Alaska Airlines could be a merger partner for a larger airline, according to a report over the weekend.
Cascadia's dominant airline has long been considered a takeover candidate because of its route network and relatively low operating costs. There's no evidence that such a combination is imminent, but the latest report comes amid continued financial strain and poor operating performance by the Seattle-based carrier.
Last week the federal government said Alaska's on-time performance deteriorated, with only 68.5 percent of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule during August. Many late flights experience long delays; the Seattle-to-Burbank flight was late 87 percent of the time during the month, with an average delay of 55 minutes.
Alaska also announced that it would quit providing snack sandwiches on longer flights and instead sell food for $5. Other changes include switching to lighter beverage carts that would save jet fuel. The moves would reportedly save several million dollars a year.