Here's what it's like to fly on Alaska Airlines, which just bought Virgin America for $2.6 billion

Ted S. Warren/AP

Diehard Virgin America fans had their hopes dashed on December 14, when Alaska Airlines announced it closed a deal to acquire the Richard Branson-founded airline for $2.6 billion.

The newly merged carrier will create the fifth largest airline in the US with 40 million customers, Business Insider reported.

When Alaska Airlines made the bid to buy its rival in April, loyal Virgin customers freaked out about the merger on social media. Virgin would lose its "cool factor," they worried. One fan told The New York Times leaving Virgin for Alaska was like "giving up your sexy imported sports car for a reliable but unsexy sedan."

It's unclear what parts of the Virgin brand will survive, but Alaska Air confirmed this week that there will be no immediate changes to Virgin's "onboard product or experience."

On a trip from San Francisco to Seattle in April, I flew Alaska Airlines. Here's what it was like.