usual this month for fliers traveling on Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. You should interact with either airline as you normally would.

After the merger closes, and Alaska and Virgin America officially join forces, we’ll share more information on why this deal is good news for West Coast travelers.

To stay up-to-date on the latest merger news be sure to follow @AlaskaAir on Twitter or subscribe to this blog.

Read more about today’s news at https://newsroom.alaskaair.com/2016-12-06-Justice-Department-Clears-Alaska-Air-Groups-Acquisition-of-Virgin-America.